Company type | Chartered company |
---|---|
Industry | Land development |
Founded | 1826 (by royal charter) |
Founder | John Galt |
Defunct | 1953 |
Fate | Dissolved |
Headquarters | No. 13, St. Helen's Place, Bishopsgate Street, London, England |
Number of locations | Huron Tract, Queen's Bush, Clergy Reserves |
Area served | Upper Canada |
Key people | John Galt, William Dunlop, Thomas Mercer Jones, William Allan, Daniel Lizars |
Services | Land, roads, mills |
Total equity | 2,000,000 acres (8,100 km2) of land |
The Canada Company was a private British land development company that was established to aid in the colonization of a large part of Upper Canada. It was incorporated by royal charter on August 19, 1826,[1] under the Canada Company Act 1825 (6 Geo. 4. c. 75) of the British parliament,[2] which was given royal assent on June 27, 1825.[3] It was originally formed to acquire and develop Upper Canada's undeveloped clergy reserves and Crown reserves,[2] which the company bought in 1827 for £341,000 ($693,000) from the Province of Upper Canada.[4]
Founded by John Galt, who became its first Superintendent, the company was successful in populating an area called the Huron Tract – an achievement later called "the most important single attempt at settlement in Canadian history".[5]
It is unrelated to the modern-day Canadian charity of the same name, founded in 2006, which assists former Canadian military members and their spouses regain civilian employment after service in the Canadian Armed Forces.[6]
Plaque #4