(1524)Italian navigator, Giovanni de Verrazzanoan, named all lands to west "Nova France"
(1598) Mesgouez de La Roche named Lieutenant General of Canada, Terre-Neuve, Labrador, Norembegue, had control of all fur trade
(1600) Assiniboine left Yanktonai Dakota, settled in Saskatchewan River foothills
(1603 - 1635) Samuel de Champlain explored New France, made 12 visits to find overland passage
(1627) Fur-trading company, Compagnie de la Nouvelle-France, formed; Company of One Hundred Associates formed, had rights to sources west of St. Lawrence River
(1645) Company of One Hundred Associates transferred fur trading rights to inhabitants of New France (Compagnie des Habitants)
(1664) Compagnie des Habitants dissolved, all fur trade done by King of France
(1670) Rupert's Land Act gave Hudson Bay Company trading monopoly over watershed of all rivers, streams flowing into Hudson Bay (included most of Saskatchewan)
(1690) Henry Kelsey (first European to enter Saskatchewan) travelled up Saskatchewan River
1700s
(1700) Cree Indians began to arrive in Rupert's Land, located in Badlands area
(1713) Treaty of Utrecht signed - Hudson Bay granted to British, new boundary lines established for most of North America
(1741 - 1743) Francois La Verendrye traveled North Saskatchewan River, erected small fort at Pas
(1763) Royal Proclamation of October 7 proclaimed Indian Nations on lands west of established colonies could not be disturbed by settlement
(1774) First trading post established at Cumberland House
(1783) Treaty of Versailles established new boundary between U.S. and Canada
(1784) Umfreville House established on North Sasketchewan River by Edward Umfreville, Northwest Company traders
(1789) Alexander McKenzie explored north of Lake Athabasca
(1792) Peter Fidler mapped North Saskatchewan River route
