- Definition
Lower Canada was an old name for the southern part of Quebec, where most people spoke French. It later joined with Upper Canada to form a bigger colony.
The city of Montreal was a major city in the colony of Lower Canada.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: Think of Lower Canada like a person's old nickname that was used long ago before they got a new one.
Ask your child: If our town had an old-fashioned name long ago, what would it be?
Common mix-up: Kids often think 'Lower' means south. The name actually refers to being 'downstream' on the St. Lawrence River, which was further north on a map.
Examples
- The area we now call southern Quebec was once known as Lower Canada.
- Many of the people living there were descendants of French settlers and spoke French.
Lower Canada is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
- Grade 3 Social Studies / History / Geography
- Grade 6 Social Studies / History / Geography
- Grade 7 Social Studies / History / Geography
+1 more mention across the curriculum
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
