The ''Quebec Boundaries Extension Act, 1912'' () was passed by the

Parliament of Canada The Parliament of Canada () is the Canadian federalism, federal legislature of Canada. The Monarchy of Canada, Crown, along with two chambers: the Senate of Canada, Senate and the House of Commons of Canada, House of Commons, form the Bicameral ...

on April 1, 1912. It expanded the territory of the Province of

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, extending the northern boundary to its present location. The act transferred to the province all of the

Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories is a federal Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada. At a land area of approximately and a 2021 census population of 41,070, it is the second-largest and the most populous of Provinces and territorie ...

' former District of Ungava except offshore islands. This is a vast area bounded by the Eastmain River, the

Labrador Labrador () is a geographic and cultural region within the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is the primarily continental portion of the province and constitutes 71% of the province's area but is home to only 6% of its populatio ...

coast, and Hudson and Ungava Bays. It was first claimed by England in 1670 as

Rupert's Land Rupert's Land (), or Prince Rupert's Land (), was a territory in British North America which comprised the Hudson Bay drainage basin. The right to "sole trade and commerce" over Rupert's Land was granted to Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), based a ...

by royal decree, becoming part of Canada after Confederation. The indigenous people of the region are

Cree The Cree, or nehinaw (, ), are a Indigenous peoples of the Americas, North American Indigenous people, numbering more than 350,000 in Canada, where they form one of the country's largest First Nations in Canada, First Nations. They live prim ...

, Montagnais,

Naskapi The Naskapi (Nascapi, Naskapee, Nascapee) are an Indigenous people of the Subarctic native to the historical region St'aschinuw (ᒋᑦ ᐊᔅᒋᓄᐤ, meaning 'our Clusivity, nclusiveland'), which was located in present day northern Qu ...

, and

Inuit Inuit (singular: Inuk) are a group of culturally and historically similar Indigenous peoples traditionally inhabiting the Arctic and Subarctic regions of North America and Russia, including Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwe ...

. The '' Quebec Boundary Extension Act, 1898'' had granted the province its first territorial enlargement into the Northwest Territories. The 1912 act was pursuant to a resolution of the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada () is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Monarchy of Canada#Parliament (King-in-Parliament), Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of Ca ...

on 13 July 1908, which also led to the '' Manitoba Boundaries Extension Act, 1912'' and '' Ontario Boundaries Extension Act, 1912'', which transferred more territory around Hudson Bay to

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

and

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

from the Northwest Territories' District of Keewatin.Manitoba Boundaries Extension Act, 1912, preamble; Ontario Boundaries Extension Act, 1912, preamble Canada and

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...

disagreed on the location of the frontier between Quebec and Labrador until 1927. The Canadian government accepted Newfoundland's claimed frontier, however Quebec continues to dispute it: see Newfoundland and Labrador–Quebec border.

References

External links

{{Wikisourcepar, Québec Boundaries Extension Act, 1912
Reproduction of ''The Quebec Boundaries Extension Act, 1912''
(at pages 239 to 241 of the PDF) printed in 1913 Canadian federal legislation Political history of Quebec Borders of Quebec 1912 in Canadian law 1912 in Quebec Robert Borden