Francophone Settlers in the Regions of Alberta
After Confederation and the treaty agreements between the Dominion Government and the First Nations, much of the west was opened for settlement. The land surveyors had organized most of Western Canada for homesteading beginning in 1871. Most of the survey work progressed quickly through the 1980s and the system was advanced through the Peace River area after World War II (1920s). This matched with the government plan to encourage and fill the opening land with new settlers. Many of these were French speaking and they naturally formed distinct communities in each region.
