Dominion Land Act

Dominion Lands Act: An act passed by the federal government in 1872 in order to encourage
settlement. Under the terms of this act, the government provided 160 acres (65 hectares) of free land to each head of a family or 21 year-old male if he paid a $10 registration fee, resided on the land for three years, cultivated 30 acres (12 hectares), and built a permanent dwelling.