When did people start settling into Canada?

People began settling in Canada around 14,000 years ago, with Indigenous groups establishing diverse cultures and societies across the land long before European contact. The arrival of European explorers in the late 15th century, notably John Cabot in 1497, marked the beginning of sustained European interest. Permanent European settlements started in the early 17th century, with the establishment of Quebec in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain.