The Toronto region has been inhabited through centuries. When the icecap of the ice age withdrew, settlers arrived from the south. These inhabitants were alone for an extended period of time in the area. The first Europeans arrived in the 17th century, but many years passed from the first visit to actual European settlements. France, which sought to expand its colony, New France, in what is known today as Québec, established trade stations in the beginning of the 18th century, but Montréal was the actual French city
