which canadian city was one of the earliest permanent settlements
History of cities in Canada Eastern cities such as St. John's (1583), Quebec City (1608), Montreal (1642), Halifax (1749), Saint John (1785), and Sherbrooke (1793) were founded in these years. More to the west, Toronto was established in 1793 as York. Of these cities, Montreal would become the most prominent city in Canada up to the 20th century. Toronto grew at a quick pace, gaining its status as a city and present name in 1834.