District of Keewatin

The District of Keewatin was a territory of Canada and later an administrative district of the Northwest Territories. It was created in 1876 by the Keewatin Act, and originally it covered a large area west of the Hudson Bay. In 1905, it became a part of Northwest Territories and in 1912, its southern parts were adjoined to provinces of Manitoba and Ontario, leaving the remainder, now called Keewatin Region, virtually uninhabited. On April 1, 1999, the Keewatin Region was formally dissolved, as Nunavut was created from eastern parts of the Northwest Territories, including all of Keewatin.

The name "Keewatin" comes from Algonquian roots—either kīwēhtin (ᑮᐍᐦᑎᐣ) in Cree or giiwedin (ᑮᐌᑎᓐ) in Ojibwe—both of which mean north wind in their respective languages. In Inuktitut, it was called Kivalliq (ᑭᕙᓪᓕᖅ)—a name which persists as the Kivalliq Region in Nunavut.

The District of Keewatin was created by the passage of the Keewatin Act on October 7, 1876 from a portion of Canada's Northwest Territories. The district ceased being an independent territory in 1905 and was returned to the Northwest Territories. At the time of its abolition, it covered 228,160 square miles (590,932 km²)—roughly the size of Saskatchewan. At its establishment in 1876, it encompassed the bulk of what is now Manitoba and north-western Ontario and southern Nunavut. Its territory had been reduced over the years as areas were added to the two provinces.

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