Jacques Cartier Cartier was assigned the mission of "undertaking the voyage of this kingdom to the New Lands to discover certain islands and countries where there are said to be great quantities of gold and other riches".
Pathfinders and Passageways: The Exploration of Canada This site tells describes the explorers and the journeys they made, using their own published accounts as well as other materials. It also contains extensive material on map-making. For 14 years+
The Barren Lands Digital Collection The digital collection consists chiefly of material describing J. B. Tyrrell's two Barren Lands expeditions of 1893 and 1894 for the Geological Survey of Canada.