Loyalists who came to Ontario expected a two years supply of food, a years supply of clothing, farming equipment, tools, an ox, axe and a gun. Land was granted to Loyalists but not distributed evenly. Acquiring land was a slow process for Loyalists. Many lived in tents for several months in the wilderness of Ontario. Female Loyalists that left America without a husband, father or any other male relative had to either quickly marry or recieve little land.
Most people cannot imagine living in the circumstances faced by so many Loyalist refugees. Some people had to wat leaf buds, roots, tree bark and beech leaves to survive. There was crop failure, a sever winter, and no more British aid. It is recorded that one family lives on beech leaves for more than a week. Some people died after eating poisonous plant or roots. People resorted to eating Skunks! One eyewitness wrote that "wild leaves and starved domestic animals were rationed. One spoonful of meal per day for one person." The same person reported that his family "leaped for joy at one robin being caught, out of which a whole pot of soup was made."Clothing was another challenge. Whatever clothing the Loyalists had brought was quickly worn through. The thousands of Loyalists that came to Canada from America grew increasingly angry towards the British for the lack of support that was given to their families. The increased number of Loyalists now living in British North America (Canada) forced the British government to create new regions. Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Cape Breton were carved out of the map and became seprate from Quebec. This pleased the Loyalists as they are now in control of their own governments.
