Bursting with charm and steeped in history, Canada's oldest surviving homes were built to last with some even predating the creation of the nation by a century or more. These storied gems are loaded with period features and old-world character. Take a step back in time as we showcase 10 of the most venerable Canadian homes on the market right now.

The eastern provinces of Canada were the first to be settled by Europeans and consequently boast some of the oldest standing colonial homes in the country. New Brunswick has more than its fair share, with some properties dating back to the late 18th century. This elegant mansion in the heart of St. George was constructed in 1846.

The stately Regency home was built by lumber baron and Senator of the Dominion of Canada, Arthur Hill Gillmor as a wedding gift for his wife Hannah Dawes Howe, and has remained in the same family for five generations. A capacious property, the residence has seven bedrooms and three bathrooms.

Meticulously maintained, the mansion abounds with attractive period features, from moulded cornices and original doors to ornate fireplaces and a wonderful Victorian staircase. Best of all, the property is incredibly affordable. Up for sale with Coldwell Banker via Point2Homes, the house is listed for a bargain CA$299,999 (£171k).

French immigrants began settling in Québec way back in 1608. Needless to say, the oldest surviving colonial homes in Canada are located in the province. They include Maison Pâquet, a clapboard farmhouse in Lévis, which is available via Groupe MJC priced at a value-for-money CA$547,900 (£313k).

The captivating six-bedroom, three-bathroom 'maison ancestrale' was built in 1760 and has been extensively restored. Evocatively rustic, the farmhouse wows with large yet cosy living rooms, a dining room containing a dazzling cast iron range and large stone fireplaces.

The home's pièce de résistance though has got to be its magnificent library, which is located on the upper level. This sensational space features ancient wooden beams and bookcases as well as a gorgeous antique cast iron stove. Other highlights of the property include the original stone bread oven, a wine cellar and sauna.

This Carpenter Gothic house on Prince Edward Island was constructed in the late 1870s for Senator Donald Montgomery. His granddaughter Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote Anne of Green Gables, and the famous author is known to have stayed at the property. In fact, many of the home's artefacts feature in the much-loved novel.

The idyllic rural house, which has seven bedrooms and the same number of bathrooms, underwent a major refurb in 2017 but retains many of its characterful period features. The property, which is owned by the senator's great-great-grandson Paul Montgomery, currently operates as a four-star inn but could very easily revert to being a family home.

On the market with Century 21 for a remarkably reasonable CA$749,000 (£428k), the house comes with all furnishings, which might very well include some of the pieces mentioned in Lucy Maud Montgomery's Ingleside series of novels such as the 18th-century grandfather clock and bookcase.

Bailey House is a timber-frame Georgian beauty in historic Annapolis Royal that dates from 1770. Situated on one of Canada's oldest streetscapes, the property was built by Scottish immigrant John Easson, a skilled master carpenter, and went on to host a myriad of notable figures including the father of Queen Victoria, and politician and writer Thomas Chandler Haliburton.

Bailey House even features in one of Haliburton's books. Like Senator Montgomery House, the property is currently a bed and breakfast but would, of course, make for the perfect family residence. Impeccably restored, this veritable jewel of Canadian history has several parlours, a country kitchen with a homely brick hearth and a spacious dining room that's perfect for entertaining.

In total, the property offers seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms if you factor in the coach house, which has been converted into guest accommodation. On the market with Engel & Völkers, Bailey House has an asking price of CA$850,000 (£485k), which is far from steep considering its illustrious history, generous size and fine condition.

Rose Manor is one of Newfoundland's most admired heritage properties. The handsome Second Empire manor was built in 1878 for prominent local politician Thomas R. Bennett, who was the Speaker of the House of Assembly in St. John's, but incorporates an earlier property that is thought to date back to 1828.

For over 20 years the grand oceanfront house, which was completely revamped in 2009, has served as a boutique bed and breakfast, which has been voted one of the romantic inns in the province. Lavishly appointed with top-notch period fixtures and fittings, the property offers six bedrooms and the same amount of bathrooms, and a number of reception rooms that are simply exquisite.

The manor's parlours exude Victorian sophistication and the sprawling Rose Bellos dining room can comfortably seat up to 28 people. Other selling points include the one-and-a-half acres of manicured gardens. The property is up for sale with Rideout Realty priced at CA$969,000 (£553k).

Québec may be home to Canada's oldest surviving residential properties, but Ontario boasts more 19th century homes than any other province, one of the most standout of which is Butler House in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Constructed in 1814 to replace an earlier structure that was built between 1787 and 1789, the Georgian clapboard house is a real treasure.

The three-bedroom, five-bathroom property, which like several others in our round-up currently operates as a luxe bed and breakfast, offers the best of both worlds with sublime period features that include original floorboards, exposed beams and fireplaces, as well as mod cons such as air conditioning, swish ensuite bathrooms and a kitchen packed with chef-worthy appliances.

The seller is throwing in every single piece of furniture and all decorative items ranging from sumptuous custom-made pieces to esteemed antiques, crystal and china, so the asking price of CA$1.4 million (£822k) represents pretty decent value for money. Butler House is on the market with Sotheby's International Realty.

Staying in Ontario, this imposing Neo-classical stone manor was built in 1845 for Aaron Merrick, the son of William Merrick, a United Empire loyalist from Massachusetts who founded the village that bears his name in 1794. The property, which sits on 8.9 acres of land, has a fascinating history, having served as a zoo at one point as well as a nursing home.

Upon entering the house you can't fail to be impressed by the grand entrance hall with its sweeping three-storey spiral staircase. Everything about the property whispers high-end quality. The formal living, great and dining rooms, for instance, have fabulous high ceilings featuring crafted medallions, marble fireplaces and other graceful original features.

The manor also comprises six large bedrooms, five bathrooms with clawfoot tubs, a gourmet kitchen and climate-controlled wine cellar, not to mention a Victorian bar and an outdoor swimming pool and spa. Up for sale via Royal LePage, Aaron Merrick House is listed for CA$1.8 million (£1m).

Unsurprisingly, the oldest property in our round-up is located in Québec: Vieux-Montréal's Maison Dumas. The stone house was built in 1757 for cooper Eustache Prévost and is one of the finest surviving examples of an 18th-century craftsman home in Canada. It was later acquired by wealthy merchant Toussaint Dumas and remained in the Dumas family until the 1950s, hence the name.

The house is divided into two apartments, one of which has a tourism permit meaning it can be rented out to paying guests. All in all, the property features four bedrooms and three bathrooms, several reception rooms, an open-plan kitchen-diner, and a tranquil garden with a gazebo.

History buffs will be pleased to learn the house has retained many of its appealing original features, which include robust pine flooring, stone and brick walls, wood beams and columns, and multiple fireplaces. Priced at CA$1.9 million (£1.1m), Maison Dumas is on the market with Engel & Völkers.

Houses dating from the 19th century are a relative rarity in the western provinces of Canada, and those that have survived certainly do not come cheap. Cue Rostervor in New Westminster, BC. Constructed in 1890, the six-bedroom, five-bathroom property is listed with RE/MAX for a hefty CA$2.5 million (£1.4m).

The Queen Anne Revival mansion was built by renowned architects Charles Henry Clow and Samuel McClure. Its first resident was local designer and artist Charles Murray, and the property is also known as the Charles Murray Residence. The house was named Rostervor by lumberman Walter Gilley, who snapped it up in 1901.

No expense was spared on decorating the mansion, which has stunning stained-glass windows, intricately carved wood fireplace surrounds, the best quality hardwood flooring, and more. These prized original features have been lovingly maintained over the years, though the property benefits from modern additions like air conditioning and a chef's kitchen.

Fit for royalty, Geary House is the most palatial and by far the most expensive property in our round-up, and one of Toronto's poshest residences. The Georgian-style mansion was constructed in 1857 for a barrister called James Boyd Davis and was later the residence of Toronto mayor James Geary, who gave the mansion its name (but the property was also known as Caverhill in the past).

During the 1980s the house narrowly escaped demolition after it was acquired by an investor who wanted to knock it down and start from scratch. Geary House fell into disrepair and was left vacant until 1996 when it was purchased by Robert Bourgeois. Mindful of its history, the moneyed financier restored the property to its former glory, while incorporating all the mod cons you'd look for in a luxury house these days.

The five-bedroom, nine-bedroom mansion is nothing short of splendid. Its many attributes include a spectacular entrance hall, opulent living rooms, a regal wood-panelled library, two gourmet kitchens, a wine cellar, outdoor pool and even an underground tunnel that connects the main property to a coach house. On the market with Christie's International Real Estate, Geary House has a rather eye-watering asking price of CA$19.8 million (£11.3m).