Little Canada is a city in Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States. It is a second-ring suburb of Minneapolis-Saint Paul. The population was 1…Little Canada is a city in Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States. It is a second-ring suburb of Minneapolis-Saint Paul. The population was 10,819 at the 2020 census. In 1844, French Canadian settler Benjamin Gervais moved north from Saint Paul to claim land in order to build the first grist mill in Minnesota that was independent from the government. The large lake on the east side of Little Canada bears his name. The grist mill was converted into a park, which is recognized as the birthplace of the city. Little Canada began as the township of New Canada in 1858. In the 1950s, the township was threatened by the suburban sprawl of the ensuing larger communities that were formed, such as Maplewood. In 1953, the city leaders came together and established the village of Little Canada. It became a city in 1974.