In 986 Bjarni Herjolfsson was trying to get to Greenland but missed it...he saw the coasts of what is now eastern Canada but never went ashore. He finally made it to Greenland and was made fun of for not having gone ashore. Leif Eriksson knew of his voyage and retraced his route about the year 1000 and did go ashore. He called one area Vinland (probably Newfoundland).
The local natives were too hostile so an attempt to colonize Vinland was abandoned.