Fouke, Mills and Blume, in Sources, p. 220 of "Canada's Story in Song," say that the poem appeared in the "Family Herald and Weekly Star," Old Favorites section. This places the printing between 1896 and 1959 (see Douglas, above. It could not have been before 1870, when the magazine was first issued).
In the introduction to the music and lyrics, Fouke et al. state that a Miss. Sheila Bucher, editor of the 'Old Favorites' page, remembers her grandmother singing the verses to the tune "The Irish Immigrants Lament." No date in noted. They state that a Scotsman named Sandy Glendenning who settled in Scarborough in 1840 described his feelings in these verses and set the air noted by Malcolm Douglas, above, in the post with the lyrics.
When the lyrics were published, how they came to be attributed to a 'Sandy Glendenning' or when they were sung by Miss. Bucher's grandmother are not specified. Unless there is more information with the printing in the "Family Herald and Weekly Star," the background to this song remains murky.