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Chapter 9. Growth in the West. Natural resources – parts of nature that people can use Ex: fish, land, trees, water, oil, minerals Canada was/is very rich in natural resources They are the reason Europeans came to Canada in the first place. 1. Land. Provides a place to live
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Chapter 9 Growth in the West
Natural resources – parts of nature that people can use Ex: fish, land, trees, water, oil, minerals • Canada was/is very rich in natural resources • They are the reason Europeans came to Canada in the first place
1. Land • Provides a place to live • Kept F.N.s alive • Land=power • The gov’t of Canada wanted to control more of it – it was running out back East
Securing Land • Canada wanted to secure the West before America could • “Rupert’s Land” was changed to the “Northwest Territories” • The gov’t gained control of land by signing treaties with F.N.s • The gov’t then created the Canada/U.S. border, and used the RCMP to control it
The Border • Known as the “49th Parallel” • Surveyors marked the border with mounds of dirt and iron posts
Trouble in Whoop-Up Country • “Whoop-Up” country is present day Cypress Hills • Traditional F.N. hunting grounds • Became part of the whiskey trade • Many outlaws hunted/traded here illegally from America • People hunted wolves by poisoning dead carcasses of buffalo • There was no law enforcement
The Law Arrives • Canada was worried about how violent Whoop-Up was becoming • He sent the North West Mounted Police to: • Show the U.S. who owned the land • Shield the F.N. from American outlaws • Help new settlers live in the land • Keep the peace between settlers and F.N.
Massacre • In the U.S., thousands of F.N. were massacred, and their land stolen • 1873: Nakoda F.N. camping near Cypress Hills • American wolfers accused them of stealing horses • They killed 36 men, women, and children • John A. got the NWMP there ASAP
The March • 300 police marched West • The march was hard, and they weren’t prepared • Eventually, one half created Fort MacLeod in present-day Lethbridge • The other half created Fort Edmonton
Their Role • Their role was to make life peaceful. To do this, they: • Cleared out the whiskey traders • Arrested lawbreakers / put them on trial • Delivered mail • Fought grass fires / helped new farmers • Fought in the 2nd Metis Uprising
The RCMP • Eventually, the NWMP joined forces with the police from eastern Canada, and became the Royal Canadian Mounted Police • The RCMP is the federal police force for Canada
Building the Iron Road • Standard Time • Building the Railroad
PM John A created a new “policy” for the West. It needed to do 3 things: • Transportation: create a transportation system from East to West (railway) • Immigration: populate it so the land could be used • Economic: create a strong economy there
1. Transportation • Called the “transcontinental railway” • May convince B.C. to join Canada • It would be a huge task • Built by the “Canadian Pacific Railway Company” (CPR)
The builders decided to build it more south than north: • Flatter land / fewer trees • Coal deposits down south would fuel the trains • To compete with the American railways close to the border • The railway company already owned the land • They thought the south was better for farming
Rough life… • Each kilometer of railway cost $1/2 million! • Summer was very hot • Mosquitoes were terrible • Winter was freezing • Poor living conditions • Same meals • Land was hard to work on (mountains, swamps, etc.)
Impact: • Brought many newcomers to Canada • Changed to look of the land • P.204 Chinese immigrants • P.205 Father Albert Lacombe • P.206 Opinions about the railway
2. Immigration • The gov’t needed people to farm the West • Before people got here, the land had to be surveyed: • Land divided into large chunks called “townships” • Each one divided into 36 sections • Each section divided by 4, 64 hectares each
Any “head” of a family, or any male over 21, could apply for a ¼ section • They had to promise: • Live there for 6 mo. of the year • Build a house • Start farming • If the man did these things, they were allowed to keep the land
Life was very rough: • Immigrants did not have money to start their farms, or materials to build • Nature was tough: bad weather, bugs, etc. ruined crops
Ontario newcomers • Land was scarce in Ontario • The gov’t spent a lot of money convincing people from Ont. to move West • They went to Manitoba, and nicknamed to place, “New Ontario”
Other groups • Mennonites • Icelanders • P.211 First Nation farms
3. Economy • competition with the US: since the US could make materials cheaper, people were buying from there • Solution: protective tariff: a tax on products coming across the border • P.211 – mixed feelings • Progress was slow, but steady