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Manitoba, British Columbia & Prince Edward Island join Canada
The Greatest Land Deal in History
 | - When Canada was formed in 1867 it only included Ontario, Quebec,
Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, [[refer to map on p. 17]]. Even these
four provinces were smaller than they are today. |
| - The Hudson’s Bay Company owned the vast territory known as Ruperts
Land. Immediately after Confederation Canadians began thinking about
selling this territory out west. |
| - Canada wanted to buy the Hudson’s Bay Company lands for the
following reasons: |
 | 1. ...feared that the West would be lost to independence or
the U.S. |
| 2. ...dreamed of turning that land into farms where their
children could settle. |
| 3. ... as a place to attract settlers from Europe and other
lands. |
- The H.B.C. eventually agreed to sell Ruperts land for 300,000 pounds
and to keep one-twentieth of the fertile land and its trading posts - by
keeping trading posts and the land near them the Company felt it could do
great business with the new settlers.
Trouble at Red River:
| - Before Canada could take control of the new lands trouble erupted
in Red River (Manitoba). Here native people and Metis had lived a
nomadic life hunting buffalo and trapping fur bearing animals. Canada’s
development of this region into a farming area would take their hunting
lands away. |
| - The Natives and Metis would look to Louis Riel as their leader to
fight the Canadian Government |
| - Riel moved quickly to stop the Canadian Government. He... |
Thomas Scott Affair:
| - Most people in Red River supported Riel only a small group who
had come from Ontario known as "the Canadians" opposed him. |
| - One of this "Canadians’ Thomas Scott led a riot against Riel.
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| - Meanwhile the people of Red River drew up a Bill of Rights which
asked for: |
| 1. The right to enter Canada as a Province |
| 2. The right to send 4 members to Parliament |
| 3. Control over local affairs |
| 4. French and English languages in schools and courts |
| 5. Keep their way of life. |
* the requests seemed fair to Ottawa, however an incident occurred.
| - Thomas Scott while in jail struck his guards, called the Metis
cowards, insulted their religion and threatened Riel. Riel ordered
Scott brought to trial where he was found guilty and executed within
24 hours. |
| - In Quebec (french speaking/R.C.) people supported Riel, in
Ontario (English speaking/Prat.) People called for Riel’s execution.
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| - On July 5, 1870 Red River became the Canadian province of
Manitoba. However the Scott incident would never be forgotten and
the Metis would become dissatisfied with the onrush of settlers.
Trouble would erupt later. |
B.C. and P..E.I. Join Canada
| - British Columbia began to negotiate with Canada for
Confederation in 1870. It’s demands were: |
| 1. Responsible government like the other provinces and |
| 2. Link to the east. |
| Canada agreed to these terms and even went a step further
promising a railroad link rather than a wagon road. Of course
Canada had it’s own motives for wanting B.C. These motives were:
|
| 1. A Canada that stretched from the Atlantic to the
Pacific |
| 2. B.C.’s natural resources: gold and lumber |
* B.C. joined Canada July 20, 1871
| - P.E.I. turned Confederation down in 1867 however by 1873
P.E.I. was in dept and started to reconsider Confederation. Canada
still wanted P.E.I. because it could be used as a base of attack
on Canada by another country. P.E.I. joined Canada on July 1,
1873. It received: |
| 1. $800,000 to buy land from absentee land lords |
| 2. Canada took over it’s debts |
| 3. Year-round ferry service (bridge) |
| 4. Telegraph service. |
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