Chapter 9: Topics 3 and 4 Farming the Frontier Helping Industry Pages

Farming the Frontier Focus: What role did agriculture play in the growth of Western Canada? The second half of the National Policy encouraged immigration. The government needed to convince people to come and farm the land. As immigration increased, new communities were created. They became the backbone of Canadian society.

Land Policy in the West Before the new farmers came, the government surveyed the land. The surveyors drove iron stakes into the land to mark off the quarter sections. The whole North- West was divided this way. The government set aside two sections in each township for schools and the Hudson’s Bay Company. Surveyors divided the land up into large chunks. These were called townships. Each township was divided into 36 squares called sections. Each section was divided into four quarter sections. Each quarter section was 64 hectares (160 acres)

Land Policy in the West Some sections went to the CPR to help pay for the railroad. The rest were opened up for new arrivals. In 1872, the government passed the Dominion Lands Act. It said that any head of family could apply for land. So could any male over the age of 21. They each received a quarter section of land called a homestead. It cost $10. After 1882, women were allowed to apply too.

A Rough Life The life of a homesteading family was difficult. Most immigrants arrived very poor. Most only had enough money to buy seed, farm tools, livestock, or the materials to build houses and barns. Crops could be ruined by grasshoppers, lack of rain, early frost, or hail. Many newcomers gave up. Canada Today: Farming has always been a difficult lifestyle. Every season farmers face threats to their livelihood. For example: in 2003 inspectors found a cow infected with mad cow disease. The USA stopped all imports of older cattle and many farmers could not sell their livestock

The First Newcomers: From Ontario The government was eager to gain newcomers in the west so they hired an agency to ‘sell’ the West. The earliest newcomers came from Ontario. The province had many people. Farmland was scarce, whereas land in the West was plentiful. Many Ontarians moved to Manitoba in the 1870s, nicknamed “New Ontario”. The Canadiens were not really encouraged to come to the West. Instead, many moved to New England for jobs.

The Arrival of the Mennonites The Mennonites did not believe in fighting wars. The czar of Russia wanted them to serve in the army. A Canadian immigration agent visited Russia and convinced the Mennonites to move to Canada. They would be free to practice their religion and to farm collectively. The first group took up land southeast of Winnipeg. In all 7000 Mennonites came. They brought a heavy plough that was effective in breaking the prairie sod. They also proved that the Canadian west could be farmed with the proper tools.

From Iceland to Canada Another early group of farmers came from Iceland. In March 1875 a volcanic eruption poisoned the land with volcanic ash. It killed the cattle. Many refugees fled to Canada. The government gave them 800 square kilometres of land. They would have the freedom to speak their language and keep their customs. They would be able to make their own laws. The first party of 235 arrived in They travelled to Lake Winnipeg. They called their new home “New Iceland” with the name community in Gimli – which means ‘paradise’.

From Iceland to Canada The new home turned out to be anything but a paradise. The climate was harsh, floods forced people off of their land. Many people starved to death or died of disease (such a smallpox). Many people left, but a few people remained. In 1881, Manitoba absorbed New Iceland. Some of the people who left went to Alberta. They settled in Red Deer, in a community called Markerville.

Farming and the First Nations When the buffalo began to disappear, many First Nations people began farming. Many First Nations people were already established in farming such as the Cree and Nakoda. When the First Nations began signing treaties, the government agreed to help them become farmers. The treaties guaranteed the First Nations land. They appreciated any machinery that helped them farm. They also recieved tools, animals, and seed.

Farming and the First Nations However, many obligations were not met: Most land assigned to First Nations was not good for farming. Much of the equipment they were owed did not appear. Instructors were suppose to teach farming skills, but few instructors arrived. First Nations farmers were often prevented from buying farm machinery. Those who did farm successfully had a difficult time selling their crops.

Helping Industry Focus: How did the National Policy strengthen the Canadian economy? The third part of the National Policy was to build a strong economy. Farming was a crucial part of building the economy. Manufacturing was an important part in the East. The government hoped to develop both industries in order to build the economy.

The Problem of Competition Many of the colonies joined Confederation for many reasons. One of those reasons was to increase trade with one another. The construction of the railway made this possible. Canadian manufacturers in the East faced a huge problem. American businesses could produce goods in vast quantities. This kept their unit costs low. American goods, therefore, sold at a lower price than Canadian goods. The manufacturers were worried people would buy the cheaper goods – they were right.

The Solution: Protective Tariffs John A Macdonald put a protective tariff on goods coming into Canada. A protective tariff is a tax placed on a product crossing the border. This tax adds to the cost of the product. The American product becomes more expensive which means Canadians would now buy the cheaper Canadian goods.

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Slow but Steady New people began arriving from Europe and Eastern Canada and started farming the land. Grain began to replace furs as the region’s chief export. Ploughed fields began to cover the prairies where countless buffalo used to roam. The railway began to replace the Red River cart and canoes. Trading posts began to turn into large business centres for farms. The First Nations and Metis began to face many problems. The government neglected them and people were generally unfriendly to them. By 1891, Manitoba and the North West Territories had a population of , with First Nations people.