CANADA HISTORY

Settling the West

The settling of the Canadian West, a key part of John A. Macdonald's National Policy, marked a pivotal chapter in the shaping of Canada’s future. However, the initial optimism that accompanied the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and the early influx of settlers during the 1880s was followed by a significant drop-off in immigration. Many settlers, disillusioned with the harsh climate, limited infrastructure, and economic downturns of the late 19th century, abandoned their homesteads in Manitoba and the Northwest Territories, seeking better opportunities in the United States. This exodus threatened the viability of Macdonald’s grand vision of a settled, prosperous West and underscored the need for renewed efforts to encourage settlement and agricultural production in the region.

By the time Wilfrid Laurier became Prime Minister in 1896, the global economy was recovering from the recession that had gripped the early 1890s. Economic optimism was growing, fuelled in part by events like the Klondike Gold Rush, which stimulated a renewed interest in western Canada. Laurier’s government saw an opportunity to capitalize on these favorable conditions by reviving and expanding settlement efforts in the West. Central to this strategy was the development of wheat farming, which would become the economic engine driving the settlement of the prairies.

The Importance of Wheat and the Development of Prairie Agriculture

One of the key factors in encouraging settlers to immigrate to Manitoba and the Northwest Territories was the recognition of the prairies' potential for wheat production. Wheat farming, particularly the cultivation of hard red spring wheat, was well suited to the region’s climate and soil conditions, but its success depended on the development of hardier, faster-growing strains that could withstand the unpredictable weather of the Canadian West.

The breakthrough that would lay the foundation for prairie agriculture occurred in the 1860s when a Scottish farmer sent a sample of wheat to his friend David Fife in Ontario. Fife planted the wheat, which nearly failed in Ontario’s climate, but a few grains survived, leading to the cultivation of a new strain known as Red Fife wheat. Red Fife proved to be resilient and fast-growing, traits that made it ideal for the Canadian prairies, where early frosts or late cold snaps could destroy crops. By the late 19th century, Red Fife became the preferred wheat variety in Manitoba and the Northwest Territories, providing a reliable crop for settlers.

In 1904, the development of an even more productive strain, known as Marquis wheat, revolutionized farming on the prairies. Marquis wheat was even hardier and faster-growing than Red Fife, allowing farmers to extend the areas suitable for wheat farming further north and into regions that had previously been considered marginal for agriculture. The introduction of agricultural machinery, such as the McCormick and Massey-Harris binders, coupled with the construction of grain elevators and the railway infrastructure provided by the CPR, created the conditions for the Canadian West to emerge as a breadbasket of the British Empire.

Clifford Sifton and the Immigration Boom

A key figure in the success of Laurier’s western settlement strategy was Clifford Sifton, Laurier’s Minister of the Interior and MP for Brandon, Manitoba. Sifton understood that wheat farming alone would not fill the vast, open prairies. He needed settlers—hundreds of thousands of them—to transform the West into a prosperous agricultural heartland. His solution was a bold, aggressive immigration policy that would target potential settlers from across the world, focusing particularly on the United States, Great Britain, and Europe.

Sifton’s immigration strategy was multifaceted. He first tackled an issue that had slowed the process of homesteading: the large tracts of land that had been granted to the CPR as compensation for building the railway. By 1896, the CPR had yet to select the millions of acres it was entitled to, leaving vast portions of land unavailable for homesteading. Sifton issued an ultimatum: the railway must either choose its land immediately or forfeit it. This cleared the way for the government to make more land available to immigrants.

Sifton also reformed homesteading regulations, making it easier for young men to claim their own 160-acre parcels of free land, even if they still lived with their families. He set up land agents in communities across the prairies, streamlining the process for immigrants to claim their homesteads and providing guidance on farming and settlement.

Targeted Immigration Campaigns

Sifton’s most ambitious move was his campaign to recruit immigrants directly from their home countries. He flooded the United States with pamphlets, advertisements, and promotional material extolling the virtues of the Canadian West. He promoted the Canadian prairies as fertile, prosperous lands where settlers could claim 160 acres of free land under the Dominion Lands Act. Sifton’s recruitment efforts targeted American farmers who had been struggling with land shortages and high prices in the western United States. The promise of free land and new opportunities in Canada was an attractive proposition, and thousands of Americans crossed the border to establish farms in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.

In Great Britain, Sifton worked to encourage politicians and prominent figures to promote emigration to Canada, particularly among the country’s working-class and agricultural laborers. He presented the Canadian West as part of the British Empire, where British subjects could continue to enjoy the privileges of citizenship while building new lives on the frontier.

Sifton’s efforts also extended to continental Europe, where he targeted farmers from Scandinavia, Germany, Holland, and France. One of his most successful recruitment campaigns focused on Galicia (part of modern-day Ukraine and Poland), which provided a steady stream of Eastern European immigrants to Canada. These immigrants, many of whom were experienced in subsistence farming, were well-suited to the challenges of establishing farms in the rugged, isolated conditions of the Canadian prairies.

The Immigration Boom and Population Growth

Sifton’s immigration campaigns paid off. In 1897, the number of immigrants to Canada surged to 32,000, doubling the number from just two years earlier. Between 1896 and 1911, over two million immigrants arrived in Canada, significantly boosting the country’s population. In the 1901 census, Canada had a population of 5.37 million; by 1911, that number had risen to 7.2 million.

Of the two million immigrants who arrived during this period, 38% came from Great Britain, 34% from the United States, and 26% from other parts of Europe. The populations of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta swelled as these new settlers established farms, built towns, and contributed to the region’s rapid development. Manitoba’s population grew from 255,211 in 1901 to 455,625 by 1911, while Saskatchewan and Alberta saw their combined population grow from 164,281 to 867,095 during the same period.

The Fulfillment of the National Policy

The successful settlement of the Canadian West under Laurier’s government marked the fulfillment of Macdonald’s National Policy. The West, which had once seemed an empty, barren frontier, had been transformed into a thriving agricultural region, producing wheat that fed not only Canada but the world. The railways, which had been instrumental in bringing settlers to the West, now carried grain and other products to market, further strengthening Canada’s economy.

The settlement of the West was also a turning point in Canadian identity. The arrival of immigrants from diverse regions of the world, particularly from Eastern Europe, fundamentally changed the demographic makeup of the Canadian prairies. While British and American immigrants had long dominated settlement patterns in Canada, the influx of Eastern European farmers introduced new cultures, languages, and traditions to the West. This diversity became a defining feature of prairie life and contributed to the development of a multicultural society in Canada.

The settling of the Canadian West was one of the most significant achievements in the early years of Canada’s history. It fulfilled the promise of the National Policy, transformed the prairies into a breadbasket, and solidified Canada’s position as a major agricultural power within the British Empire. The immigration boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries laid the foundation for the growth and prosperity of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, regions that continue to play a vital role in Canada’s economy today.

Through the efforts of Clifford Sifton and the Laurier government, Canada was able to overcome the initial challenges of settling the West and establish a thriving agricultural economy. The transformation of the Canadian West from an empty frontier to a bustling region of farms and towns remains one of the defining moments in the nation’s history, contributing to the growth of Canada as a modern, diverse, and prosperous country.