Ranching Dawn on a New Ranching Dawn on a New FrontierFrontier

Barry IrvingBarry Irving

SRM-IMS 2011 Fall MeetingSRM-IMS 2011 Fall Meeting

Fur Trade

Agriculture

Metis

Extirpation of Canadian Bison

Large Scale Ranching

Need to feed “new” British Citizens

B.C. was exception. Gold was catapult

Criminal OriginsCriminal Origins

1650 Henry Hudson1650 Henry Hudson 1659 Radisson and Grosseillers1659 Radisson and Grosseillers 1670 Governor and Company of 1670 Governor and Company of

Adventurers of England Trading into Adventurers of England Trading into Hudson’s BayHudson’s Bay

Mandated to explore the interior and find a Mandated to explore the interior and find a route to the Pacificroute to the Pacific

Internal CompetitionInternal Competition

Bay Company FortsBay Company Forts 1690 Henry Kelsey1690 Henry Kelsey Free TradersFree Traders 1754 Anthony Henday1754 Anthony Henday 1760 Methy Portage1760 Methy Portage 1780 Nootka Sound1780 Nootka Sound 1782 NorthWest Company1782 NorthWest Company

Contrasting Company PhilosophyContrasting Company Philosophy

Live like and with the Aboriginal populationLive like and with the Aboriginal population= creation of mixed culture and lifestyle= creation of mixed culture and lifestyle

Live a European lifestyleLive a European lifestyle= Need for local agriculture= Need for local agriculture

1820 Exhausted companies become one1820 Exhausted companies become one

Agriculture Comes to the ManitobaAgriculture Comes to the Manitoba

Lord Selkirk purchaseLord Selkirk purchase 1811 Scots land at York Factory1811 Scots land at York Factory 2 beefs in a canoe2 beefs in a canoe Cattle population of Rupert’s Cattle population of Rupert’s

Land expands to 6Land expands to 6 1820 – 23 Michael Dousman Drives1820 – 23 Michael Dousman Drives

Canadian Bison ExtirpatedCanadian Bison Extirpated

Bison meat feeds the fur tradeBison meat feeds the fur trade 1874 Red River Hunt pushes the bison 1874 Red River Hunt pushes the bison

frontierfrontier 1870 Hide trade started1870 Hide trade started 1877 Custer defeated1877 Custer defeated Horse riding huntersHorse riding hunters 1880 Canadian bison extirpated1880 Canadian bison extirpated

Fort Benton

B.C. Catapulted to CattleB.C. Catapulted to Cattle

1858 Joel Palmer drives food to Cariboo1858 Joel Palmer drives food to Cariboo 1865 11865 1stst breeding stock driven in breeding stock driven in 1868 Gold rush fizzles1868 Gold rush fizzles 1876 Cattle exported1876 Cattle exported

Alberta’s Missionary RanchersAlberta’s Missionary Ranchers

1862 Mcdougall makes an observation1862 Mcdougall makes an observation 1873 Stoney mission originated1873 Stoney mission originated Cattle stolen twice in the nightCattle stolen twice in the night Cattle flourished in the chinook zone of the Cattle flourished in the chinook zone of the

Eastern Slopes Eastern Slopes

Whiskey, Police, and Treaty 7Whiskey, Police, and Treaty 7

1874 NWMP arrive1874 NWMP arrive 1876 Emerson and Lynch1876 Emerson and Lynch 1877 Treaty 71877 Treaty 7 Canada chooses food over fightCanada chooses food over fight

Canada’s Golden Ranching EraCanada’s Golden Ranching Era

1881 Order in Council establishes a grazing 1881 Order in Council establishes a grazing lease systemlease systemSenator Mathew Cochrane goes ranchingSenator Mathew Cochrane goes ranching

Numerous big ranches followNumerous big ranches follow 1896 Liberals sweep political power1896 Liberals sweep political power 1906/07 Winter ends speculation1906/07 Winter ends speculation

The Liberal Settlement PolicyThe Liberal Settlement Policy

Farming = ConsumptionFarming = ConsumptionConsumption = EconomyConsumption = EconomyOne way trade favouredOne way trade favoured

2 Contrasting Expeditions2 Contrasting Expeditions 1857 Palliser1857 Palliser 1872 Macoun1872 Macoun Most of western Canada settled by 1920Most of western Canada settled by 1920