Lögberg-Heimskringla - 23.07.1964, Blaðsíða 19

LÖGBERG-HEIMSKRINGLA, FIMMTUDAGINN 23. JÚLl 1964
19
P. H. T. Thorlakson, M.D. L.L.D.:
The Shaping of the New Canada
A knowledge of history
enables us to recognize and
appreciate the impact of the
past upon present trends and
developments. Our attitudes
and decisions should, in many
situations, be based on this
knowledge. It will often
help to clarify and explain
the purpose and meaning of
the issues which confront us
as Canadians.
This chapter of Canadian
history deals with the origin
and development of the Ice-
landic Canadian communities
viewed against the broader
background of the provincial
and Canadian scene. I propose
to correlate the dreams and
aspirations of Canadians of
Icelandic descent with those
of their neighbors of other
national origins. This present-
ation records but a small
fragment of a complex and
lengthy process involving
many different national
groups whose combined con-
tributions will eventually
determine the “shape” of a
new nation.
The history of Western
Canada is intimately inter-
woven with the early trading
policies of the Hudson’s Bay
Company, the discoveries of
the first explorers and
voyageurs from Quebec, the
tremendous encouragement to
immigration by the comple-
tion of the trans-continental
Canadian Pacific Railway,
the law and order enforced
by the North-West Mounted
Police and the influence of
the Christian Churches that
served these territories. The
story records the transform-
ation of these western plains
from vast grazing grounds for
millions of buffaloes and a
fabulous fur-trading territory
to a rapidly expanding in-
dustrial, agricultural, mineral,
and a rich oil producing area.
This change was accomplished
initially by the enterprise
and vision of the pioneers and
later by the investment of
outside capital in our natural
resources. In the course of
time, this development was
supported by the influx of
many thousand settlers of
many nationalities converg-
ing at Winnipeg and then
dispersing to the west, north
and south in search of land,
security, freedom, and for-
tune. This evening we are
chiefly concerned with some
of the divergent human forces
that have been at work in
the process of blending and
welding together the pattern,
the form and the structure of
a new nation .
Early Hisiory
On May 2nd, 1670, King
Charles II of England signed
a Royal Charter granting to
“the Company of Adventurers
of England trading into the
Hudson’s Bay” exclusive
rights to all the territories
adjacent thereto. The King’s
cousin, Prince Rupert, was the
Company’s first Governor,
and the land was called
Rupert’s Land.
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The first white man to
travel overland from the
north into the area now
known as Western Canada
was Henry Kelsey who, in
1690, was sent inland from
York Factory by the Hudson’s
Bay Company to extend their
fur trade with the Indians of
this area. He travelled as far
south as The Pas in Northern
Manitoba.
La Verendrye, that intrepid
explorer and fur-trader from
the East, came with his party
to the “Forks” of the Red
and Assiniboine Rivers in
1734. They built “Fort Rouge”
and later in their westward
travels may have sighted the
Rocky Mountains.
Approximately seventy-five
years later, in 1811, Thomas
Douglas (1771 to 1820), the
fifth Earl of Selkirk, pur-
chased a controlling interest
in the Hudson’s Bay Company.
He at once set about to
colonize the Red River Valley.
The Company granted him
116,000 square miles of ter-
ritory which included parts
of present Manitoba, Minne-
sota and North Dakota. The
first Scottish settlers left
Sornoway, Scotland, an July
11, 1811, and arrived at York
Factory on the Hudson’s Bay
on September 24, too late to
risk the southward overland
journey of 700 miles through
the wilderness. After winter-
ing on a site on the Nelson
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Selkirk Manitoba
Lord Selkirk
River, the party set out for
the Red River on July 6, 1812,
reaching their destination 51
days later, on August 30. The
site which they chose for
their first buildings is now
known as Point Douglas. This
was the first of the three
original “Selkirk” groups who
made the hazardous journey
across the north Atlantic into
Hudson’s Bay and then over-
land to the Red River settle-
ment.
Eventually the flag of the
Hudson’s Bay Company
floated over one-fourth of the
North American continent
and, by virtue of its Royal
Charter, the company enjoy-
ed a complete monopoly of
trade, property and Govern-
ment.
In 1869 the Canadian Gov-
ernment purchased the terri-
tories granted to the Hudson’s
Bay Company for £300,000.
On July 15, 1870 the Parlia-
ment of Canada formed a part
of the territories, so granted,
into a province, which be-
came the fifth Province of
Canada.
Addressing the Parliament
of Canada in May 1870 on the
Manitoba Act, the Honour-
able George Cartier, later Sir
George Cartier, said: “The
name of the new Province
will be Manitoba, a very
euphonious (Indian) word
meaning ‘the God that speaks’.
Well, let Canada’s latest ad-
dition always speak to the
inhabitants of the North-
West the language of reason,
truth and justice.”
The western boundary was
Meridian 90° West (which
runs approximately through
Gladstone) and the north
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75th Anniversary of their Annual Celebration
Day at Gimli, Manitoba, August 3rd; 1964.
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on your
75th Anniversary
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