Because
of measures taken by the federal government in the 1870s, during the 1880s and 1890s
thousands of people from Ontario migrated to the Canadian West. The addition of the
Northwest Territories to Canada, the signing of treaties with the
First
Nations, and the creation of the Northwest
Mounted Police, all made the region appear safer for settlers. Also, with the surrounding
Ontarian frontier now settled, the temptations of rich and available prairie soil
lured the adventurous.
With their fluency in English and familiarity with Canadian economic and political
institutions, the Ontarians quickly adapted to life in the West and did much to shape it socially,
economically and politically. In fact, the impact of the Ontarians until the 1920s was so great
that Alberta gained the nickname of "Rural Ontario West." Fitting fairly comfortably into the
mould
set by the Ontarians, British and
American migrants also greatly contributed to the early fabric
of the province. Although Alberta also received migrants from many other parts of Canada and the
world during this period, no other immigrant group did more to define the future of
mainstream society in Alberta than the Ontarians.
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This digital collection was
produced with financial assistance from Canada's Digital
Collections initiative, Industry Canada.
Heritage Community Foundation Presents
)
