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George Flett

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George Flett (10 February 1817 – 28 October 1897) was a Presbyterian missionary in what is now Manitoba , Canada. Flett was of Orkney and Cree descent. As a young man he farmed on the White Horse Plains , led a gold exploration party to Edmonton and then became the first post master for the Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Victoria, Alberta . Flett was an interpreter to the first Presbyterian mission to the northwest between 1866 and 1867. After serving as a delegate in the provisional government of Louis Riel during the Red River Rebellion , he became a missionary among the Ojibwa of Okanese Reserve , serving from 1873 to 1895.

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66-768: George Flett's father, George Flett Senior, came from the Orkney Islands , and worked for the Hudson's Bay Company . His mother, Margaret Whitford, was the daughter of an English man and a native woman, probably Cree . Flett was born at Moose Lake, Manitoba , which lies on the Saskatchewan River Delta . He was educated at the parish school and learned to speak English , French , Cree , and Ojibwa . On August 7, 1838, Flett married Frances Cook. She died while giving birth to their daughter Letitia on August 4, 1839. On November 26, 1840, he married Mary Ross,

132-517: A convention of English and French Delegates in Council at Fort Garry in 1870 Flett said: "For my part, I am a half-breed, but far be it for me to press any land claim I may have against the poor Indian of the country. We have taken the position, and ask the rights, of civilized men. As to the poor Indian, let him by all means have all he can get. He needs it, and if our assistance will aid him in getting it let us cheerfully give it". In June 1874 Flett

198-740: A decision on its future. The German sailors opened the seacocks and scuttled all the ships . Most ships were salvaged, but the remaining wrecks are now a favoured haunt of recreational divers. One month into World War II, a German U-boat sank the Royal Navy battleship HMS  Royal Oak in Scapa Flow. As a result, barriers were built to close most of the access channels; these had the additional advantage of creating causeways enabling travellers to go from island to island by road instead of being obliged to rely on ferries. The causeways were constructed by Italian prisoners of war, who also constructed

264-545: A distinctive dialect of the Scots language and have a rich body of folklore. Orkney contains some of the oldest and best-preserved Neolithic sites in Europe; the " Heart of Neolithic Orkney " is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site . Orkney also has an abundance of marine and avian wildlife. Pytheas of Massalia visited Britain – probably sometime between 322 and 285 BC – and described it as triangular in shape, with

330-554: A name that stems from a 16th-century mistranslation by George Buchanan , which has rarely been used locally. Usage of the plural "Orkneys" dates from the 18th century or earlier and was used by for example Sir Walter Scott . From the mid-19th century onwards this plural form has fallen out of use in the local area although it is still often used, particularly by publications based outside Scotland. A charred hazelnut shell, recovered in 2007 during excavations in Tankerness on

396-598: A northern tip called Orcas . This may have referred to Dunnet Head , from which Orkney is visible. Writing in the 1st century AD, the Roman geographers Ptolemy and Pomponius Mela called the islands Orcades (Ancient Greek: Όρκάδες), as did Tacitus in AD 98, claiming that his father-in-law Agricola had "discovered and subjugated the Orcades hitherto unknown" (although both Mela and Pliny had previously referred to

462-607: A raiding base before being killed in 954. Thorfinn's death and presumed burial at the broch of Hoxa , on South Ronaldsay , led to a long period of dynastic strife. Initially a pagan culture, detailed information about the turn to the Christian religion in the islands of Scotland during the Norse era is elusive. The Orkneyinga Saga suggests the islands were Christianised by Olaf Tryggvasson in 995 when he stopped at South Walls on his way from Ireland to Norway. The King summoned

528-402: A sluice built. In May 1863, Flett wrote that after overwintering the party had reached "Mud Fort" about 55 miles (89 km) above Edmonton the previous month, and were finding gold in the river beds worth between 6s and 10s each day. Five hundred miners had crossed the mountains from the west and were said to have found gold in great quantities. There was a shortage of supplies however, and Flett

594-492: A year. Flett disagreed with Nisbet's plan to found an agricultural settlement, feeling that an itinerant mission would be more useful. The Fletts returned to Red River during a time of political upheaval. He was appointed a delegate in the provisional government of Louis Riel , and was involved in debates over the terms on which Red River should join Canada. He had become a respected man, trusted by Europeans, Indians and Métis . At

660-538: Is almost entirely Old Red Sandstone , mostly of Middle Devonian age. As in the neighbouring mainland county of Caithness , this sandstone rests upon the metamorphic and igneous rocks of the Moine series, as may be seen on the Mainland, where a narrow strip is exposed between Stromness and Inganess, and again in the small island of Graemsay ; they are represented by grey gneiss and granite . The Middle Devonian

726-713: Is also abundant and moraines cover substantial areas. Orkney has a cool temperate climate that is remarkably mild and steady for such a northerly latitude , due to the influence of the warm waters of the Norwegian Current , a north-easterly extension of the North Atlantic Drift which is itself an extension of the Gulf Stream . The average temperature for the year is 8 °C (46 °F); for winter 4 °C (39 °F) and for summer 12 °C (54 °F). Fort Pelly Fort Pelly

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792-512: Is divided into three main groups. The lower part of the sequence, mostly Eifelian in age, is dominated by lacustrine beds of the lower and upper Stromness Flagstones that were deposited in Lake Orcadie . The later Rousay flagstone formation is found throughout much of the North and South Isles and East Mainland. The Old Man of Hoy is formed from sandstone of the uppermost Eday Group that

858-623: Is up to 800 metres (870 yd) thick in places. It lies unconformably upon steeply inclined flagstones, the interpretation of which is a matter of continuing debate. The Devonian and older rocks of Orkney are cut by a series of WSW–ENE to N–S trending faults, many of which were active during deposition of the Devonian sequences. A strong synclinal fold traverses Eday and Shapinsay, the axis trending north-south. Middle Devonian basaltic volcanic rocks are found on western Hoy, on Deerness in eastern Mainland and on Shapinsay. Correlation between

924-698: The -aibh representing a fossilized prepositional case ending. Some earlier sources alternatively hypothesise that Orkney comes from the Latin orca , whale. The Anglo-Saxon monk Bede refers to the islands as Orcades insulae in Ecclesiastical History of the English People . Norwegian settlers arriving from the late ninth century reinterpreted orc as the Old Norse orkn " seal " and added eyjar "islands" to

990-617: The jarl Sigurd the Stout and said, "I order you and all your subjects to be baptised. If you refuse, I'll have you killed on the spot and I swear I will ravage every island with fire and steel." Unsurprisingly, Sigurd agreed and the islands became Christian at a stroke, receiving their own bishop in the early 11th century. Thorfinn the Mighty was a son of Sigurd and a grandson of King Malcolm II of Scotland ( Máel Coluim mac Cináeda ). Along with Sigurd's other sons he ruled Orkney during

1056-645: The Broch of Burroughston and Broch of Gurness . The nature and origin of these buildings is a subject of debate. Other structures from this period include underground storehouses and aisled roundhouses , the latter usually in association with earlier broch sites. During the Roman invasion of Britain the "King of Orkney" was one of 11 British leaders who is said to have submitted to the Emperor Claudius in AD 43 at Camulodunum (modern Colchester). After

1122-686: The Fair Isle Channel . The islands are mainly low-lying except for some sharply rising sandstone hills on Mainland, Rousay and Hoy (where the tallest point in Orkney, Ward Hill , can be found) and rugged cliffs on some western coasts. Nearly all of the islands have lochs , but the watercourses are merely streams draining the high land. The coastlines are indented, and the islands themselves are divided from each other by straits generally called "sounds" or "firths". The tidal currents , or "roosts" as some of them are called locally, off many of

1188-608: The Northern Isles , comprising Orkney and Shetland, in 875 (it is clear that this story, which appears in the Orkneyinga Saga , is based on the later voyages of Magnus Barelegs and some scholars believe it to be apocryphal). Rognvald Eysteinsson received Orkney and Shetland from Harald as an earldom as reparation for the death of his son in battle in Scotland, and then passed the earldom on to his brother Sigurd

1254-704: The Picts . Orkney was colonised and later annexed by the Kingdom of Norway in 875 and settled by the Norsemen . In 1472, the Parliament of Scotland absorbed the Earldom of Orkney into the Kingdom of Scotland , following failure to pay a dowry promised to James III of Scotland by the family of his bride, Margaret of Denmark . In addition to the Mainland, most of the remaining islands are divided into two groups:

1320-692: The Standing Stones of Stenness , the Maeshowe passage grave , the Ring of Brodgar and other standing stones. Many of the Neolithic settlements were abandoned around 2500 BC, possibly due to changes in the climate. In September 2021, archaeologists announced the discovery of two polished stone balls in a 5500-year-old Neolithic burial tomb in Sanday . According to Dr Hugo Anderson, the second object

1386-482: The 16th century, boats from mainland Scotland and the Netherlands dominated the local herring fishery. There is little evidence of an Orcadian fleet until the 19th century, but it grew rapidly, and 700 boats were involved by the 1840s with Stronsay and later Stromness becoming leading centres of development. White fish never became as dominant as in other Scottish ports. Agricultural improvements beginning in

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1452-586: The 17th century resulted in the enclosure of the commons and ultimately in the Victorian era the emergence of large and well-managed farms using a five-shift rotation system and producing high-quality beef cattle. In the 17th century, Orcadians formed the overwhelming majority of employees of the Hudson's Bay Company in Canada. The harsh winter weather of Orkney and the Orcadian reputation for sobriety and their boat handling skills made them ideal candidates for

1518-634: The Agricolan fleet had come and gone, possibly anchoring at Shapinsay , direct Roman influence seems to have been limited to trade rather than conquest. Polemius Silvius wrote a list of Late Roman provinces, which Seeck appended to his edition of the Notitia Dignitatum . The list names six provinces in Roman Britannia: the sixth is the dubious "Orcades provincia", the possible existence of which recent researches re-evaluate. By

1584-543: The Assiboine River. It was the administrative centre of the Hudson's Bay Company's Swan River District . Fort Pelly consisted of a dwelling house, and Indian house, several staff houses, a store, and stables, all enclosed within a square palisade , 120 feet a side. Its first chief trader was Alan McDonell , who had selected the site and oversaw construction. The fort traded with Cree and Salteaux Natives from

1650-573: The British Isles . Orkney's largest settlement, and also its administrative centre, is Kirkwall . Orkney is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, as well as a constituency of the Scottish Parliament , a lieutenancy area , and an historic county . The local council is Orkney Islands Council . The islands have been inhabited for at least 8,500 years, originally occupied by Mesolithic and Neolithic tribes and then by

1716-795: The British Isles that held out for the Jacobites and was not retaken by the British Government until 24 May 1746, over a month after the defeat of the main Jacobite army at Culloden . Orkney was the site of a Royal Navy base at Scapa Flow , which played a major role in World War I and World War II . After the Armistice in 1918, the German High Seas Fleet was transferred in its entirety to Scapa Flow to await

1782-641: The Canadian Woman's Foreign Missionary Society (WFMS) in Toronto, drawing their attention to the work being done in native Indian missions. In later letters he listed educational needs, and by 1884 the society was providing financial and material aid to schools and people in the northwest. By 1890 the Riding Mountain band had 137 people. Some were farmers but most lived by hunting. The school had 21 children. George Flett held services every Sunday on

1848-515: The Hoy volcanics and the other two exposures has been proposed, but differences in chemistry mean this remains uncertain. Lamprophyre dykes of Late Permian age are found throughout Orkney. Glacial striation and the presence of chalk and flint erratics that originated from the bed of the North Sea demonstrate the influence of ice action on the geomorphology of the islands. Boulder clay

1914-412: The Mainland, has been dated to 6820–6660 BC, indicating the presence of Mesolithic nomadic tribes. The earliest known permanent settlement is at Knap of Howar , a Neolithic farmstead on the island of Papa Westray , which dates from 3500 BC. The village of Skara Brae , Europe's best-preserved Neolithic settlement, is believed to have been inhabited from around 3100 BC. Other remains from that era include

1980-460: The Mighty . Sigurd went on to conquer northern parts of mainland Britain in the late 9th century, including Caithness and Sutherland . However, Sigurd's line barely survived him and it was Torf-Einarr , Rognvald's son by a slave, who founded a dynasty that controlled the islands for centuries after his death. He was succeeded by his son Thorfinn Skull-splitter and during this time the deposed Norwegian King Eric Bloodaxe often used Orkney as

2046-651: The North Isles and the South Isles. The local climate is relatively mild and the soils are extremely fertile; most of the land is farmed, and agriculture is the most important sector of the economy. The significant wind and marine energy resources are of growing importance; the amount of electricity that Orkney generates annually from renewable energy sources exceeds its demand. Temperatures average 4 °C (39 °F) in winter and 12 °C (54 °F) in summer. The local people are known as Orcadians; they speak

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2112-515: The Orkneys is also sometimes used, but is now considered incorrect. Part of the Northern Isles along with Shetland , Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north of Caithness and has about 70 islands, of which 20 are inhabited. The largest island, the Mainland , has an area of 523 square kilometres (202 sq mi), making it the sixth-largest Scottish island and the tenth-largest island in

2178-521: The Ring of Brodgar, and various island sites such as Tofts Ness on Sanday and the remains of two houses on Holm of Faray . Excavations at Quanterness on the Mainland have revealed an Atlantic roundhouse built about 700 BC and similar finds have been made at Bu on the Mainland and Pierowall Quarry on Westray. The most impressive Iron Age structures of Orkney are the ruins of later round towers called " brochs " and their associated settlements such as

2244-517: The Viking presence is widespread and includes the settlement at the Brough of Birsay , the vast majority of place names , and the runic inscriptions at Maeshowe. In 1468 Orkney was pledged by Christian I , in his capacity as King of Norway, as security against the payment of the dowry of his daughter Margaret , betrothed to James III of Scotland . However, the money was never paid, and Orkney

2310-456: The Winnipeg area for several years. He grew wheat and maize successfully, turnips and potatoes with more difficulty. In 1862 he was one of the leaders of a large party that explored for gold in the area around Edmonton , Alberta. In September 1862 Flett wrote from Edmonton that some young men were earning $ 4 to $ 5 per day with the rocker, and an old American miner expected to get $ 10 when he had

2376-532: The best place to live in the UK, according to the Halifax Quality of Life survey. In the modern era, the population peaked in the mid-19th century at just over 32,000 and declined for a century thereafter to a low of fewer than 18,000 in the 1970s. Declines were particularly significant in the outlying islands, some of which remain vulnerable to ongoing losses. Although Orkney is in many ways very distinct from

2442-643: The building of St Magnus Cathedral , still today a dominating feature of Kirkwall. The Scottish crown claimed the overlordship of the Caithness and Sutherland area from Norway in 1098. The jarls thereafter owed allegiance to the Scottish crown for their territory on mainland Britain, which they held as the Mormaer of Caithness , but owed allegiance to the Norwegian crown for Orkney and Shetland. In 1195,

2508-409: The buildings and open up trade with the local Indians. The Clerks Quarters survives, one of the first buildings west of Winnipeg to have glass windows. Flett soon succeeded in obtaining a supply of good-quality furs, which he and his assistants took by horse and dog train to Fort Edmonton. While at Victoria, Flett made friends with both Methodist and Roman Catholic missionaries, and helped them understand

2574-712: The customs and the language of the Cree. He left this post in the spring of 1866. The Presbyterian minister James Nisbet had stayed in Flett's house on the White Horse Plains while Flett was in Victoria. In 1866, Nisbett was given permission to open a mission for the Cree in the north of the Saskatchewan River valley. He asked Flett to act as interpreter to the mission, and Flett accepted. The site chosen

2640-457: The daughter of noted fur trader Alexander Ross and Sally Timentwa, daughter of an Okanase chief. In later years, Mary's familiarity with Indian languages and customs was to prove an advantage in their mission work. In 1861 their daughter Letitia married Alexander Murray , who was to be elected to the Manitoba parliament in 1874 and to have a distinguished career in politics. Flett farmed in

2706-524: The end, so the name became Orkneyjar "Seal Islands". The plural suffix -jar was later removed in English leaving the modern name Orkney . According to the Historia Norwegiæ , Orkney was named after an earl called Orkan. The Norse knew Mainland, Orkney as Megenland "Mainland" or as Hrossey "Horse Island". The island is sometimes referred to as Pomona (or Pomonia ),

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2772-592: The epithet "Papa" in commemoration of these preachers. Before the Gaelic presence could establish itself the Picts were gradually dispossessed by the North Germanic peoples from the late 8th century onwards. The nature of this transition is controversial, and theories range from peaceful integration to enslavement and genocide . It has been suggested that an assault by forces from Fortriu in 681 in which Orkney

2838-627: The first half of the 11th century and extended his authority over a small maritime empire stretching from Dublin to Shetland . Thorfinn died around 1065 and his sons Paul and Erlend succeeded him, fighting at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066. Paul and Erlend quarrelled as adults and this dispute carried on to the next generation. The martyrdom of Magnus Erlendsson , who was killed in April 1116 by his cousin Haakon Paulsson , resulted in

2904-533: The island of South Ronaldsay and Duncansby Head in Caithness . Orkney lies between 58°41′ and 59°24′ north, and 2°22′ and 3°26′ west, measuring 80 kilometres (50 mi) from northeast to southwest and 47 kilometres (29 mi) from east to west, and covers 975 square kilometres (376 sq mi). Orkney is separated from the Shetland Islands , a group further out, by a body of water called

2970-430: The islands ). The Byzantine John Tzetzes in his work Chiliades called the islands Orcades. Etymologists usually interpret the element orc- as a Pictish tribal name meaning "young pig" or "young boar ". Speakers of Old Irish referred to the islands as Insi Orc "islands of the young pigs". The archipelago is known as Ynysoedd Erch in modern Welsh and Arcaibh in modern Scottish Gaelic ,

3036-462: The isles are swift, with frequent whirlpools. The islands are notable for the absence of trees, which is partly accounted for by the strong winds. Only three settlements have a population of over 500; the towns of Kirkwall and Stromness and the village of Finstown . 7,500 1,790 500 Other villages include Balfour , Dounby , Houton , Longhope , Lyness , Pierowall , St Margaret's Hope , and Whitehall . The superficial rock of Orkney

3102-538: The jarls lost control of Shetland when it became a separate lordship. In 1231 the line of Norse earls, unbroken since Rognvald, ended with Jon Haraldsson 's murder in Thurso . The Earldom of Caithness was granted to Magnus , second son of the Earl of Angus , whom Haakon IV of Norway confirmed as Earl of Orkney in 1236. Around the same time, the earldom lost the southern part of its territory on mainland Britain when it

3168-437: The late Iron Age, Orkney was part of the Pictish kingdom, and although the archaeological remains from this period are less impressive, the fertile soils and rich seas of Orkney probably provided the Picts with a comfortable living. The Dalriadic Gaels began to influence the islands towards the close of the Pictish era, perhaps principally through the role of Celtic missionaries , as evidenced by several islands bearing

3234-443: The ornate Italian Chapel . The navy base became run down after the war, eventually closing in 1957. The problem of a declining population was significant in the post-war years, though in the last decades of the 20th century, there was a recovery and life in Orkney focused on growing prosperity and the emergence of a relatively classless society. Orkney was rated as the best place to live in Scotland in both 2013 and 2014, and in 2019

3300-432: The other islands and archipelagos of Scotland these trends are very similar to those experienced elsewhere. The archipelago's population grew by 11% in the decade to 2011 as recorded by the census . During the same period Scottish island populations as a whole grew by 4% to 103,702. Orkney is separated from the mainland of Scotland by the Pentland Firth , a ten-kilometre-wide (6 mi) seaway between Brough Ness on

3366-419: The reserve. Flett worked at the mission for over twenty years. Towards the end of his career he became involved in various squabbles with other church members, finally resigning in 1895. Flett died on 28 October 1897 at the age of 80. Orkney Islands Orkney ( / ˈ ɔːr k n i / ), also known as the Orkney Islands , is an archipelago off the north coast of mainland Scotland . The plural name

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3432-437: The rigours of the Canadian north. During this period, burning kelp briefly became a mainstay of the islands' economy. For example, on Shapinsay over 3,000 long tons (3,048  t ) of burned seaweed were produced per annum to make soda ash , bringing in £20,000 to the local economy. The industry collapsed suddenly in 1830 after the removal of tariffs on imported alkali . During the 18th century Jacobite risings , Orkney

3498-414: The surrounding area, along with recruiting employees from both nations. In 1841 Fort Pelly had four employees, along with their Métis families. The first fort was destroyed by fire in the winter of 1842 and rebuilt immediately by chief trader Cuthbert Cumming. In 1849 Thomas McKay , who would become first mayor of Prince Albert and a prominent territorial politician, was born at Fort Pelly. Fort Pelly

3564-442: Was "annihilated" may have led to a weakening of the local power base and helped the Norse come to prominence. Both Orkney and Shetland saw a significant influx of Norwegian settlers during the late 8th and early 9th centuries. Vikings made the islands the headquarters of their pirate expeditions carried out against Norway and the coasts of mainland Scotland. In response, Norwegian king Harald Fairhair (Harald Hårfagre) annexed

3630-550: Was a Hudson's Bay Company fur trading post located in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan . The fort was named after Sir John Pelly , governor of the Hudson's Bay Company. The current village of Pelly, Saskatchewan , takes its name from the fort, and is located approximately 8 miles north of the site of the fort. Before Fort Pelly was built there was a Fort Hibernia in the general area. The first Fort Pelly, at 51°46′42″N 102°00′19″W  /  51.77833°N 102.00528°W  / 51.77833; -102.00528 ,

3696-420: Was about 30 miles (48 km) downstream from Fort Carlton . At first the local Cree were unwilling to grant permission for the mission, which they felt would attract European settlers and drive away the buffalo, but Flett managed to persuade them to accept the missionaries' right to settle there, pointing out that both he and his wife had native relatives. The Fletts stayed at the Prince Albert mission for only

3762-500: Was absorbed by the Kingdom of Scotland in 1472. The history of Orkney prior to this time is largely the history of the ruling aristocracy. From then on ordinary people emerge with greater clarity. An influx of Scottish entrepreneurs helped to create a diverse and independent community that included farmers, fishermen and merchants that called themselves comunitas Orcadie and who proved themselves increasingly able to defend their rights against their feudal overlords. From at least

3828-425: Was appointed a Presbyterian missionary for a large territory from Fort Pelly to south of Riding Mountain , 150 miles (240 km) away. He set up his headquarters on the Little Saskatchewan River . The mission, which he called "Okanese" (meaning "Little Bone" in the Ojibwa language), was at the Riding Mountain House Hudson's Bay Company post, near the present town of Elphinstone . At the age of fifty-seven, Flett

3894-410: Was as the "size of a cricket ball, perfectly spherical and beautifully finished". During the Bronze Age , fewer large stone structures were built (although the great ceremonial circles continued in use ) as metalworking was slowly introduced to Britain from Europe over a lengthy period. There are relatively few Orcadian sites dating from this era although there is the impressive Plumcake Mound near

3960-400: Was constructed by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1824, in the northeast corner of the elbow of the Assiniboine River . It was situated at a convenient portage point between the Assiniboine and Swan Rivers. Since the upper Assiniboine is shallow and crooked the area was most easily reached from the Swan River. The route was Lake Winnipegosis - Swan River - Snake Creek - Miry Creek - portage to

4026-403: Was largely Jacobite in its sympathies. At the end of the 1715 rebellion, a large number of Jacobites who had fled north from mainland Scotland sought refuge in Orkney and were helped on to safety in Sweden. In 1745, the Jacobite lairds on the islands ensured that Orkney remained pro-Jacobite in outlook and was a safe place to land supplies from Spain to aid their cause. Orkney was the last place in

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4092-488: Was made the separate earldom of Sutherland. In 1290, the death of the child princess Margaret, Maid of Norway in Orkney, en route to mainland Scotland, created a disputed succession that led to the Wars of Scottish Independence . In the 14th century the earls of Orkney also lost Caithness, after which the earldom just covered the islands of Orkney itself. In 1379 the earldom passed to the Sinclair family, who were also barons of Roslin near Edinburgh . Evidence of

4158-515: Was moved to 51°46′35″N 101°59′51″W  /  51.77639°N 101.99750°W  / 51.77639; -101.99750 in 1856. This move, to approximately one quarter mile southeast of the original position, was due to problems with occasional flooding at the old location. The old fort was however still used in some capacity until at least 1859. On July 15, 1870, the Hudson's Bay Company surrendered its lands to Canada, while retaining its posts and some land immediately surrounding them. The fort

4224-515: Was now located on block 17 of the Fort Pelly Reserve. Around 1871 Fort Ellice succeeded Fort Pelly as district headquarters. In 1909 the Canadian Northern Railway was built 6 miles north of Fort Pelly, and trade at the fort all but ceased, and it was abandoned in June, 1912. During the summers of 1971 and 1972, the former fort sites were excavated by the Saskatchewan Museum of Natural History , at which time all known buildings were located, and 7,000 objects were recovered. The first Fort Pelly site

4290-418: Was ordained on 18 August 1875. The native leader Keeseekoowenin , Flett's cousin, had signed a treaty with the government in 1871, and moved with his family and band to a reserve beside Flett's mission in 1875, where he was baptised as Moses Burns. Keeseekoowenin did not entirely abandon his traditional beliefs, but blended them with Christianity. In November 1878 Flett wrote the first of a series of letters to

4356-460: Was planning to plough for wheat. He saw a great future for agriculture in the rich soil of the region. In 1864 Flett was given the job of opening a Hudson's Bay Company trading post in Fort Victoria , in the Edmonton region. Flett and John Norris led the first brigade of Red River ox-carts from Winnipeg to Edmonton, taking three and a half months on the journey. As clerk in charge of the Victoria trading post, Flett had to arrange for construction of

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