Lawrence William Herchmer (25 April 1840 – 17 February 1915) was a Canadian and British police commander and army officer, who was also employed as a farmer, brewer and civil servant. He served as the fifth Commissioner of the North-West Mounted Police , from April 1, 1886 to July 31, 1900.
138-594: Fort Calgary was a North-West Mounted Police outpost at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow rivers in present-day Calgary , Alberta , Canada. Originally named Fort Brisebois , after the outpost's first commander, the outpost was renamed Fort Calgary in June 1876. The outpost was built in 1875 as a part of the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) larger effort to curtail American rum and whisky runners in
276-455: A National Historic Site of Canada . In 1975, the municipal government purchased the site, intending to develop it into a historic site. The city launched an archaeological study of the site to determine the exact location of the demolished fort. That year, archaeologists unearthed parts of the original wooden fort and its artifacts, although they were forced to quickly re-cover them due to their rapidly uncontrolled disintegration while exposed to
414-450: A "reputation as a tyrant" during his tenure as commissioner. Nevertheless, the force under his command gained better benefits, living conditions, organization, and training, and more respect, with a marked improvement in esprit du corps . His personality earned him a number of political enemies, leading to charges of mismanagement that produced a judicial inquiry in 1892 (which cleared him) and culminated in his dismissal in 1900, while he
552-413: A Canadian military response, at first it appeared that only a minimal deployment would be needed, and it was only after several British defeats that an offer of a more substantive force was welcomed by London. The Canadian government turned to the mounted police as their main source for experienced mounted soldiers, and members were given leave from the force for the duration of their service. Combined with
690-479: A brothel in order to give the impression that the prostitution was not being tolerated. From 1890, pressure from Protestant churches led to a crackdown being launched on prostitution. However, the campaign was ineffective as the NWMP would raid a brothel and offer the madam the choice of paying a fine or leaving town; generally the latter option was taken. No sooner had the brothel been shut down, then another would open
828-618: A cooperative studio space for artists and writers and an exhibition space called the Dandelion Gallery. In the summer of 1975, Joan Clark , Edna Alford and Velma Foster published the first edition of Dandelion Magazine , a publication that would become known as Alberta's leading literary magazine. In 1978, the City closed the Dandelion Artists' Cooperative with plans to turn the house into a teahouse and restaurant. Today,
966-436: A corps of mounted infantry. He publicly likened the police to "gophers", who had retreated and hid during the fighting, and his complaints were picked up by the press. Irvine was criticized in the media for his lack of vigour and, lacking the support of the prime minister, he resigned the next year and was replaced by Lawrence Herchmer . In turn, Irvine complained about Crozier's behaviour and "the impetuosity displayed by both
1104-578: A delegation to the headquarters in Fort Macleod to list out complaints against the commander. Brisebois was not relieved immediately after that incident, although was eventually replaced by Lawrence Herchmer in August 1876. The I. G. Baker Company incorporated the area around the fort as a part of its larger transportation network on the Whoop-Up Trail; and built a trading post and storehouse
1242-600: A desire for revenge, Davin pursued a vendetta against Lawrence when he became commissioner, helped by another newspaper publisher, Charles Wood. Lawrence Herchmer was unpopular with many of his officers and Davin published their critiques of him, along with accusations of a wide range of misdemeanours. The government ordered an investigation, followed by a judicial inquiry , both of which cleared Herchmer of any serious charges. Lawrence Herchmer Born in Shipton-on-Cherwell , England , Herchmer served with
1380-645: A few hundred metres away from the fort. The commercial opportunities provided by the transportation network also attracted the Hudson's Bay Company , who relocated their trading post at the Ghost River to the Elbow River across from Fort Calgary. Initially, the outpost also housed a mission of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate , although the mission later relocated upriver in 1875. By 1877,
1518-486: A few weeks later, leading to the cycle being repeated. An additional problem for the NWMP was the fact that the pay for an constable was 60 cents per day, making it difficult as an NWMP to recruit "men of good character and steady habits". By 1904, an average of 10% of the force either were being dismissed or had deserted to the United States. Given that the average age for a NWMP constable was between 20 and 25 and
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#17327723863541656-456: A growing range of demands on the mounted police, and they struggled to cope with the changes. The rising population drove an increase in the criminal cases tackled by the force: less than 1,000 were investigated in 1900, but within four years the number of cases had risen to over 4,000. There was controversy around what role the mounted police should play in the new towns, and the force became concerned that these were pulling in police manpower, at
1794-483: A larger force of 550 men who would be tasked to push south into the border region itself and establish law and order there. Macdonald acquired approval for his new force on May 23, 1873, after Parliament, following a cursory debate, passed the Mounted Police Act into law unopposed. At this point, Macdonald appears to have intended to create a force of mounted police to watch "the frontier from Manitoba to
1932-522: A larger force of rebels at Duck Lake , where his detachment came off much worse in the resulting fight . Emboldened, some of the Cree leaders, including Poundmaker and Big Bear , now joined the Métis in their revolt, although others continued to tacitly support the government, in part the result of the good relationship the police had built up with them. The police rapidly abandoned most of their posts along
2070-520: A long-term alliance with the mounted police. Formal negotiations between the Canadian government and the Blackfoot began in 1877, with Macleod representing Queen Victoria . The resulting Treaty 7 established reserves for the Blackfoot, in exchange for gratuities and the promise of annuities . The Department of Indian Affairs was created to govern the reserves, supported by the police. By 1879,
2208-553: A much lower level of violence between the government and indigenous peoples than in the United States. That the NWMP had evicted the American whisky traders whose sales had led to alcoholism becoming a serious problem was greatly appreciated by the First Nations peoples. The Blackfoot chief Crowfoot in 1877 stated: "The Mounted Police protected us as the feathers of the bird protect it from the frosts of winter". The fact that
2346-411: A number of changes were made to the site, with buildings being torn down and built to address contemporary needs. Police operations at the fort ended in 1914, after Grand Trunk Pacific Railway bought the site for C$ 250,000. All the fort's remaining buildings were demolished by Grand Truck Pacific Railway to make way for a rail terminal. On 15 May 1925, the site where Fort Calgary stood was designated as
2484-407: A permanent church was established at the I. G. Baker Company post. During the latter half of the 1870s, the area found itself as a stopover route for travellers going from Fort Benton, Montana to Fort Edmonton. The decline in the illegal whisky and buffalo trade lessened the need for a fortified outpost in the area, resulting in the fort's detachment to decline to four constables by 1880. However,
2622-462: A proprietary colony. The new Dominion government was keen to expand westwards, in part due to fears that the United States might annex the region. It agreed to purchase the company's lands in exchange for £300,000 and various grants of land, adding around 2,500,000 square miles (6,500,000 km ) of territory to the Dominion in 1870. The NWT varied geographically from the extreme conditions of
2760-646: A provisional government, gain the support of the Cree First Nation, defeat the mounted police and seize the region, forcing the Canadian government to the negotiation table. There had been worries among the police about potential instability since the previous fall, and the force had increased its presence in the area over the winter. As tensions rose, Irvine, who had replaced Macleod as Commissioner in 1880 after accusations of financial mismanagement, began to mobilize any spare police manpower in Regina, bringing
2898-431: A range of other services for the new ranches, carrying out operations along the border to prevent cattle crossing north into the Canadian ranches, running quarantine schemes and helping with veterinary issues. The scale of horse theft by white thieves along the border increased dramatically during the late 1880s, which the police's sporadic deployments were unable to counter. In response, Commissioner Herchmer introduced
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#17327723863543036-490: A reservation only with a pass issued by the local Indian agent and had to return by the time the pass expired. The pass system was brought in as a temporary measure during the North-West Rebellion, but was then made permanent as the government found it a useful means of social control. The NWMP knew that the pass system had no basis in the law and in fact violated Treaty 7 with the Blackfoot, which promised that
3174-698: A similar manner to the British Indian Army , but he was forced to abandon this approach after the Red River Rebellion of 1870 called their loyalty into question. In June 1873, around 30 members of the Assiniboine First Nation were killed in the Cypress Hills Massacre , creating a national furore. In response, Macdonald used a Privy Council order to enact the new legislation, formally creating
3312-408: A system of police patrols across the territories, with scheduled visits and inspections supported by surprise "flying patrols". This approach was enabled by a network of new outposts across the major ranches. Police would visit almost every farm or ranch, seek to get to know every member of the community personally, gather intelligence and ask each settler to record any issues in a patrol book. Along
3450-399: A three-phase expansion and restoration project of the historic site occurred, costing approximately C$ 36 million. The first stage includes restorations to Deane House and Hunt House, while the second phase saw the development of the "F" Troop memorial exhibit. The museum's interpretive centre was renovated and expanded as a part of the final phase of the project. The expansion and renovations of
3588-473: A total of nearly 900 miles (1,400 km). After resupplying, French led some of his force back east, leaving Assistant Commissioner James Macleod to advance on Fort Whoop-Up with the three remaining divisions, approximately 150 men. When the police reached the fort on October 9, they were prepared for a confrontation, but the whisky traders were aware that they were approaching and had long since moved on. The force received new orders from Ottawa to garrison
3726-410: A unit of mounted infantry modelled on the force, believing this would be particularly suitable for taking on Boer scouting parties. Thirty-three serving members of the police joined the unit, including Superintendent Samuel Steel , who became their commanding officer. The Strathconas wore the mounted police's Stetson hat as part of their uniform, while in turn their distinctive boots were adopted by
3864-620: The British Army and, during 1872–4, as supply officer of the British Boundary Commission , then as Indian agent in Manitoba in 1876. He was named RCMP Commissioner in 1886. Although a former military officer, he had not served in the police , and was a civilian at the time he was named as Commissioner of the force. Herchmer was "a capable administrator", but being hot-tempered and overbearing, he gained
4002-659: The Red River valley of Manitoba and a further 8,500 European settlers in the colony of British Columbia . Surveys referred to the territories as the "Wild North Land" and the "Great Lone Land". The Canadian border along the southern edge of Alberta was occupied by the Blackfoot Confederacy , a First Nation whose economy was based on hunting bison . The Blackfoot had suffered badly from smallpox , and were under increasing pressure from rival groups of Sioux and Piegans that had crossed into Canada, fleeing
4140-606: The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in 1920. The NWMP was created due to the expansion of the newly formed Dominion of Canada into the NWT during the 1870s. The Dominion had been formed in 1867 by the confederation of the British colonies of Canada , Nova Scotia and New Brunswick , but the extensive lands to the north-west known as Rupert's Land remained governed by the Hudson's Bay Company as
4278-647: The Second Boer War broke out in 1899, many members of the mounted police wanted to volunteer to serve in South Africa, motivated by sympathy for the British imperial cause and the strong military tradition within the force. Indeed, Commissioner Herchmer had proposed sending a force of 350 men to join the Sudan campaign in 1896, but was turned down by his superiors. Although there was public enthusiasm for
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4416-499: The Virtual Museum of Canada . North-West Mounted Police The North-West Mounted Police ( NWMP ) was a Canadian paramilitary police force, established in 1873, to maintain order in the new Canadian North-West Territories (NWT) following the 1870 transfer of Rupert's Land and North-Western Territory to Canada from the Hudson's Bay Company , the Red River Rebellion and in response to lawlessness, demonstrated by
4554-511: The "Herchmer scandals". Lawrence Herchmer had been appointed as commissioner partially because of his positive reputation within the Indian Department, but also because of his Conservative sympathies and his family links to Prime Minister Macdonald. Herchmer's brother William – himself a mounted police superintendent – had arrested the newspaper-owner Nicholas Davin for public drunkenness several years before. Apparently motivated by
4692-627: The Blackfoot people would be permitted go whatever they liked. The Indians often ignored the pass system, and in May 1893 Commissioner Herchmer ordered the NWMP to stop enforcing the pass system, saying it was illegal under Canadian law, only to be overruled by the Department of Indian Affairs. It was the intention of the Canadian government to colonize the Prairies, and the government believed that settlers would not come unless there were assurances that
4830-521: The Bow River Saw and Planing Mill was contracted to expand the outpost. The contract called for the construction of a barracks, a guardroom with 12 holding cells, a hospital, officers' quarters, a sergeants' mess, and facilities for tradesmen. To accommodate the outpost's expansion, the fort's palisades were taken down, and several of the outpost's older buildings were razed. The expansion cost the government approximately C$ 35,000. From 1882 to 1902,
4968-498: The First Nations peoples were under control, hence the pass system. The Canadian government began the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway between eastern Canada and British Columbia in 1881, with the aim of opening up the north-western territories for settlement. In response, the mounted police moved their headquarters to the town of Regina , the new territorial capital which had been founded alongside
5106-464: The First Nations. By the 1880s, however, the police also began to tackle horse theft. Horse stealing was common among the First Nations on the prairies: it formed part of intertribal competition and warfare, and the stolen horses enabled their hunting expeditions. In part the police crackdown was driven by the Department for Indian Affairs , who believed that the practice of horse theft was slowing
5244-440: The Métis , and then by the threat of a Fenian invasion . Meanwhile, a survey conducted in 1871 by Lieutenant William Butler recommended establishing a mounted force of up to 150 men under a magistrate or commissioner, based along the northern trade routes, leaving the border area as a liminal, ungarrisoned zone. Colonel Patrick Robertson-Ross conducted another survey in 1872, and recommended an alternative strategy of recruiting
5382-493: The NWMP arrested whites accused of killing First Nations peoples led to the perception among First Nations peoples that the NWMP was high-handed, but fair. The herds of buffalo migrated elsewhere on the plains in 1876 and starvation among the Blackfoot loomed. Crowfoot rejected a proposed alliance with the Sioux against the United States, arguing that the collapse of buffalo hunting and white immigration meant that his people needed
5520-600: The NWMP refused to shut it down, saying the brothel was medically inspected every 9 days and to shut it down would cause venereal diseases to spread, leading to a furor in the Calgary newspapers. Towards the end of the 19th century, immigration, urbanization and industrialization transformed the territories, destroying the old frontier way of life. Three million immigrants arrived in Canada between 1910 and 1914, many of them from eastern Europe , and over half of them settled in
5658-558: The NWMP with the intention of mobilizing the force and deploying it early the next year. A report then arrived from Alexander Morris , the Lieutenant Governor of the North-West Territories , blaming the massacre on the activities of whisky traders at Fort Whoop-Up ; Morris predicted that if action was not taken immediately, there would be a major uprising by the First Nations across the region, into which
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5796-555: The NWT that they would not leave and the region would be annexed to the United States. In 1874, the NWMP were deployed to the area of the present Alberta border. Their ill-planned and arduous journey of nearly 900 miles (1,400 km) became known as the March West and was portrayed as an epic journey of endurance. Over the next few years, the NWMP established a wide network of forts, posts and patrols and extended Canadian law across
5934-602: The North-West, which reflected the "necessary evil" policy of tolerating prostitution. The fact that the men of the NWMP themselves frequently made use of the services of the prostitutes was another reason to tolerate the brothels. In an editorial, the Regina Leader mockingly noted the "redcoat of the Mounted Policeman is seen flashing in and out from these dens at all hours. As no arrests have been made
6072-618: The RNWMP volunteered for military service during the First World War and the future of the badly depleted force was once again in doubt. Towards the end of the war, however, fears grew about a potential Bolshevik conspiracy and the authorities tasked the RNWMP to investigate the threat. In the aftermath of the violence of the Winnipeg General Strike , the government amalgamated the RNWMP and Dominion Police , to form
6210-442: The Sioux, who he believed were gathering in the United States to attack across the border, and urged the government to send the police via a more northerly route. Following instructions from Ottawa, French finally agreed with Morris that the expedition would initially follow the trail, but then would steer away from the border and Sioux territory, and the mounted police finally left Dufferin on July 8, 1874. The 275-strong expedition
6348-419: The Sioux, who were not covered by Treaty 7 and therefore ineligible for government support. Nonetheless, starvation gradually forced the return of most of the newcomers to the United States, and Sitting Bull himself finally surrendered in 1881. Initially, the police focused their law enforcement efforts on dealing with the illegal consumption of alcohol , which was considered to promote violent behaviour among
6486-612: The United States might choose to intervene. Macdonald was not entirely convinced by the governor's analysis, but nonetheless he agreed to recruit 150 men and send them west to Lower Fort Garry before winter weather blocked the route. Macdonald's Conservative government then fell from power as a result of the Pacific Scandal , and was replaced by the Liberal administration of Alexander Mackenzie , who placed more credence on Morris's reports and had his own moral concerns about
6624-408: The absence of a formal justice system. In 1869, the government of John A. Macdonald , made plans to create a 200-strong mounted police force to maintain order along the border; such a force, he thought, would enable the colonization of the region and be much cheaper than deploying regular militia units for the task. The implementation of this proposal was delayed, however, first by the rebellion of
6762-409: The area along the line of the route. They enforced the liquor laws, and oversaw the itinerant service workers who accompanied the main construction teams. They defused many of the tensions involving the construction workers and the company, including intervening to resolve cases where the workers had not been paid by the company as promised, but they also intervened to support the railway company. When
6900-468: The area and settled down to build Fort Macleod on an island in Old Man's River. The expedition had been badly planned and executed, and almost failed; the historian William Baker describes it as "a monumental fiasco of poor planning, ignorance, incompetence, and cruelty to men and beasts". Nonetheless, it rapidly became portrayed by the force as epic story of bravery, endurance and determination. With
7038-406: The area to contain good grazing for their horses but it was barren and treeless. French was forced to abandon the plan to head to Whoop-Up and instead travelled 70 miles (110 km) south towards the border, where supplies could be purchased from the United States. Yet more horses died from the cold and hunger, and many of the men were barefoot and in rags by the time they arrived, having travelled
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#17327723863547176-481: The area, many prospectors travelled by foot over arduous mountain routes and along rivers using primitive boats, although no more than 40,000 of them successfully reached the goldfields. A substantial and expensive mounted police detachment was established in the Klondike, amounting to 288 men by 1898, representing around a third of the entire force and including many of its most experienced personnel. The borders in
7314-442: The area; believing that the lawlessness seen in the settlement of the American west was preventable if law enforcement was in place before settlers arrived into the area. After Fort Macleod was established, the whisky traders moved their operations further away from it. A decision was made to build an NWMP outpost at the midway point between Fort Macleod and Fort Edmonton in June 1875. "F" Troop, commanded by Éphrem-A. Brisebois ,
7452-592: The arrival of the mounted police, the whisky trade around Fort Macleod collapsed, and the traders shifted into legitimate projects or moved elsewhere. The Blackfoot welcomed the arrival of the police and their leader, Crowfoot , promoted a policy of co-operation. After enduring a difficult winter with only limited supplies, the force broke up their main command, some remaining at Fort Macleod, with others establishing forts at Dufferin, Swan River , Edmonton, Winnipeg and Ellice , with Walsh and Calgary following soon after. Macdonald's newly returned Conservative government
7590-412: The assimilation of the First Nations into broader Canadian society. The authorities were also concerned that if the First Nations were allowed to steal horses from across the border in the United States, it could provoke a military intervention into Canada. From 1885 onward, the NWMP was charged with the enforcing the apartheid-like pass system , under which a First Nations person was permitted to leave
7728-477: The authorities described as the "band of desperadoes" around Fort Whoop-Up, before then dispersing his force to establish police posts stretching across the territories. From Fort Dufferin, French could have simply traced the southern line of the frontier, following a well-established trail created two years before by the British and United States Boundary Commission . Lieutenant Governor Morris disagreed with this approach, arguing that it might encourage an attack by
7866-510: The barracks. Deane felt the previous superintendent's house was not good enough for his wife Martha. Although the budget for the project was $ 5,000, the total cost was $ 6,200. In 1914, the Grand Trunk Railway bought the house and relocated to the southeast corner of the lot; serving as an office and station master's house. The house was then purchased by C. L. Jacques in 1929 and moved across the Elbow River, where it stands today. It
8004-405: The character of these visits can be easily surmised!". Commissioner Herchemer complained that venereal diseases caused more medical treatments in the NWMP than any other, leading him to deduct the costs of medical treatment from the venereal diseases from the pay of the men concerned. The policy of the NWMP was to allow red-light districts to exist, and every so often to launch a raid to shut down
8142-419: The commissioner hoped would write a positive account of the new force. The expedition made slow time along the boundary trail, progressing only 15 miles (24 km) a day at most. The police were already travelling under unpleasant and arduous conditions, made more difficult by the teamsters having little experience and their horses being unsuitable for draught work. On July 29, the main force then turned off
8280-664: The conflict. Sergeant Arthur Richardson , a member of the Strathconas, won the Victoria Cross for rescuing a Canadian soldier under heavy fire at Wolve Spruit. In 1904, the Crown renamed the force the Royal Northwest Mounted Police to honour its contributions in the war. The mounted police continued to face criticism after 1885, through a sequence of allegations in the popular press known as
8418-466: The construction teams. The new industrial workforce often lived and worked under very poor conditions, and enjoyed few employment rights . Workers who left their jobs in protest could find themselves arrested by the mounted police under the terms of the Masters and Servants Act for deserting their employment, or alternatively detained under the vagrancy laws. Although the position of organized labour
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#17327723863548556-559: The construction work. The mounted police made arrests and the government reduced their rations: by 1883, the threat of starvation had forced the First Nations to relocate to the northern side of the line. In 1885, the North-West Rebellion broke out along the North Saskatchewan River valley. Driven by a combination of political and economic issues, Louis Riel and his Métis followers intended to form
8694-437: The difficulties faced by ordinary workers, and were often unwilling to actively assist the company owners if there was a risk it might cause disturbances to break out. Up until the 1890s, the government had no presence in the far north-west of Canada. In 1894, the rise of gold mining and a growing population led to calls for Ottawa to intervene, both to control whisky trading and to protect the local First Nations. In response,
8832-537: The dispute. Police deployed there again in 1906 for nine months during a dispute between the company, now called the Alberta Railway and Irrigation Company , and the workforce over union recognition , pay and working conditions. A team of 82 regular police were reinforced by 11 special constables recruited from within the company, with an undercover constable deployed to infiltrate the strike and send back intelligence. Efforts were made to collect information on
8970-503: The early 1870s, American whisky and rum runners were conducting trade with First Nations in the area. The illegal trade and American incursion prompted the government of Canada to create the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) in 1873 to reassert Canadian sovereignty and curtail the whisky trade in the region. By 1874, the NWMP had captured or chased away most of the illegal traders, and had begun work on several forts in
9108-585: The earnings of the union leaders, probably intended for use in discrediting them. The police maintained order and escorted non-striking workers past the picket lines . Historians hold differing views as to whether the mounted police were neutral in these disputes or sided with the employers, although all agree that the position of the police in managing the strikes became more difficult as organized labour became better established. The mounted police disliked labour agitators and strikers with eastern or southern European backgrounds, but they also had some sympathy for
9246-429: The expansion of the United States military across the southern plains. Whisky-traders from the United States had come across the border, selling alcohol to the indigenous peoples, fuelling social problems and outbreaks of violence. Although the region remained relatively safe, there was no civil government, and military explorers highlighted the "lawlessness" and lack of "security for life or property" that resulted from
9384-408: The expense of the wider, less populated areas of the Prairies, where the patrolling system had already had to be cut back. A special railway branch was briefly established in 1888, using undercover officers positioned along the railway line to gather intelligence, and plans were put forward, but not enacted, to create a larger detective branch . Attempts were made to enforce the prostitution laws in
9522-626: The far north, through to the edges of the Great Plains in the south, covered by flat, semi-arid grasslands. A rocky area known as the Shield , which was unsuitable for arable farming , had formed a natural barrier to European colonists gradually spreading across from the eastern colonies. As a result, the territories remained thinly populated, with only around 150,000 First Nations , Inuit and occasional small groups of Europeans, and more substantial communities of around 12,000 Métis settled in
9660-419: The final completion of the project. The construction of the railway introduced new tensions between the government and the First Nations. The authorities wished to move the indigenous peoples to reserves north of the railway in order to cut them off from the United States border. For their part, the First Nations were unhappy about the railway being built through their lands, stole company horses and disrupted
9798-431: The first recruits had gone on to become ranchers themselves after leaving the force. Illegal squatting by poorer settlers started to become a problem, however, boiling over into open disputes during the 1890s, and the mounted police were deployed to evict them. The task was unpopular among the force, but it grudgingly complied until government policy towards the smaller settlers finally changed in 1896. The police provided
9936-504: The following year and, by the summer, around 5,600 Sioux had crossed the border despite opposition from the Blackfoot. The mounted police helped to facilitate the negotiations with the Sioux, in which Assistant Commissioner Acheson Irvine played a prominent part. The Sioux declined to return south, however, and the police had to deploy around 200 men to Fort Walsh to oversee the immigrant community. The police lived in primitive conditions and voluntarily shared some of their own supplies with
10074-691: The foot of the Rocky Mountains", probably with its headquarters in Winnipeg . He was heavily influenced by the model of the Royal Irish Constabulary , which combined aspects of a traditional military unit with the judicial functions of the magistrates' courts, and believed that the new force should be able to provide a local system of government in otherwise ungoverned areas. Originally, Macdonald also had wanted to form units of Métis policemen, commanded by white Canadian officers in
10212-411: The force grew and the police soon found themselves almost entirely occupied in attempting to enforce the unpopular laws. Legal changes were pushed through in 1892, removing prohibition and allowing the licensing of public bars; the new law was enforced by local town inspectors, removing most of the force's responsibility for the problem. As there were almost no white women on the Prairies, the influx of
10350-550: The force turned to the vagrancy laws as an alternative approach for removing First Nations from selected areas. Police used agents employed to collect intelligence from within First Nation and Métis communities, and, from 1887, they also employed members of the First Nations as special constables, typically deploying them as scouts and trackers . These scouts wore an informal uniform and were empowered to arrest other members of their communities, but not whites. Enforcing
10488-528: The force up to an operational strength of 562. When the rebellion finally broke out in Batoche in March, Irvine advanced quickly through the snow from Regina to Prince Albert , which he garrisoned with 90 police. Superintendent Leif Crozier took a force of police, civilian volunteers and a 7-pounder (3 kg) gun to Fort Carlton and attempted to seize a cache of supplies. In the process, Crozier confronted
10626-405: The force was called in to manage industrial disputes on a range of occasions between 1887 and 1906. In the mining town of Lethbridge , for example, the Alberta Railway and Coal Company locked out its workforce in 1894 during an attempt to cut staff and reduce wages; a team of ten police was deployed to maintain order, in particular any risks posed by eastern European immigrants, and to mediate in
10764-450: The frontier was changing rapidly, with large cattle ranches being established across the Canadian plains. The government also introduced a new Indian Policy, seeking to sign treaties with the First Nations, establish reserves and a system of annuities, which would then hopefully be followed by the integration of the First Nations into the agricultural economy. The mounted police's approach to enabling this process has been characterized by
10902-429: The general resentment. Many members of the force drank alcohol themselves, including liquor confiscated from smugglers, and police beer canteens were established to provide members of the force a legal alternative. Settlers also began to routinely evade the laws in the larger towns, despite mounted police searches, the deployment of undercover officers, and large fines being imposed by the courts. Public hostility towards
11040-516: The government captured Big Bear and the remnants of the rebel Cree. Riel was imprisoned by the mounted police at Regina, given a short trial, and hanged. Middleton criticized Irvine and the mounted police for having remained in Prince Albert throughout the campaign, and for failing to reinforce him during the Battle of Batoche. The general recommended closing the force, and replacing it with
11178-551: The hardy dare-devils" who rushed to join up to fight for Queen and Country in South Africa. Herchmer recruited and commanded a group of 144 mounted police volunteers, who made up almost half of the new 2nd Battalion of the Canadian Mounted Rifles ; many of the other volunteers in the battalion were also ex-policemen. The NWMP influence on the Canadian Mounted Rifles battalion was strong; of
11316-423: The historian Ronald Atkin as a "benevolent despotism", and by John Jennings as a "legal tyranny". The police insisted that the Canadian law should be applied rigidly to the First Nations, but at the same time were relatively supportive of the First Nations when responding to the claims of the growing number of white ranchers. The force built cordial personal relationships with the First Nations' leaders, which led to
11454-473: The history of Calgary. Reconstructions of Fort Calgary's stables and wagon shed were also erected during this period. In 2000, a replica of the NWMP's two-storey barracks was completed on the site. After the final report from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was released in 2015, the museum's administration shifted its focus to better include indigenous perspectives of the site. From 2014 to 2020,
11592-546: The house continues to be owned by the city. It currently features a restaurant called Deane House and has undergone significant renovations as part of the MakeHistory upgrades to Fort Calgary. The Hunt House is the oldest building in Calgary still located on its original site. It was built between 1876 and 1881 for Métis employees of the Hudson's Bay Company located at 8th Street and 9th Avenue SE. The last person to live in
11730-583: The house was William Hunt, a rail worker, who died in the mid-1970s. It became an Alberta Provincial Historic Resource in 1977. The Métis Cabin, thought to have been built around the same time, was moved to the Calgary Brewing and Malting Company grounds in the 1930s and recently has been moved back to its original spot. The museum is affiliated with the Canadian Museums Association , Canadian Heritage Information Network , and
11868-519: The influx of prospectors. NWMP volunteers were sent to fight in the Second Boer War and, in recognition for that and 30 years of service policing the North-West and Yukon Territories, King Edward VII , awarded the title Royal to the North-West Mounted Police (RNWMP) in 1904. Plans for disbanding the Royal North-West Mounted Police were abandoned in the face of popular oppositions and regional politicians. Large numbers of
12006-483: The interpretive centre cost approximately C$ 10.4 million. On 2 May 2024 the Fort Calgary Historic Park was rebranded as The Confluence Historic Site and Parkland to better reflect the site's history prior to the fort and to better reflect the location which the site is on. The Confluence Historic Site and Parkland is a 16 hectares (40 acres) historic site that sits on a grassy flood plain along
12144-625: The last of the Canadian buffalo herds had been eliminated by hunting, and the Indians became dependent on supplies issued by the police to avoid starvation. At the same time, the police were managing the Sitting Bull incident. In 1876 the United States military led a campaign against the Sioux in Dakota; the Sioux's leader, Sitting Bull, concluded that the conflict was unwinnable, and chose to seek sanctuary in Canada. Sitting Bull arrived in May
12282-660: The main column, intending to retake Batoche. The second column advanced to Battleford and then marched south to Cut Knife Creek, with 74 mounted police forming the advance guard. There the column surprised Poundmakers's camp , but the attack by the advance troops failed and the government forces were forced to retreat. After many delays, Middleton finally attacked the rebel capital, winning the Battle of Batoche and forcing Riel to surrender, before relieving Prince Albert on May 20. The third column marched to Edmonton, supported by 20 mounted police and their 9-pounder (4 kg) gun, where
12420-531: The majority were unmarried, there was a marked tendency for them to associate with the "sporting women" as prostitutes were euphemistically described. The NWMP "necessary evil" policy caused much tension with Protestant churches and civic groups that demanded that prostitution be stamped out in the early 20th century. In 1907, following complaints that a brothel full of Japanese prostitutes was operating in Nose Creek just outside of Calgary, Superintendent Dean of
12558-513: The male work crews for the railroad together with the mines being opened in the foothills of the Rocky mountains created an immense demand for prostitution, which flourished as a result. Prostitution was illegal, but the NWMP tended to see it as a "necessary evil", arguing that the male workers wanted sex, and that to shut down the brothels would cause unmanageable social tensions. Between 1874 and 1890, there were only 12 convictions for prostitution in
12696-504: The management of local game hunting, operating the postal and telegraph system, acting as coroners and running the mining registration system. The historian Morris Zaslow describes the Yukon as forming a "police state" during this period, and William Morrison has highlighted the force's paternalistic willingness to invent and enforce non-existent laws whenever they considered it necessary. The police acted efficiently and with probity during
12834-522: The mounted police carried out a survey along the Yukon River and gathered customs duties. Fears grew that the United States might try to seize the mineral-rich region, and a twenty-man police team was established at Forty Mile in 1895. Although there was very little actual crime, frictions soon rose between the police and the Miners' Committees, which had been created to provide informal justice during
12972-440: The movement of the First Nations was introduced by the government after the rebellion. Known as the pass system, this required any individual leaving a reserve to possess a pass signed by a government agent, or to face arrest by the police. The police received advice that the new policy was illegal, as it contravened Treaty 7, which had given guarantees of free movement, but they continued to enforce it for several years. Eventually
13110-561: The municipal government of Calgary purchased a plot of land that included the National Historic Site and reopened it as Fort Calgary Historic Park in 1978. The historic park initially documented the NWMP role in the area, although its scope was expanded to focus on the Calgary's history in 1995. Reconstruction of several former buildings within Fort Calgary took place in the 1990s. In 2024, the Fort Calgary Historic Park
13248-433: The new mounted police to carry out the operation. Another 150 men were recruited in eastern Canada and sent west by rail through the United States to rendezvous with the first part of the force at Fort Dufferin . The mounted police's deployment onto the plains in 1874 became known as the "March West". The commissioner of the new force, Colonel George French , was ordered to proceed west from Fort Dufferin to deal with what
13386-467: The new towns – previously these had been largely ignored – with the police informally regulating the local sex industries. There was pressure on the mounted police to assist local government in a wide variety of ways, often opposed by the police themselves. These included supporting public health efforts, distributing relief, fighting and investigating fires, and continuing to manage the movement of cattle. New railway lines continued to be constructed, and
13524-650: The newspapers. Reflecting the improved image of the NWMP, in 1897 as part of the celebrations of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, a group of NWMP riders clad in their colorful scarlet uniforms marched down the streets of London as part of the Canadian contingent. The NWMP riders caused a sensation in London, and it was from that time onward the romantic image of the Mounties became popular in Britain. When
13662-450: The officers of the battalion, 13 out of 19 were NWMP men. Of the policemen who volunteered to fight in South Africa, 67.4% were British-born while the remainder were Canadian-born, reflecting the tendency of male British immigrants in Canada to be the ones most likely to volunteer for service in South Africa. Soon after the battalion's arrival in South Africa, however, Herchmer's superior, Major General Edward Hutton , concluded that Herchmer
13800-440: The one built in 1888. The reconstructed buildings were completed during the 1990s and 2000. An interpretive centre was also erected on the site in 1977; with the size of the centre expanded to 5,000 square metres (54,000 sq ft) during the 2010s. Exhibits and audio-visual and interactive presentations of Calgary's history and the NWMP are situated in the 1888 barracks and the interpretive centre. In 2016, an art installation
13938-418: The open air. An interpretive centre was built on the site in 1977. The site was officially reopened as a historical museum, Fort Calgary Historic Park, in 1978. Initially, the museum's exhibits were focused on the NWMP and their relationship with the First Nations, and the force's perception in popular culture. The museum's operations were reoriented in 1995, changing the museum's focus to one oriented towards
14076-483: The outpost and decided to rename the outpost Fort Calgary in June 1876. The name was recommended by James Macleod of the NWMP, who took the name from Calgary House in Scotland. The outpost had inadequate heating and insulation after it was completed, resulting in poor living conditions for its garrison. Combined with Brisebois' poor leadership, the members of "F" Troop mutinied during the winter of 1875–76 and sent
14214-467: The period, largely curbing criminality in the region, although their task was helped by the geography of the Klondike, which made it relatively easy to bar entry to undesirables. The Klondike gold rush attracted immense worldwide publicity at the time, and the contrast between the relative order of Dawson City in the Yukon vs. the more chaotic and violent situation in Skagway, Alaska caused much comment in
14352-399: The police and volunteers" at Duck Lake; when the details became public, Crozier resigned. In the years after the rebellion, the government's National Policy to settle the north-west continued; by 1885, white settlers became the majority in the region as the railway brought in immigrants, and their numbers almost doubled over the course of the 1890s. The establishment of the mounted police
14490-459: The police as their official footwear in 1901. The South African Constabulary was created in October 1900 to police the recaptured territories; it mirrored the mounted police, with its members again wearing the force's Stetson hat; it incorporated forty-two members of the mounted police and one of its divisions was commanded by Steele. The mounted police volunteers suffered seven casualties during
14628-595: The police were tasked to assist in the building the Canadian Northern and Grand Trunk Pacific lines, as well as the Crow's Nest Pass branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway, following the pattern set by their earlier work in the 1880s. There was a heavy legal load on the force's commissioned officers both in their role as magistrates and as informal arbitrators between company management and
14766-425: The population grew. Cattle ranchers had moved into the territories within a year of the police arriving, initially clustering around the police posts for protection. The government began to promote the development of the large ranches during the 1870s and early 1880s, enclosing land up to 100,000 acres (40,000 ha) in size and excluding smaller farmers. The police had close links to the ranch owners, and many of
14904-638: The posts with Maxim guns . The police checked for illegal weapons and prevented the entry of criminals and collected customs duties, while helping protect and guide the flow of migrants, mediating in their disputes and providing practical advice. The mounted police established their headquarters in the boomtown of Dawson City and patrolled out across the Yukon Territory, creating a network of thirty-three posts. Detectives were deployed to infiltrate American organizations to seek out potential conspiracies. The police's role also encompassed fire safety,
15042-399: The pressures of maintaining the commitments in the Yukon, this reduced the number of the police in the remaining territories to only 682 men by 1900. The similarity of the vast expenses of the veld to the Prairies was felt to make the NWMP well qualified for operations in South Africa. Herchmer was an efficient bureaucrat, but his authoritarian leadership style made him ill-suited to "handle
15180-477: The previous few years. The police brought the issue to a head in June 1896, sending a team into one of the mining camps to overturn the decisions of the local committee. In 1896, huge amounts of gold were discovered in the Klondike valley. Once news of this circulated the following year, around 100,000 people rushed to the Klondike in search of wealth, most with no experience in the mining industry. To reach
15318-464: The prohibition on liquor began to cause the force increasing problems. The liquor laws had been designed to prevent the First Nations from drinking alcohol, but their terms also applied to the increasing numbers of white settlers in the late 1880s. Although some temperance groups applauded the measures, most settlers opposed them. Special permits to import alcohol for personal consumption could be granted, but these were not issued impartially, adding to
15456-501: The railway line. The force was increased in size to 500 in 1882 to cope with the increased tasks being demanded of it, and the police began to use the railway to bring in recruits more easily from the eastern provinces. The mounted police took on a range of tasks associated with the new project. Teams of police escorted the construction teams as they moved across the Rocky Mountains , having been given special jurisdiction over
15594-425: The railway staff went on strike for higher wages in 1883, the mounted police guarded the company's trains, escorted in new drivers and, when necessary, drove the locomotives themselves; two years later the police broke up a protest over unpaid wages by over a thousand construction workers, arresting the main leaders. The head of the Canadian Pacific Railway, William Van Horne , thanked the force for its contribution to
15732-411: The region had been disputed since the American purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867, and most of the influx of prospectors were American. Amid fresh concerns that the United States might annex the gold fields, the mounted police were tasked to assert Canadian control along the border line. The force set up control posts at the borders of the Yukon and at easily controlled mountain passes, equipping
15870-502: The region, and to establish relationships with the Indigenous peoples of the territory. The fort was expanded in 1882 after it was designated as a "district post". The NWMP continued to use the fort until 1914 when the site was sold to Grand Trunk Pacific Railway . The fort was demolished to make way for a rail terminal, although the site's significance was later recognized when it was named a National Historic Site in 1925. In 1975,
16008-417: The region. The living conditions of the NWMP on the prairies were spartan and often uncomfortable, and only slowly improved over the course of the century. By 1896, the government planned to pass policing responsibilities to the provinces and ultimately disband the NWMP. However, with the discovery of gold in the Klondike , the NWMP was redeployed to protect Canada's sovereignty over the region and to manage
16146-632: The site. The fort was originally bounded by a wooden palisade with several structures inside it; including a stables, barracks, guard room, and storage facilities. The fort was completed by December 1875, and cost the Canadian government C$ 2,476 to build. The outpost was initially known as the Bow River Fort until it was officially named Fort Brisebois in December 1875, after the commander of "F" Troop. However, Brisebois' superiors at NWMP headquarters had felt Brisebois misused his authority in naming
16284-407: The situation would reverse in the early 1880s, with several plans drafted to develop the area surrounding Fort Calgary. In August 1882, the outpost was designated as a "district post," and its detachment was reinforced to provide a permanent police presence as well as enforce legal ordinances for the Canadian Pacific Railway reserve adjacent to the fort. James Walker, a former NWMP member and owner of
16422-639: The south shore of the Bow River, near the river junction with the Elbow river. However, the Fort Calgary National Historic Site of Canada designation is confined to a parcel of land surrounding the area where the fort originally stood, approximately 12 hectares (30 acres) in size. The site contains several reconstructions of structures that were built within the fort, including the stables, wagon shed, and barracks modelled after
16560-437: The subsequent Cypress Hills Massacre and fears of United States military intervention. The NWMP combined military, police and judicial functions along similar lines to the Royal Irish Constabulary . A small, mobile police force was chosen to reduce potential for tensions with the United States and First Nations . The NWMP uniforms included red coats deliberately reminiscent of British and Canadian military uniforms. The NWMP
16698-408: The territories. The urban population grew significantly as new towns were established across the Prairies. Many of the immigrants were employed by the growing industries of the region, especially the large mining and manufacturing centres enabled by the Canadian Pacific Railway. As society changed, there were fears of immigrants and criminals exploiting the new rail network. As a result, there were
16836-469: The trail and headed across the much drier and rougher prairies to the north-west. The police had no water bottles and soon both their food and water ran out; as the weather worsened, their horses began to die. When the force arrived at what they thought was Fort Whoop-Up at the junction of the Bow and South Saskatchewan rivers on September 10, there was nothing to be seen, as the fort was in fact around 75 miles (121 km) away. The police had expected
16974-408: The valley, falling back to more easily defensible locations; Inspector Francis Dickens was forced to flee Fort Pitt with his men on a makeshift boat. Meanwhile, more than 5,000 militia (the nascent Canadian army after the departure of British troops) commanded by Major-General Frederick Middleton hurried west along the Canadian Pacific Railway. Middleton split his forces into three groups and led
17112-456: The way, the police helped to distribute relief, including to the Métis communities affected by the rebellion, provided emergency medical assistance, and delivered mail to the more remote areas. Under the new patrol system, the mounted police travelled a total of 1,500,000 miles (2,400,000 km) on average each year on horseback. Backed by harsh sentences from the courts, the process virtually eliminated rural crime. A new system of controlling
17250-577: The whisky trade. These worries were amplified by calls from Washington for Ottawa to secure the frontier and so prevent American Indians from purchasing whisky in Canada. Mackenzie initially suggested sending a joint Canadian-United States military expedition, but, after the Governor General and others noted the serious implications of inviting the United States Army to deploy into Canadian territory, he instead agreed to deploy
17388-574: Was created by Jill Anholt. Fort Calgary is also situated near two landmarks whose history is intertwined with the fort's, the Deane House and Hunt House. The Deane House was built near Fort Calgary in 1906 for the superintendent of Fort Calgary, Captain Richard Burton Deane. He wrote about the house in his 1916 memoir Mounted Police Life in Canada . The house was originally constructed near 9th Ave and 6th St SE, facing east towards
17526-466: Was critical of the way that the Liberals had stood up the force, ordering an inspection in 1875 that concluded that "for a newly-raised force, hastily enrolled and equipped, it is in very fair order", but recommended a variety of improvements, including to the quality of the commissioned officers. Commissioner French was forced to resign the following year, and was replaced by James Macleod. Meanwhile,
17664-413: Was divided into six divisions, supported by 310 horses, 143 draught oxen and 187 Red River carts and wagons, in all stretching out 1.5 miles (2.4 km) along the track. The force took two 9-pounder (4 kg) guns and two mortars for additional protection, cattle for food, and mowing machines to make hay. French had negotiated that the expedition be accompanied by Henri Julien , a journalist whom
17802-401: Was established by the Canadian government during the ministry of Prime Minister Sir John Macdonald who defined its purpose as "the preservation of peace and the prevention of crime" in the vast NWT. Macdonald envisioned the police force as a para-military force, writing that the "best force would be mounted riflemen, trained to act as cavalry... and styled police". Macdonald's principal fear
17940-414: Was increased to 1,000 men in the aftermath of the rebellion, officially in order to cope with the growing white population, but also to prevent any future uprising by the Métis and First Nations. Levels of crime were initially low, with the police's implementation of the law relatively informal, and focused on upholding the spirit, rather than the letter, of the law, but the force soon faced new challenges as
18078-514: Was rebranded as The Confluence Historic Site and Parkland . The confluence of the Bow and Elbow River , where the fort was built, is on the traditional territory of the Niitsitapi ( Blackfoot Confederacy ; Siksika , Kainai , Piikani ), the îyârhe Nakoda (Chiniki, Bearspaw, Wesley), the Tsuut'ina people and Métis Nation, Region 3, and has been a significant age-old gathering place. By
18216-562: Was serving with the Canadian Army in South Africa . Herchmer considered his firing unjust, and continued to say so until his death. Herchmer introduced the wide-brimmed hats (later adopted as official uniform), and the famous musical ride display of horsemanship. His family had connections with John A. Macdonald , first prime minister of Canada, who appointed him. He had the political backing to make many important changes to
18354-552: Was tasked with establishing the outpost at the midway point. The I. G. Baker Company arrived at the site in July 1875, having been hired to construct the NWMP outpost. The fort was initially planned to be located near present-day Holy Cross Centre, with an advanced troupe of "F" Troop marking a spot near the site. However, Brisebois elected to build the fort near the junction of the Bow and Elbow Rivers instead. Materials including spruce and pine were logged upstream and floated down to
18492-465: Was that the activities of American traders such as the Cypress Hills Massacre would lead to the First Nations peoples killing the American traders, which would lead to the United States military being deployed into the NWT to protect the lives of American citizens on the grounds that Canada was unable to maintain law and order in the region. Macdonald's greatest fear was that if the Americans occupied
18630-551: Was unsuited for military command and retired him from duty. Herchmer complained to the prime minister, who then dismissed him from the police altogether, replacing him with Aylesworth Perry , a career policeman and a supporter of the Liberal government. The mounted police influenced the creation of other imperial units during the conflict. Lord Strathcona , the Canadian High Commissioner in London, raised
18768-422: Was unveiled at the site, with vertical wood slats topped with metal and placed on the outline of the original fort. The wood slats used for the installation is approximately the same height as the palisades used for Fort Calgary. From a certain angle, the wood slats are shaped to resemble 12 standing figures. The installation is illuminated with red lights during the night. The art installation is titled Marking and
18906-425: Was used as a boarding house for several decades and was named Jasper Lodge. It was later purchased by Alex Brotherton who renamed the building Gaspé Lodge. Alex Brotherton died in the home in 1968 and the property was sold and proceeds divided among his children (Alfena Cunningham and Patrica Brotherton (Patricia Perkins), whose descendants still live in Calgary. In 1973, the city bought the building and turned it into
19044-408: Was weak in Canada – the trade unions only had very limited legal rights – the number of industrial disputes grew significantly over this period. The resulting lockouts and strikes sometimes required armed government intervention. The militia was most commonly used for this purpose, but the mounted police were cheaper to deploy and were considered to be more politically reliable. As a result,
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