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PREFACE
As far as it has been found possible, the
geography of Western Canada as outlined in this little work has been
treated from an inductive standpoint, based on the assumption that
those who study the "home region" have a fair knowledge of the
"earth as a whole" and the "continents."
While this is in no way a picture-book, an
effort has been made to assist the child to grasp a broad and strong
picture of the country by presenting a series of related topics
rather than a great number of uninteresting and unrelated facts. The
illustrations have been chosen and the maps prepared with the
purpose of assisting in the understanding of the text.
" Each chapter, or lesson, is followed by a
number of questions carefully selected. These make a desirable
review of the topic. They also invite the student to inquire into
geographical facts outside the text, and thus prepare for the more
practical geography when the school days shall have ended.
Considerable space has been given climate and
life, topics our pupils are usually very ignorant of. It is not
enough to-day, when our woods and our wild animals are disappearing,
to say merely that the wild animals of Manitoba and the North-West
Territories are the deer, the bear, and the wolf. These are the days
when nature study should be in evidence in such natural history as
geography finds necessary to use for its own purposes. Special
attention has also been paid to the industries of the country, as it
is felt that the boys and girls of to-day should be thoroughly
familiar with the conditions as they now exist, and should be able
to give a reason for their faith in the future of the home land.
It is to be hoped that this book may be found to
possess a value of its own apart from any use that may be made of it
as a school text-book and as a volume supplementary to " Our Earth
as a Whole."
The author has to acknowledge very valuable
assistance received from Dr. James Bain, Chief Librarian of the city
of Toronto; from Mr. C. C. Chipman, Chief Commissioner of the
Hudson's Bay Company, Winnipeg; from Mr. James A. Smart, Deputy
Minister of the Interior, Ottawa; from Mr. Frank Pedley, Deputy
Superintendent-General of Indian Affairs, Ottawa; from Mr. J. D.
Scott, Superintendent of Immigration, Ottawa; from Mr. E. Deville,
Surveyor General of Dominion Lands, Ottawa; from Mr. James White,
Geographer of the Interior Department, Ottawa; from Dr. Robert Bell.
Director of the Geological Survey, Ottawa; from Mr. Percy H. Selwyn,
Secretary of the Geological Survey, Ottawa; from Mr. W. F. McCreary,
M.P., Winnipeg; from Mr. J. R. C. Honeyman, Deputy Commissioner of
Agriculture, Regina; from Mr. James Hartney, Agent of the Manitoba
Government, Toronto; from Mr. George Atkinson, Naturalist, Winnipeg;
and from the officials of the various towns and villages throughout
the West who have kindly furnished him with information asked for.
Both author and publishers are indebted for
permission to use illustrations to Mr. C. W. Mathers, Photographer,
Edmonton, whose beautiful booklet, "The Far North," has been of the
greatest assistance in the preparation of this book; to William
Notman & Sons, Photographers, Montreal; to Steele & Co.,
Photographers, Winnipeg; to Mr. R. H. McDuffie, Raymond; to Mr. W.
J. James, Photographer, Prince Albert; to Mr. W. M. Van Valkenberg,
Regina; to the
Nor' West Farmer, Winnipeg; to the
Farmer's Advocate, London; and to the
officials of the Hudson's Bay Company, Winnipeg.
CONTENTS
Chapter I. The Home Land
Chapter II. The Hunter ok the Plains
Chapter III. The Mound-builders
Chapter IV. The People of the Northland
Chapter V. The Fur Trader
Chapter VI. Surface and Drainage
Chapter VII. Climate
Chapter VIII. How the Prairie Soil was made
Chapter IX. The Surveyor
Chapter X. Making the Settlement
Chapter XI. Plant Life
Chapter XII. Wild Animal Life
Chapter XIII. Bird Life
Chapter XIV. Industries
Chapter XV. How our Products are carried
Chapter XVI. Cities and Towns in Manitoba
Chapter XVII. Cities and Towns in the North-West Territories
Chapter XVIII. The People
Chapter XIX. Government
Appendix
Appendix A. Comparative Land Areas
Appendix B. The Indians
Appendix C. The Fur Trade
Appendix D. Area of Lakes, Hudson Bay, and Spruce Woods
Appendix E. Temperature, Rainfall, and Snowfall
Appendix F. Land Regulations
Appendix G. The Grain Crop in the Canadian West and Other Countries
Appendix H. Farm Stock
Appendix I. Dairy Products
Appendix J. Production of Coal in Manitoba and the North-West
Territories
Appendix K. Yield of Gold in Saskatchewan Sands
Appendix L. The Fisheries
Appendix M. Value of Goods imported and exported
Appendix N. Railways in the Canadian West
Appendix O. Statistics of People, Cities, Towns, Villages, etc.
Appendix P. Key to Bird-cut on page 139 (Fig. 93)
Appendix Q. Names and their Histories
This is a pdf version of this book
which we found. It has over 100 pictures and various maps and
illustrations and is an excellent read.
You can download this book
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