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Regina, the capital
of the North-West Territories, is a typical prairie city. It has a
population of less than 2,500, and is built on the flat prairie,
there being hardly a tree anywhere in sight. There is little or no
water in the neighbourhood, excepting the Wascana River, which is
not much larger than an old country brook. The want of water has
been somewhat felt in the surrounding country, even for ordinary
farm purposes, but the boring experiments that have been conducted
under the auspices of the Government of the North-West Territories
have shown that a fair amount of water exists at a reasonable depth.
It is the intention to increase the number of boring machines that
are being used, and they will be placed at the disposal of the
settlers without charge. In the near future, therefore, there is
every probability that a well of good water will be found on every
homestead. Regina has not grown very much in the last few years, but
the buildings have somewhat improved, and the place has a more solid
appearance than formerly. A new hotel has proved to be a great
convenience to travellers, and the banks, and many of the private
residents, as well as the larger storekeepers, are housed in a much
more comfortable manner than they were.
Although the town
does not present a very busy appearance, there is a good deal of
trade done in connection with the distribution of supplies to the
district tributary tc it. It is also an important market for various
kinds of farm and dairy produce; and the provision of stores and
supplies and forage for the North-West Mounted Police is of much
value to the neighbouring farmers. The country is fairly well
settled on the north and south and to the east, especially in the
last-named direction. During 1894, however, the crops were not
particularly good, owing to the dry season that prevailed, and the
grass on the prairie was very much shorter than usual. The soil is
rather on the heavy side, and requires a good deal of rain, as well
as an average quantity of sunshine, to enable it to produce
abundantly of the fruits of the earth.
The residence of
the Lieutenant-Governor of the NorthWest Territories is at Regina,
and the present occupant of that position is the Hon. C. H.
Mackintosh, formerly a member of the Dominion Parliament, and
proprietor of the Ottawa Citizen. Mr. Mackintosh is well known in
every part of Canada, and his geniality and humour, and his wide
circle of friends, serve to draw a continual stream of delighted
guests to the Government House. Largely through his instrumentality
an Exhibition, on a more than usually comprehensive scale, is to
take place at Regina next year. The local Government is helping with
funds, and so is the Dominion Government, and Regina has given
$10,000 towards the expenses. It is likely to be a big success.
The Legislative
Assembly also meets at Regina, but the number of the members is
limited, and the accommodation is not on the palatial side,
although, no doubt, perfectly adequate for the purpose. The powers
of the Assembly are gradually being developed, and will in time
correspond more or less with those conferred upon the other
Provinces of the Dominion.
The present
arrangements are, of course, of a provisional nature, and sufficient
to meet the requirements of a large, sparsely inhabited country. No
doubt in the dim and distant future—and the time may, perhaps, come
sooner than we expect—the different districts forming the North-West
Territories will have become the homes of hundreds of thousands of
happy and contented settlers, and bo full-fledged Provinces.
Regina is the
headquarters of the North-West Mounted Police, a force which has
grown up with the country and has rendered immense service in the
maintenance of law and order and in the administration of justice.
It was organised in the early days after the transfer of the Hudson
Bay Territory to tho Dominion Government, and until quite recently
consisted of nearly 1,000 men. It will be understood that in the
small settlements that have sprung up all over the country there aro
no municipal police, and the North-West Mounted Police have
practically had charge of the whole country. For many years they
also had the supervision of the Indians, and oven now the Indian
Department finds their co-operation especially valuable. They have
also to deal with Customs matters, patrolling the boundary, and with
quarantine, and one of their principal duties in times gone by was
to prevent tho smuggling of bad whisky from the States. During the
construction of the Canadian-Pacific Railway there were over 20,000
navvies and labourers employed on the works, not the most reputable
members of the world’s population, and probably the most
cosmopolitan crowd to be found anywhere. There were, however, very
few disturbances; the force maintained its prestige, and it has been
said, and probably truly, that the rapid construction of the line
would hardly have been possible had it not been for the police. In
addition to their other duties, they have, of course, to look after
ordinary criminal matters. Every part of the country is also
regularly patrolled: the police are obliged to call upon the
settlers in the outlying districts, who sign their papers, and
report anything of a suspicious character that may have happened
since the last visit.
With the
development of the country many of the duties formerly undertaken by
the police are now placed under the charge of other departments of
the Government, and an endeavour is being made to reduce the force.
In fact, it now only numbers about 750, as compared with 1,000 a few
years ago. All recruits are received at Regina, and many of the
horses required for the force are broken and trained there. Every
consideration is shown to the men; amusements of all kinds are
provided at headquarters, and at all the divisional posts, and
altogether they do not seem to have a bad time of it. The popularity
of the force is shown by the fact that a considerable portion of the
men apply to re-enlist at the end of the term for which they are
engaged. The force is a semi-military one, and is drilled and
trained as cavalry, the dress being similar to that of the Dragoons.
Many of the troopers are men of education and position, who have
entered the force from a love of the unconventional life which it
affords. |
