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78-613: The history of Fort Edmonton Park's conception goes back as far as 1912 where the Women's Canadian Club proposed that they keep and preserve Fort Edmonton, which was still standing since 1830 just south of the Alberta Legislature Building . This idea however was unsuccessful, and in 1915 the remains of the old fort were torn down, amidst opposition from citizens who wished to see the old structures relocated so that they could be cherished for their heritage value. A renewed interest after

156-413: A National Historic Site. Batoche marks the site of Gabriel Dumont's grave site, Albert Caron's House, Batoche school, Batoche cemetery, Letendre store, Dumont's river crossing, Gariépy's crossing, Batoche crossing, St. Antoine de Padoue Church, Métis rifle pits, and RNWMP battle camp. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police training depot at Regina was established in 1874, and still survives. The RCMP chapel,

234-587: A changing economy provoked a resistance against the Canadian Government. Here, 300 Métis and Indians led by Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont fought a force of 800 men commanded by Major-General Middleton between May 9 and 12, 1885. The resistance failed but the battle did not mean the end of the community of Batoche. Historic Sites and Monuments board of Canada. Batoche, where the Métis Provisional Government had been formed, has been declared

312-550: A conflict. The 1885 census of Assiniboia, Saskatchewan and Alberta reported a total population of 48,362. Of this, 20,170 people (about 40 percent) were Status Indians. The District of Saskatchewan, part of the North-West Territories in 1885, was divided into three sub-districts and had a population of 10,595. To the east, the Carrot River sub-district with 1,770 people remained quiet. The Prince Albert sub-district in

390-521: A critical shortage of supplies brought about the Métis' defeat in the four-day Battle of Batoche . The remaining Aboriginal allies scattered. Several chiefs were captured, and some served prison time. Eight men were hanged in Canada's largest mass hanging, for murders performed outside the military conflict. Riel was captured, put on trial, and convicted of treason. Despite many pleas across Canada for clemency, he

468-507: A force that detrained from CPR trains at Qu'Appelle and then moved north toward Batoche. His column left from Qu'Appelle on April 6 and arrived at Batoche a month later, fighting the Battle of Fish Creek on the way. Wiliam Otter's force detrained at Swift Current and then proceeded north to restore order at the Battlefords, fighting the Battle of Cut Knife on the way Other forces such as

546-680: A frame building built in 1885, is still standing. It was used to jail Indian prisoners. One of three Territorial Government Buildings still stands on Dewdney Avenue in the city of Regina . It was the site of the Trial of Louis Riel, where the drama the Trial of Louis Riel is still performed. Following the May trial, Louis Riel was hanged November 16, 1885. The RCMP Heritage Centre, in Regina, opened in May 2007. The Métis brought his body to Saint-Vital , his mother's home, now

624-483: A period of many weeks, Middleton brought 3,000 troops to the West, and incorporated another 2,000, mostly English-Canadian volunteers, and 500 North-West Mounted Police into his force. On March 30, a raiding party of Cree people, short of food due to declining bison populations, approached Battleford. The inhabitants fled to the nearby North-West Mounted Police post, Fort Battleford . The Cree then took food and supplies from

702-784: A school (in Township 45, Range 7 west of the 2nd Meridian of the Dominion Land Survey) had been sold by the Crown to the Prince Albert Colonization Company. Not having clear title, the Métis feared losing their land which, now that the buffalo herds were gone, was their primary source of sustenance. In 1884, the Métis (including the Anglo-Métis ) asked Louis Riel to return from the United States , where he had fled after

780-530: A separate domain as Riel promised. Riel had been invited in to lead the movement but he turned it into a military action with a heavily religious tone, thereby alienating the Catholic clergy, the whites, nearly all of the First Nations, and most of the Métis. He had a force of a couple hundred Métis and a smaller number of First Nations at Batoche in May 1885, confronting 900 government troops. On March 26, 1885,

858-697: A unit of militia, the 90th Winnipeg Rifles , and of militia artillery, the Winnipeg Field Battery, already existed. After Duck Lake, the government immediately commenced the mobilization of some of Canada's ill-equipped part-time militia units (the Non-Permanent Active Militia ), as well as the units of cavalry, artillery and infantry regulars that made up the tiny Permanent Active Militia , Canada's almost-nonexistent regular army. By March 30, after hasty mobilization in Toronto, two trains containing

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936-636: Is anchored by two terminating vistas , the legislature and MacEwan University 's City Centre Campus. MacEwan is a part of the Old Canadian National rail yard redevelopment. Nearby to the northeast is the Government Centre transit centre, and further east is the Rossdale neighbourhood and Edmonton Ballpark . The security of the Legislature building and surrounding grounds are the responsibility of

1014-629: Is located along the south bank of the North Saskatchewan River in southwestern Edmonton. The first section contains the Indigenous Peoples Experience, followed by a replica of the fort in 1846, 1885 Street, 1905 Street, and 1920 Street. Visitors may board a fully functional steam train at the park's entrance which transports them across the length of the park to the fort, from which they proceed on foot and abstractly move forward through time by visiting all five areas. Aside from

1092-516: Is supported on concrete piles and constructed around a steel skeleton. The first floor is faced with Vancouver Island granite; upper floors feature sandstone from the Glenbow Quarry in Calgary . The interior fittings include imported marble, mahogany, oak, and brass. The building is about 57 metres (187 ft) in overall height; the project cost over $ 2 million at the time. For the centennial of

1170-472: The 10th Royal Grenadiers and Queen's Own Rifles militia battalions were ready to leave Toronto. Other militia units, the 9th Voltigeurs from Quebec City, and the 65th Mount Royal Rifles from Montreal, were also quickly mobilized. Soon every major city in the East was the scene of embarkation for inexperienced young militiamen cheered by immense crowds. The first militia to struggle westward had to contend with

1248-793: The Alberta Sheriffs Branch . LGBT activism in Edmonton has taken place at the Alberta Legislature Building for many years and as such, the building is featured on the Edmonton Queer History Project map. Several memorials and statues are situated within the Legislative Buildings, or the grounds surrounding it. The fountain inside the Legislature Building was installed during 1959 to commemorate

1326-596: The Executive Council of Alberta . It is often shortened to " the Ledge ". The Alberta Legislature Building is at 10801 97 Avenue NW. Free tours of the facility are offered throughout the week. The building is also connected via underground walkway to the Government Centre station and Government Centre Transit Centre . The building is on a promontory overlooking the scenic North Saskatchewan River valley near

1404-756: The High Level Bridge , now used by the High Level Bridge Streetcar . Nearby is a walking path , connecting to the Victoria Park and Golf Course and the Grandin neighbourhood. To the north lies the "Government Centre" district within downtown Edmonton, south of Jasper Avenue , Edmonton's main street . Here are found several provincial government office buildings including the Federal Building . A short section of 108 Street, called "Capital Boulevard",

1482-628: The Métis under Louis Riel and an associated uprising by Cree and Assiniboine of the District of Saskatchewan , North-West Territories, against the Canadian government . Many Métis felt that Canada was not protecting their rights, their land, and their survival as a distinct people. Fighting broke out in late March, and the conflict ended in June. About 91 people were killed in the fighting that occurred that spring before

1560-552: The Métis Nation of Alberta . A full-scale replica of the eponymous Hudson's Bay Company Fort Edmonton represents the fur trade era. The replica fort was constructed using a scale plan diagram drawn by British Lieutenant Mervin Vavasour , who visited the Fort in the mid-1840s. Other accounts, such as the journals of the fort's denizens, or the artwork of Paul Kane , were used to flesh out

1638-707: The Northwest Uprising , the Saskatchewan Rebellion , and the Second Riel Rebellion . The conflict, in addition to the Red River Rebellion , was collectively referred to as the Riel Rebellions . Although the terms rebellion and resistance can be used synonymously, its use in relation to this conflict has been a subject of debate, with some academics arguing the usage of one term changes

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1716-703: The Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan . After the Red River Rebellion of 1869–1870, many of the Métis moved from Manitoba to the Fort Carlton region of the North-West Territories , where they founded the Southbranch settlements of Fish Creek , Batoche , St. Laurent , St. Louis , and Duck Lake on or near the South Saskatchewan River . In 1882, surveyors began dividing the land of

1794-553: The Second World War began the momentum that saw the park begin construction in 1969 under the direction of the Fort Edmonton Foundation. The Foundation's Master Plan of 1968 envisioned a park that would present a cross-section of the Edmonton area's history from the distant geological past, to the areas that it currently embodies, and even an area that would prophesy Edmonton's future. This original plan speculated that

1872-409: The 150 to 200 Métis and Aboriginal warriors under the command of Gabriel Dumont defeated a combined group of 90 Prince Albert Volunteers and North-West Mounted Police led by their superintendent Leif Newry Fitzroy Crozier at Battle of Duck Lake , outside Batoche. The federal government had, shortly before the battle at Duck Lake, sent Major General Frederick Middleton to the West. Eventually, over

1950-510: The 1885 Northwest Rebellion is an excellent opportunity to tell the story of the prairie Métis and First Nations peoples' struggle with Government forces and how it has shaped Canada today." BATOCHE. In 1872, Xavier Letendre dit Batoche founded a village at this site where Métis freighters crossed the South Saskatchewan River. About 50 families had claimed the river lots in the area by 1884. Widespread anxiety regarding land claims and

2028-602: The Alberta Field Force led by Thomas Bland Strange were formed in the West. Strange's force, assembled at Calgary, moved north on the Calgary and Edmonton Trail to secure Edmonton from attack, then went down the North Saskatchewan River to Fort Pitt, then moving overland in pursuit of Big Bear's band. On April 24, at Fish Creek, 200 Métis achieved a remarkable victory over units in Middleton's column numbering 900 soldiers. The reversal, though not decisive enough to alter

2106-595: The Canadian government to take notice of the growing unrest in the North-West Territories . When the conflict was over, the government hanged Wandering Spirit, the war chief responsible for the Frog Lake Massacre. On April 15, 200 Cree warriors descended on Fort Pitt . They intercepted a police scouting party, killing a constable, wounding another, and captured a third. Surrounded and outnumbered, garrison commander Francis Dickens capitulated and agreed to negotiate with

2184-794: The Conservative Party most of their support in Quebec. It guaranteed Anglophone control of the Prairies, and demonstrated the national government was capable of decisive action. Those who served with the Militia and Police during the conflict received the North West Canada Medal , established in September 1885. While the conflict was ongoing, the American and British press took note of the actions of both

2262-460: The Métis and the Canadian Government. Some newspapers, such as the Times and Guardian , wrote approvingly of the actions taken by the Canadian government. The Saskatchewan Métis requested land grants; the government granted these to all by the end of 1887. The government resurveyed the official surveys to allow pre-existing Métis riverlots in accordance with their wishes. The Métis did not understand

2340-629: The Métis fighters in their rifle pits. Riel surrendered on May 15. Gabriel Dumont and other participants in the uprising escaped across the border to the Montana Territory of the United States. The defeat of the Métis and Riel's capture led to the collapse of the Provisional Government. But the downfall of Batoche did not end the separate conflict with the Cree. Poundmaker and several of

2418-543: The Red River Rebellion to appeal to the government on their behalf. The government gave a vague response. In March 1885, Riel, Gabriel Dumont , Honoré Jackson (a.k.a. Will Jackson), and others set up the Provisional Government of Saskatchewan , believing that they could influence the federal government in the same way as they had in 1869. The role of aboriginal peoples prior to—and during—the outbreak of

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2496-488: The Vavasour Plan. A Cree camp is found just outside the fort's palisade , itself a representation of the indigenous First Nations , whose trade of furs and provisions was vital to the historical fort's operation. While the fort may have been the first European establishment in the Edmonton area, it was not until the second half of the 19th century that settlers either moved out of the fort or came from some distance to work

2574-432: The allegiance of about 250 armed Métis, 250 Indigenous fighters and at least one white man ( Honoré Jackson ). But his small force was up against 900 Canadian Militia (the nascent Canadian army), armed NWMP officers and armed local residents - 5500 government troops in all. Despite some notable early victories at Duck Lake , Fish Creek , and Cut Knife , the conflict was quashed when overwhelming government forces and

2652-556: The area. In addition, the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) had been created, developing an armed local force. Riel lacked support from English settlers of the area as well as the great majority of tribes. Riel's claim that God had sent him back to Canada as a prophet caused Catholic officials (who saw it as heresy) to try to minimize his support. The Catholic priest, Albert Lacombe , worked to obtain assurances from Crowfoot that his Blackfoot warriors would not participate in

2730-467: The attackers. Big Bear released the remaining police officers but kept the townspeople as hostages and destroyed the fort. Six days later, Inspector Dickens and his men reached safety at Battleford . Recognizing that an uprising might be imminent, the federal government had, three days before Duck Lake, sent Major General Frederick Middleton, the commander of the Canadian Militia , to Winnipeg, where

2808-457: The building are stories and perspectives from more than 50 local Indigenous historians, elders, educators, and community members who were interviewed for this project. In November 2021, Fort Edmonton Park received the "Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement - Heritage Center" for the exhibits in this museum, which were developed in partnership with members of the Confederacy of Treaty 6 Nations and

2886-580: The building's flood lights and then looking up to see everything in the color purple. The band The Rural Alberta Advantage referenced the custom in their song Edmonton. It is also the origin of the name for Purple City Music Festival . The Alberta Legislature Building was built between 1907 and 1913 in the Beaux Arts style at the same time as the much larger Saskatchewan and Manitoba legislative buildings by architects Allan Merrick Jeffers and Richard Blakey. Montreal architect Percy Nobbs helped with

2964-521: The capital of the district was Prince Albert with about 800 people followed by Battleford with about 500 people who were "divided about equally between French, Métis and English". The Métis population in Saskatchewan in 1885 was about 5,400. A majority tried to stay neutral in the dispute with the national government, as the priests recommended. About 350 armed men supported Riel. A smaller number opposed him, led by Charles Nolin . In addition, he had

3042-514: The centre of the district had a population of 5,373 which included the Southbranch settlements with about 1,300. The South branch settlement was the centre of Louis Riel's Provisional Government of Saskatchewan during the conflict. To the west, the Battleford sub-district where the Cree uprising of people in bands led by Poundmaker and Big Bear occurred, had 3,603 people. The largest settlement and

3120-401: The chiefs loyal to him marched into Battleford and surrendered on May 26. By May 28, Major General Thomas Bland Strange brought his mixed force - militia and a NWMP detachment from Calgary , District of Alberta - into contact with Big Bear's band fleeing from its pursuers. Fighters in the band carried the day at Frenchman's Butte in a battle at the end of May. The last armed engagement in

3198-476: The completed park would be spread over ten phases. By 1987, however, it became clear that the park had evolved incompatibly with the ambitious 1968 plan, and the Master Plan was amended to focus instead on the four sections that had materialized to date. The fort was the first portion of the park to open in 1974, originally accessible directly by road. 1885 Street opened by the late 1970s, followed by 1905 Street in

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3276-442: The conflict ended with the capture of Batoche in May 1885. Louis Riel, the hero of a 1870 uprising at Winnipeg, had been invited to lead the movement of protest; he turned it into a military action with a heavily religious tone. That alienated Catholic clergy, Euro-Canadian settlers who had previously supported the protest against government policies, many Indigenous persons in the western Prairies, and even some Métis. Riel had

3354-478: The conflict is often misunderstood. A number of factors have created the misconception that the Cree and Métis were acting in unison. By the end of the 1870s, the stage was set for discontent among the aboriginal people of the prairies: the bison population was in serious decline (creating enormous economic difficulties) and, in an attempt to assert control over aboriginal settlement, the federal government often violated

3432-483: The conflict was the Battle of Loon Lake on June 3. That day a small detachment of NWMP under the command of Major Sam Steele caught up to Big Bear's force, which was fleeing northward after the battle at Frenchman's Butte. Big Bear's fighters were almost out of ammunition and fled after a short exchange of fire and the release of their hostages. Demoralized, defenceless, and with no hope of relief after Poundmaker's surrender, most of Big Bear's fighters surrendered over

3510-411: The conflict, Edgar Dewdney , the lieutenant-governor of the territories, publicly claimed that the Cree and the Métis had joined forces. For Riel and the Métis, several factors had changed since the Red River Rebellion. The railway had been completed across the prairies in 1883, though sections were still under construction north of Lake Superior, making it easier for the government to get troops into

3588-405: The conflict, where he was found guilty of high treason, and hanged. His trial sparked a national controversy between English and French Canada . The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) played a key role in the government's response to the conflict, as it was able to transport federal troops to the area quickly. While it had taken three months to get troops to the Red River Rebellion, the government

3666-492: The continent. After the fighting, new Territorial Council ridings were created, although still only covering specific areas of concentrated settlement. The North-West Territories election of 1885 was held. The Scrip Commission was dispatched to the District of Saskatchewan and to present-day Alberta to address Métis land claims. The conflict was Canada's first independent military action. It cost about $ 5 million, and lost

3744-414: The dwindling buffalo population, their main source of food, Big Bear and his Cree decided to rebel after the successful Métis victory at Duck Lake. They gathered all the white settlers in the area into the local church. They killed Thomas Quinn, the town's Indian agent , after a disagreement broke out. The Cree then attacked the settlers, killing eight more and taking three captive. The massacre prompted

3822-466: The early 1980s, and then 1920 Street by the beginning of the 1990s. A working steam train has transported visitors from the park's entrance to the fort since 1977. Each street was opened as a work in progress, and the latest version of the park's development plan calls for still more additions, especially to 1920 Street. As of 2021, Fort Edmonton Park is made up of five sections, four of which represent an era, all spread over 158 acres (64 ha). The park

3900-474: The empty stores and houses. As well, Cree insurgents looted Hudson's Bay Company posts at Lac la Biche and Green Lake on April 26. On April 2, at Frog Lake, District of Saskatchewan (now in Alberta) a Cree raiding party led by Cree war chief, Wandering Spirit , attacked the small town. Angered by what seemed to be unfair treaties and the withholding of vital provisions by the Canadian government, and also by

3978-521: The entirety of Edmonton's commerce, Metropolitan Edmonton relies on larger business chains. Edmonton of this era also sports modern technology such as airplanes. The museum is affiliated with: CMA , CHIN , and Virtual Museum of Canada . Alberta Legislature Building The Alberta Legislature Building , located in Edmonton , is the meeting place of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and

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4056-481: The final revisions. Allan Merrick Jeffers served as the Alberta Provincial Architect from September 1907 to 1910. The Provincial Archives of Alberta holds drawings for virtually all provincial buildings executed under his supervision. Construction first began in August 1907. The cornerstone was laid by Alexander Cameron Rutherford , the first Premier of Alberta, and the Governor General of Canada , Albert Grey, 4th Earl Grey , on October 1, 1909. On November 30, 1911,

4134-492: The first session was held in the building. The building was officially opened by Lord Grey's successor, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn , on September 3, 1912. Jeffers may have been influenced by the State House of Rhode Island , where he had been a student. The style was associated originally with the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and was fashionable in North America between 1895 and 1920. The use of Greek , Roman , and Egyptian architectural influences

4212-440: The first visit of Queen Elizabeth II to the building. For the province's centennial, the Queen unveiled in the same structure a series of stained glass windows that highlight the role of the monarchy in Alberta over the previous century. The centre window, at the front entrance of the building, focuses on the reign of Elizabeth II, including her royal cypher surmounted by St. Edward's Crown and flanked by wild roses , while

4290-420: The land on self-sustaining farms. 1885 Street represents the beginning of a town, displays the establishment of telegraph and printing press media, and references major political events such as the North-West Rebellion of 1885. In this time, Edmonton was established as a city, and in 1905 was selected as the site of the Alberta Provincial Legislature. This coincided with an economic boom that Edmonton enjoyed at

4368-512: The lifestyles and attitudes of the era that they represent. Additionally, throughout the year, public tours may be booked with non-costumed interpreters. The Indigenous Peoples Experience is the park's newest feature, and opened in 2021 after being constructed during the park's three-year renovation. The museum immerses visitors in stories, lessons, cultures, and histories of various local First Nations and Métis communities through interactive exhibits, audio-visual displays, and music. Throughout

4446-420: The location of Fort Edmonton , Mark V (1830–1915), a Hudson's Bay Company fur-trading post , a long-established economic and administrative centre of the western Prairies. It is just up the hill from the archaeological finds at Rossdale Flats to the east, remnants of a long-standing First Nations campsite and location of an earlier Fort Edmonton. The Legislature's location was selected shortly after Edmonton

4524-424: The long term value of their new land, however, and sold much of it to speculators who later resold it to farmers. The French language and Catholic religion faced increasing marginalisation in both Saskatchewan and Manitoba, as exemplified by the emerging controversy surrounding the Manitoba Schools Question . Many Métis were forced to live on undesirable land, or in temporary locations such as road allowances, or in

4602-483: The many lengthy breaks in the CPR line in northern Ontario. They marched through snow, or were carried in exposed sleighs. Where there were short stretches of track, the militia rode on hastily-constructed railroad flatcars which did nothing to shelter them from the extreme cold. Many of the soldiers suffered greatly from the winter weather. However, the first troops sent west were, in succeeding weeks, followed by thousands more. Major General Frederick Middleton assembled

4680-417: The military conflict, were Wandering Spirit, (Kapapamahchakwew) a Plains Cree war chief, Little Bear (Apaschiskoos), Walking the Sky (AKA Round the Sky), Bad Arrow, Miserable Man, Iron Body, Ika (AKA Crooked Leg) and Man Without Blood, for murders committed at Frog Lake and at Battleford (the murders of Farm Instructor Payne and Battleford farmer Barney Tremont). The trial of Louis Riel occurred shortly after

4758-401: The newly formed District of Saskatchewan in the Dominion Land Survey 's square concession system. The Métis lands were laid out in the seigneurial system of strips reaching back from a river which the Métis were familiar with in their French-Canadian culture. A year after the survey the 36 families of the parish of St. Louis found that their land and village site that included a church and

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4836-415: The next few weeks. On July 2 Big Bear surrendered to the NWMP on an island in the Saskatchewan River near Fort Carlton. The government addressed the critical food shortage of the Cree and Assiniboine by sending food and other supplies. Poundmaker and Big Bear were sentenced to prison. Eight others were hanged in the largest mass hanging in Canadian history. These men, found guilty of killing outside of

4914-401: The other windows commemorate the reign of George VI, Edward VIII , George V , and Edward VII , along with provincial emblems such as the coat of arms and the wild rose. Other items of significance on the grounds include the Lois Hole Memorial Garden , the statue of Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll , and a memorial to Chief Crowfoot . A local custom involves area teenagers staring at

4992-408: The outcome of the war, temporarily halted the advance of Middleton's column toward Batoche. That was where the Métis made their final stand two weeks later. On May 2, the Cree war chief Fine-Day successfully held off Lieutenant Colonel William Otter at the Battle of Cut Knife near Battleford . Despite its use of a gatling gun , Otter's flying column of militia was forced to retreat. Fine-Day

5070-469: The perspective of how the conflict is understood. As a result, Indigenous studies scholars and many historians refer to Indigenous uprisings in reaction to European colonization as resistances; as many Indigenous nations self-governed the land before the Canadian government exerted their sovereignty over it. Use of the term resistance has also spread to other organizations and publications, including Canadian Geographic , The Canadian Encyclopedia , and

5148-427: The province of Alberta, stained glass windows with the royal cypher and the emblems of Alberta were installed above from the main entrance of the building. These stained glass windows were unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II on May 24, 2005. North-West Rebellion The North-West Rebellion ( French : Rébellion du Nord-Ouest ), also known as the North-West Resistance , was an armed resistance movement by

5226-411: The repression of their countrymen. The key role that the Canadian Pacific Railway played in transporting troops caused support by the Conservative government to increase, and Parliament authorized funds to complete the country's first transcontinental railway. The conflict is referred to by several names, including the North-West Rebellion , the North-West Resistance , the 1885 Resistance ,

5304-511: The shadow of Indian reserves (The Métis did not have treaty status, like Treaty Indians did, so did not have any official right to land). Riel's trial and Macdonald's refusal to commute his sentence caused lasting upset in Quebec, and led to a fundamental francophone distrust of Anglophone politicians. French Canada felt it had been unfairly targeted. In the spring of 2008, Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Christine Tell proclaimed in Duck Lake, that "the 125th commemoration, in 2010, of

5382-460: The spring of 1885, it was almost certainly unrelated to the revolt of Riel and the Métis (which was already underway). In both the Frog Lake Massacre and the Looting of Battleford , small dissident groups of Cree men revolted against white authorities, ignoring the leadership of Big Bear and Poundmaker . Although he quietly signalled to Ottawa that these two incidents were the result of desperate and starving people and were, as such, unrelated to

5460-429: The support of a small number of members of First Nations. Riel's supporters included the older, less assimilated Métis, often with close associations with the First Nations population. Many moved back and forth into First Nations communities and preferred to speak Indigenous languages more than French. Riel's opponents were younger, better educated Métis; they wanted to be more integrated into Canadian society, not to set up

5538-406: The terms of the treaties it had signed during the latter part of the decade. Thus, widespread dissatisfaction with the treaties and rampant poverty spurred Big Bear , a Cree chief, to embark on a diplomatic campaign to renegotiate the terms of the treaties (the timing of this campaign happened to coincide with an increased sense of frustration among the Métis). When the Cree initiated violence in

5616-513: The time. The darker side of the boom was that the lack of housing available necessitated a tent city , which may be seen on 1905 Street. Another important event in Edmonton, the opening of the University of Alberta in 1908, is often referenced on this street. This street depicts Edmonton during and following the First World War . Whereas previous eras showed small businesses as making up nearly

5694-413: The train, visitors may also ride horse-drawn carriages, and streetcars, in the appropriate eras. Rides on the train and streetcars are free with admission; however, rides on horse-drawn vehicles require a fee. From May long weekend through to Labour Day , and Sundays in September, visitors may also interact with costumed historical interpreters. These personnel utilize a variety of techniques to reveal

5772-403: Was able to move forces in nine days by train in response to events in the North-West Territories. The successful operation increased political support for the floundering and incomplete railway, which had been close to financial collapse. The government authorized enough funds to finish the line. Thus, Prime Minister John A. Macdonald was able to realize his National Dream of linking Canada across

5850-581: Was affiliated with the chief Poundmaker, who surrendered to government troops later that same month. Big Bear did not fight in the battle and personally prevailed on the Cree fighters not to harass the retreating Canadian troops. On May 12, Middleton's force captured Batoche itself. The greatly outnumbered but well-entrenched Métis fighters ran out of ammunition after three days of battle and siege. The Métis resorted to firing sharp objects and small rocks from their guns. They were finally killed or dispersed when Canadian soldiers advanced on their own and overran

5928-425: Was confirmed as the provincial capital by the first session of the Legislature in 1906. The legislature building was located along 97 Avenue . That road was routed through a tunnel during the 1970s renovations to the grounds, allowing a large plaza to connect the legislature to a greenspace to the north. To the west of the building, the grounds are bounded by 109 Street and the railway right-of-way coming north from

6006-419: Was considered appropriate for a public building, as they suggested power, permanence, and tradition. Beaux-Arts buildings are characterized by a large central dome above a spacious rotunda, a symmetrical T-shaped plan, doors and windows decorated with arches or lintels, and a portico supported by massive columns. The dome has terracotta made by Gibbs and Canning of Tamworth, Staffordshire , England. The building

6084-497: Was hanged. Riel became a heroic martyr to Francophone Canada. That was one cause for the rise of ethnic tensions into a deep division, whose repercussions continue to be felt. The suppression of the conflict contributed to the present reality of the Prairie Provinces being controlled by English speakers, who allowed only a very limited francophone presence, and helped cause the alienation of French Canadians, who were embittered by

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