94-654: Major-general Sir Samuel Benfield Steele KCMG CB MVO (5 January 1848 – 30 January 1919) was a Canadian soldier and policeman. He was an officer of the North-West Mounted Police , head of the Yukon detachment during the Klondike Gold Rush , and commanding officer of Strathcona's Horse during the Boer War . Born into a military family at Medonte Township , Province of Canada (now Ontario ), he
188-413: 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,
282-587: 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
376-745: A church and 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
470-550: 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
564-599: A crown, crossed sabre and baton, and a series of maple leaves on shoulder straps. Additionally, general officers wear one broad gold band on each of the lower sleeves of the service dress tunic. On the centenary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge , 9 April 2017, the Bath Star pip was replaced by the "Vimy Star". It depicts a maple leaf and is surrounded by the Latin motto vigilamus pro te ("we stand on guard for thee"). Commissioned officers of
658-407: A flag/general officer, with a special flag/general officer sleeve braid embellished with the governor general's badge, and a large embroidered governor general's badge on the shoulder straps or boards , facing forward. The rank insignia of commissioned officers . The following are the rank insignia for non-commissioned members for the navy, army and air force respectively. NCM rank insignia for
752-459: 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
846-680: 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
940-483: 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
1034-814: A recruiter. He kept his British command until his retirement on 15 July 1918. While in Britain, Steele was knighted, on 1 January 1918, and was made a Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath , and Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George . Steele died during the 1918 flu pandemic just after his 71st birthday. He was interred at the Cathedral of St. John Cemetery in Winnipeg. Canada's fifth-tallest mountain, Mount Steele ,
SECTION 10
#17328523237941128-530: 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,
1222-450: A subject of debate, with some academics arguing the usage of one term changes 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
1316-697: 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
1410-558: A very limited francophone presence, and helped cause the alienation of French Canadians, who were embittered by 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
1504-516: A wealth of heretofore untold stories that would "re-write Canadian history" had been held by British descendants of Steele, and were returned via a $ 1.8 million purchase by the University of Alberta . In 2020, the Orillia Museum of Art and History put on an exhibit of some of Steele’s correspondence with Thomas Blaney of Orillia, who helped Steele look after his family affairs while Steele was out of
1598-562: Is named after him. CFB Edmonton , the home of Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians), is now called Steele Barracks after Major General Steele. On 19 June 2008, Steele's wealth of personal papers and writings were repatriated to Canada in a ceremony in Trafalgar Square in London, England , headed by the Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex . Steele's papers, believed by historians to contain
1692-472: 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
1786-531: The Canadian Army used rank insignia identical to the British Army . When the universal CF green uniform was adopted at unification, Land Command, like the other services, used gold braid sleeve stripes as rank insignia. When distinctive environmental uniforms were adopted in the mid-1980s, the army retained the green uniform with gold stripes. On 8 July 2013, Minister of National Defence Peter MacKay announced
1880-526: 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 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
1974-636: The Fenian raids , first joining the 35th Simcoe Battalion of Infantry and after moving to Clarksburg (near Collingwood ) was commissioned as an officer in the 31st Grey Battalion of Infantry . Steele also participated in the Red River Expedition in 1870 to fight the Red River Rebellion of Louis Riel . Much to his disappointment, he arrived after the Métis had surrendered. The following year he joined
SECTION 20
#17328523237942068-483: The King's Regulations and Orders issued by the governor-in-council. The rank insignia for NCM appointments. The tables above describe the rank insignia worn on the service dress jacket. On DEU shirts, sweaters, and outerwear; and operational dress shirts and jackets, rank insignia are worn on slip-ons with the word "Canada" or a regimental/branch title embroidered underneath. Flag/general officers' slip-ons include only
2162-622: The Klondike in the late 1890s presented Steele with a new challenge. Although he campaigned unsuccessfully for the position of assistant commissioner in 1892, in January 1898, he was sent to succeed Charles Constantine as commissioner and to establish customs posts at the head of the White and Chilkoot Passes , and at Lake Bennett. He was noted for his hard line with the hundreds of unruly and independent-minded prospectors, many of them American. To help control
2256-784: The North-West Rebellion , the North-West Resistance , the 1885 Resistance , 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
2350-563: The Permanent Force artillery, Canada's first regular army unit. Steele had long been fascinated by the West, devouring the works of James Fenimore Cooper in his youth. He was especially interested in the First Nations , and spent his time in the West learning from them and the Métis. However, he was assigned to Fort Henry in Kingston, Ontario , for the next few years, as an instructor at
2444-650: The Royal Canadian Navy Reserve (RCNR). Other variations in rank insignia included sky blue lace with a diamond shaped loop for officers of the Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service , and warranted Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps officers, who had a small anchor in place of the executive curl. Following the Second World War, the Royal Canadian Navy was reorganized with a single reserve component. In 1946,
2538-687: The Second Boer War , where Steele commanded them with distinction in the role of reconnaissance scouts. Steele, however, apparently disliked greatly what he was ordered to do by the British, which included burning towns, farms and homesteads, killing livestock of the Boer families and moving the populace to concentration camps . After the war, the regiment arrived in London in February 1901. Here they met Lord Strathcona for
2632-596: The South Saskatchewan River . In 1882, surveyors began dividing the land of 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
2726-643: The United States , where he had fled after 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
2820-761: The unification of the Canadian Armed Forces . Every branch or corps of the Canadian Army uses a distinctive colour. Applicable only to officers, they are indicated by coloured borders of rank insignia on DEU shirt and sweater slip-ons and on mess dress . Some branches and regiments use distinctive job titles for privates (trained) in those regiments: Additionally, the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery uses "Bombardier" ( Bombardier or Bombardière ) for Corporal and "Master Bombardier" ( Bombardier-chef or Bombardière-chef ) for Master Corporal. In
2914-409: 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
Sam Steele - Misplaced Pages Continue
3008-510: 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
3102-718: 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
3196-640: The Artillery School. In 1874, Steele was initiated as a Freemason in the Lisgar Lodge No. 2, in Selkirk, Manitoba . In 1873, Steele was the third officer sworn into the newly formed North-West Mounted Police (NWMP), entering as a staff constable. He was one of the officers to lead the new recruits of the NWMP on the 1874 March West , when he returned to Fort Garry, present-day Winnipeg , Manitoba. To him fell
3290-571: The Canadian House of Commons passed a motion (moved by Guy Lauzon ) recommending the executive curl be reinstated on the Canadian navy uniform. Subsequently, in recognition of the Canadian Naval centennial, Peter MacKay , Minister of National Defence , authorized the use of the executive curl for the Canadian Navy on 2 May 2010. The insignia became effective on 11 June 2010, on the occasion of
3384-608: 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
3478-794: 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
3572-459: The Guards regiments, Warrant Officers are known as "Colour Sergeants" ( Sergents fourriers ) and Second-Lieutenants are known as "Ensigns" ( Enseignes ). When the Royal Canadian Navy was established in 1910, it kept with Royal Navy traditions and adopted sleeve braid with an executive curl for rank insignia. "Wavy" sleeve braid was adopted for the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) and rings of narrow interwoven gold lace for
3666-420: The Land Command. When Air-specific blue DEUs were introduced, the gold rank insignia were retained. In April 2015, the Royal Canadian Air Force adopted new rank insignia reminiscent of the pre-unification RCAF system. The new officer rank insignia uses pearl-grey-on-black rank stripes instead of gold. Non-commissioned members (NCMs) rank insignia is pearl grey instead of gold. The colour gold found elsewhere on
3760-414: 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
3854-402: 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
Sam Steele - Misplaced Pages Continue
3948-426: The Pacific Canadian Naval International Fleet Review parade of nations in Victoria, B.C. More than 54 countries, including Canada and 18 other of the 22 Commonwealth navies, use the insignia. Most navies that do not use the executive curl insignia, such as the United States Navy and the French Navy, substitute a star or other national device above the top row of lace. [REDACTED] Prior to unification in 1968,
4042-494: The South-East District. Matters were complicated, however, when Canadian Minister of Defence Sam Hughes insisted that Steele also be made commander of all Canadian troops in Europe, a slight problem, as there were two brigadier-generals who each believed the Canadian command was his. The issue was not resolved until 1916, when the new Minister of Overseas Military Forces of Canada, Sir G. H. Perley , removed Steele from his Canadian command after Steele refused to return to Canada as
4136-532: The United States. (Most of the Sioux returned a few years later.) During the North-West Rebellion , Steele was dispatched with a small force. Missing the Battle of Batoche , the Mounties were sent to move against the last resistance force led by Big Bear . He was present at the Battle of Frenchman's Butte , where Big Bear's warriors defeated the Canadian forces under General Thomas Bland Strange . Two weeks later, Steele and his two dozen Mounties defeated Big Bear's force at Loon Lake , District of Saskatchewan , in
4230-489: 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
4324-409: 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
4418-466: 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
4512-407: 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
4606-401: 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
4700-432: 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
4794-483: 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
SECTION 50
#17328523237944888-411: 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
4982-405: 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
5076-441: 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
5170-401: The country. Canadian Armed Forces ranks and insignia This is a table of the ranks and insignia of the Canadian Armed Forces . As the Canadian Armed Forces is officially bilingual, the French language ranks are presented following the English (in italics). According to Canadian Forces Dress Instructions , the governor general may wear the uniform and corresponding cap/hat badge of
5264-417: The crown, crossed sabre and baton, and maple leaves worn on the shoulder straps; they do not include the braid worn on the sleeve. Army NCM slip-ons for DEU shirts, sweaters, and outerwear display only the word "Canada" or a regimental/branch title, rank insignia being worn instead as enamelled metal pins on collar points or lapels. From 1955 to 1968, Militia personnel were permitted to wear service insignia on
5358-488: The current British rank insignia for brigadier (used in the Canadian Army until 1968), had the pre-1920 brigadier-general insignia (crossed sabre and baton) instead. On 2 April 2016, the Commander of the Canadian Army announced that general officers would revert to the unification-era rank insignia worn between 1968 and 2013. This rank insignia is based on the shoulder board rank insignia of Royal Canadian Navy flag officers. The rank insignia of general officers now consists of
5452-428: The distinctive wavy gold braid of the reserves gave way to the straight braided executive curl of the regular force until 1968. With the integration of the Canadian Forces the sea element was designated as Canadian Forces Maritime Command. Unembellished straight braid became the common rank insignia for officers of both the regular and reserve forces. The executive curl appeared only on navy mess dress. On 5 March 2010,
5546-414: 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
5640-424: 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
5734-420: The executive curl. General officers do not wear shoulder straps with this order of dress. 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 the Métis under Louis Riel and an associated uprising by Cree and Assiniboine of the District of Saskatchewan , North-West Territories, against
SECTION 60
#17328523237945828-402: The first time and were presented with medals by King Edward VII during a visit to Buckingham Palace. Steele was also appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order (fourth class) (MVO), a personal gift from the King. On its return to Canada the regiment was disbanded, and the officers received honorary promotions. Steele was promoted to honorary lieutenant colonel in March 1901. After taking
5922-434: The force's dissolution was being debated in Parliament. By July 1898, Steele commanded all the NWMP in the Yukon area, and was a member of the territorial council. As the force reported directly to Ottawa, Steele had almost free rein to run things as he chose, always with an eye towards maintaining law, order, and Canadian sovereignty. He moved to Dawson City in September 1898. Always a soldier, in early 1900, Steele leapt at
6016-433: The household guard regiments (Governor General's Foot Guards, Canadian Grenadier Guards, and Governor General's Horse Guards), plus Army personnel stationed to the seasonal Ceremonial Guard, use the Guards Star in place of the Vimy Star on their shoulder boards. Canadian Air Force ranks and insignia originally were taken from the Royal Air Force practice. Upon unification, the Air Command used identical ranks and insignia as
6110-417: The intention to reintroduce a more traditional style Canadian Army officers' rank insignia. Instead of the sleeve stripe rank insignia used since unification, officers would use the older St Edward's Crown and Star of the Order of the Bath insignia, commonly called "pips and crowns". Gorget patches were also restored for officers of the rank of colonel or higher. The new insignia for officers, instead of using
6204-424: The last battle fought on Canadian territory. The contributions of the NWMP in putting down the rebellion went largely ignored and unrewarded, to Steele's great annoyance. By 1885, Steele was recalled to Calgary, where he was tasked with organizing and commanding the scouting contingent for Major General T.B. Strange’s Alberta Field Force. Steele’s Scouts performed well, which led to his promotion to superintendent after
6298-424: 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
6392-483: 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
6486-417: 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
6580-459: The military conflict. Riel was captured, put on trial, and convicted of treason. Despite many pleas across Canada for clemency, he 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
6674-430: 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 the allegiance of about 250 armed Métis, 250 Indigenous fighters and at least one white man ( Honoré Jackson ). But his small force
6768-523: 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
6862-484: The offer of Canadian Pacific Railway tycoon Donald Smith, Baron Strathcona , to be the first commanding officer of Smith's privately-raised cavalry unit, Strathcona's Horse (predecessor of the modern armoured unit, Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)), with the appointment as lieutenant-colonel from 7 March 1900. This Canadian light cavalry unit, in British Imperial service, was sent to South Africa during
6956-506: The outbreak of the First World War in August 1914. He was initially rejected for command on the grounds of age. However, a compromise was reached which allowed him to act as commander of the 2nd Canadian Division until the formation was sent to France, whereupon he would be replaced. After accompanying the division to England, Steele was offered an administrative post as commanding officer of
7050-408: 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
7144-735: The point that violence was threatened. Steele’s men built Fort Steele on the Kootenay River, and he resolved the situation through patient diplomacy with Chief Isadore. The division returned to Fort Macleod in the summer of 1888, and Steele commanded that post, the largest outside NWMP headquarters in Regina, for the next decade. In 1889, at Fort Macleod, he met Marie-Elizabeth de Lotbinière-Harwood (1859–1951), daughter of Robert William Harwood . They were married at Vaudreuil , Quebec, in 1890. They had three children, including Harwood Steele, who fictionalized episodes from his father's life in novels such as Spirit-of-Iron (1929). The discovery of gold in
7238-518: The rank of petty officer 1st class/warrant officer and above are worn on the lower sleeve, while those for the rank of petty officer 2nd class/sergeant and below are worn on the upper sleeve. The Royal Canadian Navy has directed its personnel to use the English rank titles for OR-1 through OR-5, but they are not yet legally in force pursuant to the National Defence Act , as they are not yet updated in
7332-602: The rank of staff sergeant major and the responsibility, as an accomplished horseman and man-at-arms, of drilling the new recruits. In 1878, Steele was given his own command at Fort Qu'Appelle , North-West Territories . In 1877, he was assigned to meet with Sitting Bull , who, having defeated Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer at the Little Bighorn , had moved with his people into Canada to escape American vengeance. Steele along with U.S. Army Major General Alfred Howe Terry attempted to persuade Sitting Bull to return to
7426-537: The rebellion. He established an NWMP station in the town of Galbraiths Ferry, which was later named to Fort Steele in British Columbia, after Steele solved a murder in the town. He then moved on to Fort Macleod , District of Alberta , in 1888. In 1887, Steele was ordered to take “D” Division to southeastern British Columbia, where the provincial government had mismanaged relations with the Ktunaxa (Kootenay) nation to
7520-463: The right jacket sleeve. There were one to five silver chevrons on drab backing for every two years of service or a maple leaf in silver thread on a drab cloth circle to represent 10 years of service. Chevron points were worn either up or down; even official documents and photos were confused on the matter. Further awards after 10 years were believed covered by the Canadian Forces' Decoration , which
7614-563: 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
7708-413: The situation, he established the rule that no one would be allowed to enter the Yukon without a ton of goods to support himself, thus preventing the entry of desperate and potentially-unruly speculators and adventurers. Steele and his force made the Klondike Gold Rush one of the most orderly of its kind in history and made the NWMP famous around the world, which ensured its survival at a critical time, as
7802-569: 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
7896-429: 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
7990-642: The term resistance has also spread to other organizations and publications, including Canadian Geographic , The Canadian Encyclopedia , and 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
8084-454: 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
8178-552: The uniform was also changed to pearl-grey. The air force rank of private, formerly indicated by one chevron, became aviator (Fr: aviateur ), and is indicated by a horizontally-aligned two-bladed propeller. All other ranks titles remain as they were. Contrary to the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Army , mess dress uniform ranks for officers of the Royal Canadian Air Force follow the naval pattern, without
8272-682: The unit back to Canada early in 1901, Steele returned to South Africa that same year to command 'B' Division of the South African Constabulary , a position he held until 1906. On his return to Canada in 1907, Steele assumed command of Military Division No. 13 in Alberta and the District of Mackenzie , and then in 1910 assumed command of Division No. 10 at Winnipeg, where he spent his time regrouping Lord Strathcona's Horse and in preparing his memoirs. Steele requested active military duty upon
8366-403: 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
8460-581: 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
8554-471: Was awarded after 12 years and a clasp added for every 10 years afterwards. Qualifying service could include prior active service in the active reserves of the Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force or the regular or territorial forces of a fellow Commonwealth member nation. Service in Canadian Army reserve forces units (like the regular reserve, supplementary reserve and reserve militia) did not count. The awarding of Service Stripes ceased in 1968 after
8648-573: Was named for his father's uncle, Colonel Samuel Steele, who served in Quebec under Lord Amherst . Steele received his education at the family home, Purbrook, and then at the Royal Military College of Canada . By the age of 13 he was orphaned, and went to live with his elder half-brother, John Steele. Following his family's military tradition, in 1866 Steele joined the Canadian Militia during
8742-720: Was the son of Royal Navy Captain Elmes Yelverton Steele , a veteran of the Napoleonic Wars , and one of six brothers to have served in the British Armed Forces . His mother (his father's second wife), Anne Macdonald, was the youngest daughter of Neil Maclain MacDonald of Ardnamurchan , a native of Islay . Neil MacDonald was a grandson of Captain Godfrey MacNeil of Barra , and a nephew of Colonel Donald MacNeil. Steele
8836-640: 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 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
#793206