The Prairies isn’t just one big place – it’s actually three different provinces: Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. When Canada first became a country in 1867, these provinces didn’t exist yet. Only Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick joined together. In 1867, the land that is now called the Prairies was owned by the Hudson’s Bay Company.
In 1869, the Canadian government bought this huge area without asking the people who lived there. This upset many people, including members of the Métis Nation. Led by Louis Riel, members of the Métis Nation fought for their rights and helped create Manitoba in 1870. Manitoba became Canada’s fifth province. At this time, it was much smaller then than it is today. It only grew to its current size in 1912.
Even after the creation of Manitoba, the much of the land continues to be controlled by the federal government in Ottawa. As more people moved to these areas, they wanted their own provinces too. They needed people in parliament to speak up for them because Ottawa was so far away. Finally, in 1905, Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier created two new provinces: Saskatchewan and Alberta. These provinces still have the same borders today as they did back then.
In 1905, the three Prairie Provinces therefore had a political process similar to that of Québec.
AuthorAuthor - A person who writes something Auteur - Une personne qui écrit quelque chose: Service national du Récit de l’univers social. Adapted by LEARN/RÉCIT.
