The “Last Best West”

Advertising the West The “Last Best West” was the slogan used to attract people to Canada West to settle down as homesteaders and settlers. More money, more people, and more people, more money, become a common thought amongst the people in charge of settling the West. With the end of the depression, there was a demand for wheat around the world. There were no more homestead lands available in the US. The Canadian west started to look extremely appealing to people wanting to settle.

Americans Only Nearly all immigration between 1867-1890’s in North America was to the US. Nobody wanted to come to the barren, unpopulated land of Canada. Those who did come to Canada usually left for the US because of lack of work, or the harsh climate. Between 1896-1911, the Canadian government encouraged people to come and settle in the West. During these years the prairie population increased dramatically, and Clifford Sifton become the new Minister of the Interior in charge of immigration.

Clifford Sifton Sifton was a westerner, and was dedicated to populating the prairies. He launched a recruitment program to try and lure people to come and settle in the prairies. It targeted the European and US people who would make good farmers.

Eastern Europeans Welcomed Sifton brought controversy when he encourage immigrants from the grasslands of eastern and central Europe. They understood dryland farming methods. Many Canadians were uncomfortable with newcomers who would be bringing a different language and culture into theirs. Sifton had created an open-door policy, and he defended it. Sifton stated that “a stalwart peasant in a sheep skin coat, born of the soil, whose forefathers had been farmers for ten generations, … is good quality.”

It Takes All Types The settlers who come to the prairies were a much more diverse group as a result of Sifton’s open-door policy. Ukrainians, Russians, Czechs, Hungarians, Poles, Rumanians, Austrians, etc. British Settlers still made up 1/3 of all the immigrants. Many actually failed as farmers as they had no background in it. Many of the American settlers who came north of the border assimilated into Canadian culture easily. They made great farmers, and were quite successful at it.

It Takes All Types Continued… The average American brought $1000 and farming equipment when coming to Canada. The average European brought $15. Most Americans favored Alberta as their place to settle. Between 1896-1914, 1 million Americans settled in Canada. At the same time thousands of British Children were being sent to Canada. Many come from orphanages, or were unwanted children of poor parents. Others were just sent away by the authorities

The “Last Best West”

The “Last Best West”

Forgotten Children It was believed that the farms would be a good place for the children to eat well, and learn life skills. Some took the children in and adopted them, but others used it as a cheap source of labour. They were to be care for and sent to school through the winter, but many did not see the basic necessities of life. Some were beaten and force to live in barns and stables.

The Push-Pull Factors of Immigration Between 1891-1921 the population of Canada almost doubled. Table 7-1 in your text. 60% of the immigrants who come to Canada settled in the West. Canadian immigration succeeded because of “push-pull” factors. 1. A need to leave one’s homeland (push). 2. The lure of opportunity in another country (pull). Americans, British, Europeans, and Asians come as a result of the pull factor. Poor eastern and central Europeans come as a result of the push factor. The pull factor still did play a part. Ukrainians come because of repeated crop failure, starvation, and over population.

The Push-Pull Factors of Immigration Push-pull factor often worked together, and not always independent of each other. i.e. Doukhobors, a group of Russians who come to escape military service because it was against their religion, and they were in search of free land. By 1899 7000 had settled in Saskatchewan.

Adjusting to Life on the Prairies Once arriving on the prairies, homesteaders had to prepare for their new lives. First was raising $500 to buy a plough, a wagon, horses, and a milk cow. Many worked in the lumber industry, railway, mining camps, or other peoples farms to raise the money they needed to start. Many lived in primitive conditions on their new homesteads. Comfort was not a concern. Mud covered sod houses was the norm. Known as “soddie”. Made from thatched roofs, open windows covered with sacks, sod like bricks, and a wood frame. Usually they were infested with flies and fleas, and smelt during the hot prairies summers with leaks during the rainy season.

Adjusting to Life on the Prairies Adjusting was tough. Winters were cold, and the diet of the homesteaders was very monotonous. Natural disasters like hail, drought , and grasshopper infestation made things difficult. Most immigrants to the prairies succeeded despite the conditions. After a few years the soddies would be replaced with a more substantial home, and with more settlers come better roads and infrastructure to get to the towns and markets.

Adjusting to Life on the Prairies

Adjusting to Life on the Prairies