The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-28
AN EMPIRES GRANARY:
WESTERN CANADA
Amazing Wheat Yields Cheap Lands Attract the At
tention Of the World to Western Canada's I'm
mense Resources--Wave Of Prosperity.
Population Streaming In, Railroads Building, Land Sell
ing Rapidly Development Everywhere--Facts
About Country That Will Support
Fifty Million People

Within the last three years a remarkable
change has come over Canada. The terri
tor1ally great country to the north OF the
United States has, during that period,
awakened from what was In sense a
commercial and industrial sleep, and has
suddenly put on such a busting, pushing,
progressive air as to remind Americans OF
the prodigiously rapid development OF their
own country within the last thirty years.
OF course eastern CANADA, notaply Inc
older portions Of Ontraio, had long been
prosperous, active in business and success
full in the accumulation Of wealth, with
such great cities as Toronto and Montreal
as the impressive symbols of growth.
Compared with the United States, how
Il ever, Canada, in the sense Of development
of natural resources and growth Of popu-
lation, was almost stationary, If not stag
nant. Between 1891 and 1901 the popula-
tion of this whole Dominion of Canada
z with It's $3.50, 900 square miles, Increased
only about half milion-a growth vastly
exceeded by many single states OF the re-
public. Except in the mining Of precious
metals and the utilization Of the pine for
iests in the east and the fir and cedar In
the Pacific west, the immense resources
of the country were practically LETT lying
as idle as they had been for centuries
and ages. The ambitious young men and
women of Canada instead of turning their
hands to the creation OF wealth IN IN aheld
own country, emigrated to the Unlteo
States in armies, and thus deprived Can
ada Of nations greatest resource-plcked
men and women. Early In the eighties,
when the Canadian Pacific was completed
to the prairies Of the west there was
pronounced movement Of population from
the old provinces to Manitoba and the ter
new country and the old country gained
II, population very slowly during the next
twenty years.
A Great Change.
Now. all this Is changed. Americans
are moving into Canada-partlculaI ~
western Canada-by the tens OF thou
sands and such Canadians as the eastern
provinces can spare are pouring IN 70
avail themselves of the grand opportunity
for free or cheap homes At the same
time, American capital Is flowing like an
irrigating stream into every portion OF
the dominion, from Cape Breton to van
couver's island. simultaneously, Canadian
capitalists have become more alert and
daring than formerly Nnd are taking
large part in the opening up of the coun-
try. This new capital has gone into iron
and steel mills, as at Sydney, B. c., ano
at the 500 (where the Clergue syndicate
has spent $25, 900, 900 Of American money!
into pulp and paper mills In the ST. Law
renee valley and at the 500, into scores OF
factories of agricultural implements and
utensils, into wooden mills. as Ste. Hya.
z cinthe: into nickel and iron mines; into
forests ard lumber mills; into the grea
chartered banks Of Canada; into new rail.
ways and old, and into the fat lands o.
the far flung and richly fertile pra1r1es OF
the Canadian west. It is estimated thai
within the last two years over rs, OO(
acres of land have been purchased by
Americans in the Canadian west. How
much this means is strikingly brought ou
when it is recollected that, according tt
some conservative estimates, the extern
Of the best arabic land in western Canada
As rs, 900, 900 acres. And to this purchased
a and "homesteaded' land have focked II
II the last four years more than 1O0,00'
Americans Into the same western Can
ada have poured in the same period abou
V 100000 Europeans and some numerous
thousands of eastern Canadians
The Sudden Awakening.
There has been much written in ex
4 PLANTATION Of this sudden awakening 0
Canada and particularly of this larg
movement Of American population int
western Canada. Some of it has BEEF
beside the mark, but the explanation !
simple. In the last five years the popula
ton Of the United States has been in
creasing at the rate Of 100000 a year
consolidated within the republic on a seal
+ hitherto never approached in the world
i history That wealth has turned in a.
directions for investment, and as natural
~ given much attention to Canada, s
near and SO rich. Also within the las
five years there has been, taking place II
the United States one Of those great pop
ulation movements which have follows
+ leach other every few years since the set
Element Of the continent. But this tim
the moving multitudes have found les
good cheap land and fewer virgin oppor
ftunities than before. AS they hav
marched into the American. northwest
lands have increased rapidly in value an
I price, and this tendency has made tn
search for cheap lands more tense tina
ever. Western Canada-Manitoba, Assini
boia. Alberta and Saskatchewan-had rio
land and cheap land. It was inevitabl
that land spectators and land user
+ should cross the forty-ntnth parallel wit
as little notice OF it as If it were state
instead Of an international line
OF course, scores OF thousands, hun
draIs Of thousands, win continue eac
year to find new homes in the America
developed Canada as well as undevelope
S United States will draw on the surplu
population Of the older states circum
stance that will render easy the rapid set
Element of the country Is the fact tina
tho 1t Is still sparsely settled, there bein
less than 100000 people In all western
Pacific and Yukon Canada-the pioneerin
a has long been done. It is now sixtee
years since the Canadian Pacific mai