The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-05-26
Western Canada Rediscovered by Americans :
One of the Richest Parts of the Continent
Long Overlooked, Now Appreciated.
Americans Now Pouring in at Rate Of $4,000
a year-A Soil of Unequalled Fertility
Produces Best Quality of Wheat
in Enormous Quantities.

tBy Theodore M. Knappen, Score
tary Of the Western Canadian I'M
migration Association, Minneapolis,
Mimi, who will cheerfully supply In
formation about Western Canada.)
Western Canada is a new country.
It may not have any greater, natural
wealth and resources than an area
of equal extent in the United States,
but whatever 1t has Is hardly touched.
While the American west was filling
UP with people, Western Canada was
left almost uninhabited. Mighty
waves of population crossed the Mis-
s1ssippt south of the boundary and
swept westwards from st. Vincent to
New Orleans, but in Canada west
the uninhabited stretched away end
lessly just as 1t had for countless
ages. In the states the prairie grass
gave way to wheat and corn, and the
scattered tepees Of the Indians were
succeeded by populous cities and
farms that occupied every foot Of
arabic land. In Western Canada a
expanse Of 100000 miles of good
country, while great states sprang into
existence in the republic and received
their stars In the flag. To-day there
are 100000 people west Of the Mis-
sisstppi In the United States, while
there are less than million in Can
ada west Of Lake Superior.
In general way, the American
west has been occupied, it's lands are
being titled, its mines are being
opened, its forests are being con-
verified into lumber, it has been over
run and occupied. It still has room,
1t Is true, for millions. but it can no
longer claim to be a new country.
With Western Canada all Is different.
In many respects 1T stands just where
the American west stood thirty or
forty years ago, when a host of high
spirited, ambitious, hopeful pioneers
were providing in to take possession
of the land. extract it's wealth, build
them homes and rear the great cities
that have been the marvel of the
world. There the land is yet unoc-
cupied, the soil retains its virgin fer
tillty, the cities are yet to be builded.
When all this Is understood, it be-
comes easy to understand the rest
provided you can get rid Of the no-.
ton that it Is too cold in Canada for
agriculture or comfortable existencs,
Meaning of western Canada"
In speaking Of Western Canada,
reference is usually made to the prov
1nce of Manitoba and the territories
Of Alberta, Assiniboia and Saskatche-
wan. Athabasca, Keewatln and Mac
kenzie will all be heard from to some
extent one day, but for the present the
four districts named are the only
ones to be considered because they are
Q accessible and the others are not.
both geographically and climat1cally
Manitoba and the three territories
here considered have a total superficial
area Of near 100000 square miles
Translated into states, that means
Minnesota, North and South Dakota
cir oy,1 toe
named have a population of II 900, 900
Does that not suggest some Of the pos
sibilities that lie before Western Cana
da? Yes" you may say, provided the
soil be fertile and the climate suitable
to comfortable and prosperous exist
the climate is one that agrees witt
a hearty and vigorous people-ant
that Is the kind of people Western
Canada wants and Is getting. A firm
ly fixed and long-entertained idea die
hard, even tho erroneous. The word
Canada's enemies. The United States
has north, where the winters arr
pretty stiff, therefore--so runs thu
reasoning in the popular mind-Cana
da, which is still farther north, mus
be good place to stay away from
Now the fact is that even in the east
ern part Of Western Canada "northing'
does not mean "colding," to any grea
extent. Granted that the NEAR
annual temperature Of Winnipeg is
few degrees colder than that Of. st
Paul, does it follow that the climate
of Winnipeg is not good? The
winters are cold, but the summers arr
warm; the days Of the crop season
long and bright, and the season itsel
quite long enough to mature the crops
AS for the winters, what difference,
does two or three weeks, more or less
of winter mean, and who can tell tn,
difference a little more cold makes
except with the mercury, which doe
not register sensible cold. Thes
slight differences do not weigh agains
the cheap but exceedingly rich lands
wheat yields Of twenty to forty bush
els to the acre and the countless op
portunities of a new and GROWN,
country.
The New Age.
Western Canada's long sleep ha
passed. Now begins the new age, tn
age of population influx, Of increasin
acreage Of titled lands, of railwa
building, of village and city building