The sun., 1908-02-28
cANADA,s FERTTLE NoRrHtAND.

QAlgADA's RERTKLE NOKTHL4ND'
OTTAWA. Feb. 77.--AbOut a year ago Sir
Richard Cartwright said: There is no doubt
we are hardly acqualnt0d in the slightest
degree with the enormous resources OF the
unexplored regions OF this Dominion. We
have barely scratched the surface, and yet
we have found such places as the well known
Cobalt camp, the Klondflke and other sec
tions whero there are enormous reaourccs
Of which we never dreamed
IL is only few years since a very large
percentage OF Canada's territory was re
Raried as practically worthless for pro
ductivo purposes. Millions OF acres thaI
few would have accepted as a gift twenty
flve years ago are now under profitable
cultivation, and Canada is making a care
ful investigation OF all her undeveloped
regions. TIE Department of the Interior has
recently SsAcd . pamphlet entitled Can
ada's Fertile NoetHaapd,' It covers in Sec
ton A the Territory - Nngava; In Section
the region west OF Hudson Bay, including
the northern portions Of NE Provinces of
Alberta and Saskatchewan and the Terri
tories OF Keewatin and Mackenzie. and in
Section Hudson Bay and Hudson Strait.
with the pamphlet are two large and
elaborate maps. One shows the eastern
region, including Ungava, Hudson Bay and
Hudson Strait. The bay and the strait
appear In the form OF a chart showing
shore points, islands and soundlngs. The
other map shows the western region and
gives a better knowledge Of the geography
and the economic resources OF an area into
which thousands OF settlers are now going
than could be obtained by reading volumes
u \
sheet holds twenty maps showing the
hours Of sunshine at different seasons Of
the year. the temperature and the isotherms
and isobars Of this vast northland.
The Territory OF Ungava covers B56,OOO
square miles, or more than twice the area
Of New England, New York, New Jersey
and Pennsylvania combined. Ios present
population only q little exceeds 5000. From
all present knowledge OF it little or none Of
the country presents the slightest attrao-
ton for the settler. The summers are
short, the winters long and severe. and
frost almost a certainty every month in the
year. There are limited areas where crops
may be grown, but as a rule the soil is
sandy. rocky and unproductive. In it's
northern part the country Is barren or COW
cred with small shrubs and Arctic plants
Around the lakes and along the water
courses Of the southern portion there are
forests Of spruce and tamarack. Com
paratively little Of the spruce is suitable for
manufacture into timber and probably little
will ever be done with It except to convert
IL into woOd pulp. In the eastern section
there are extensive beds of iron bearing
rock on which draft will some day be made
for the worlds needs. The ore is a mix
ture OF magnetic andhematite and Of COM
paratively low grade. At some future time
the world will need these deposits, but they
are at present unavailable, Patches Of
copper have been located, but not as vet
in paying quantity. There are no indica-
tions Of gold, although further surveys may
show the country as an eastern Yukon.
From present know ledge of il, Ungava is
not a valuable national asset.
Section B OF this pamphlet refers to the
region lying between Hudson Bay and the
Rocky Mountains. Any brief description
OF this million or more square miles is i'm
possible. A few years ago it was regarded
as practically worthless except as the
habitat Of fur bearing animals, the hunting
ground OF the Hudson's Bay Company.
note on the map accompanying the pam
phlet. near Fort Churchill in latitude 50
degrees north, says: Potatoes and turnips
are raised. Cattle were bred and excellent
butter made.' note at Fort Ferniiion.
5S1I degrees north latitude, saws. -Wheat
successfully raised for twenty wears. Gar
den vegetables grown" Directly south
Of Lake Athabasca, in latitude So, there
is a broad expanse Of rolling agricul-
tural land The country around the
Lesser Slave Lake and the upper waters
Of the Peace River is already surveyed
and settled. Edmonton is a thriving citv
reached by three lines of railway. and a
line will soon be in operation to Athabasca
Landing, nearly 100 miles further north.
Potatoes and other vegetables are success
fully grown at Fort Good Hope, on the
Mackenzie River. within fourteen miles OF
the Arctic circle.
These places. however, can only be re-
garded as economic outposts What is
done In them is Of less Importance than
what is being done and what will vet he
done to the southwark of them. A few
years ago a region nearly 900 miles in
length and several hundred miles In width
was counted as almost valueless. II il
now the home OF about 600. 600 people
most OF them farmers. Since 1900 about
100000 settlers have gone in from the
United States.
Aho SdHaua OF To-Day differs from the
Canada Of twenty years ago as the man
OF thirty years Of age differs from the child
OF ten. What Canada will be twenty wears
hence is beyond prediction. 1t is by no
means impossible that it will then have a
busy. prosperous and progressive popu-
lation OF 2O,OOO,OoO. Happily for both. all
the little differences which have existed
between the Dominion and its neighbor are
being adjusted by friendly diplomacy.