page_title: Halifax Provisional Battalion
section_title: Swift Current
hierarchical_section_title: Halifax Provisional Battalion / Swift Current
caption_attribution_description: English: Halifax Provisional Battalion Plaque Halifax Nova Scotia
context_page_description: The Halifax Provisional Battalion was a military unit from Nova Scotia, Canada, which was sent to fight in the North-West Rebellion in 1885. The battalion was under command of Lieutenant-Colonel James J. Bremner and consisted of 350 soldiers made up three companies from the Princess Louise Fusiliers, three companies of the 63rd Halifax Rifles, and two companies of the 1st "Halifax" Brigade of Garrison Artillery, with 32 officers. The battalion left Halifax under orders for the North-West on Saturday, 11 April 1885 and they stayed for almost three months.
  The battalion was assigned garrison duty along the CPR main line that stretched across the prairies. After a short stay in Winnipeg, the battalion was broken into four components and sent to Moose Jaw, Swift Current, Saskatchewan Landing and Medicine Hat. Soldiers had to remain on high alert because of possible raids on their positions.
  Prior to Nova Scotia's involvement in the Rebellion, "Canada's first war", the province remained hostile to Canada in the aftermath of how the colony was forced into Canada.
context_section_description: After eleven days on the train, the battalion arrived at Winnipeg, Manitoba, on 22 April, at 5 a.m. On the 29th the battalion received orders to go to Swift Current, District of Assiniboia, and marched on same day at 4 p.m. The battalion arrived at Swift Current at 8 p.m. on the 30th, and the next day it camped beside the 7th Battalion and a portion of the Midland Battalion.
caption: Halifax Provisional Battalion Plaque, Main Gate, Halifax Public Gardens, Halifax, Nova Scotia - Wrought Iron Gates made in tribute to the Battalion
exif: {"Image Make": "", "Image Model": "", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Rim Exif Version1.00a", "Image DateTime": "", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered", "Image ExifOffset": "172", "Image DeviceSettingDescription": "[]", "EXIF ExposureTime": "0", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0220", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF SubjectDistance": "0", "EXIF LightSource": "Unknown", "EXIF Flash": "No flash function", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "600", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "800"}