The Original Three Hundred

The idea for a mounted police force to bring order to the Canadian west was proposed in the Canadian Parliament. Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first Prime Minister made the suggestion. He proposed that the primary responsibility of this force would be to establish friendly relations with the prairie Indians (aboriginal) and to maintain the peace as settlers arrived.

Initially to be called North West Mounted Rifles, more astute minds decided that ‘mounted rifles’ might not be a good choice. Our American neighbors to the south had just been decimated in their Civil War and the threat of an army on their frontier might be disconcerting. Instead the preface ‘Police’ was employed with a more peaceful ring and so the world-famous North-West Mounted Police were born in May of 1873. The recruits primarily came from Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes. English or French language skills in writing and reading were required and each was required to serve for a period of three years.

The Great March West

Members of this new ‘Force’ as it was soon to be called, were transported either by rail to Chicago, then north to western Minnesota territory. Here they embarked on vessels sailing down the Red River to Manitoba. Another contingent travelled via steamship from Collingwood, Ontario via Lake Superior to present day Thunder Bay and then by corduroy road and many portages to arrive at Fort Dufferin, Manitoba. On July 8, 1874 two contingents of the fledgling force were ready to depart on the most astonishing journey ever made in Canada. The 300 ‘Originals’ began the famous ‘March West’. They travelled over 1,800 km (1,200 miles) across Manitoba and through the Cypress Hills in (present day) Saskatchewan and Alberta. Their final destination was Fort Whoop-Up in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. This Fort was constructed by U.S.whiskey traders who were engaged in fur trade with Blackfoot, Crow, Sioux and the Cree Nations. Their ‘currency as whiskey. This was concocted using a mixture of red printers’ ink, cayenne pepper and alcohol to truly create ‘Firewater’. Needless to say the fur-trade was very one-sided.

Other Sources

More of this exciting early adventure crossing the uninhabited Canadian North-West Territories can be found in the wonderful read ‘The Great Adventure’ available at this Veterans’ Association web site.Watch for more early adventures of this world-famous police force. We will also be lending some facts to some of the fiction that has been attached to the North-West Mounted Police, Royal North-West Mounted Police and the present day Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

-- reprinted with permission of the Friends of the Mounted Police Museum