Last Best West : Migration and Canadian Prairie Settlement

‘LAST BEST WEST’NORTHWEST TERRITORIES - SECONDARY

‘Last Best West’: Migration and Canadian Prairie Settlement

Lesson Overview:

In this lesson, students will explore the migration of settlers to Canada’s west in the late 19th and early 20th century. Students will analyze census data to show how this migration influenced the population of Canada’s prairies.

Grade Level:

Grades 9-12

Time Required:

Two 60-minute lessons

Curriculum Connection (Province and course):

Northwest Territories (Alberta curriculum) Social Studies

Link to Canadian National Geography Standards:

Essential Element #2: Places and Regions

Physical and human processes shape places and regions
Regional analysis of geographic issues and questions

Essential Element #4: Human Systems

Impact of human migration

Geographic Skill #2: Acquiring Geographic Information

Systematically locate and gather geographic information from a variety of primary and secondary sources.

Geographic Skill #4: Analyzing Geographic Information

Use the processes of analysis, synthesis, evaluation and explanation to interpret geographic information from a variety of sources.

Link to Statistics Canada data source:

Additional Resources, Materials and Equipment Required:

Student Activity sheet

Use of the Internet to access Statistics Canada online resources and the following websites:

Main Objective:

Students will analyze the impact of migration on the population of Canada’s Prairie Provinces during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

Conduct research using electronic sources
Analyze information from graphs and interpret census data
Analyze primary source information
Identify the influence of migration on the development of the Canadian prairies

The Lesson:

Teacher Activity / Student Activity
Introduction / Introduce students to post-confederation Canada (1869 – 1880) including topics such as the Dominion of Canada’s purchase of the Northwest Territories from the Hudson’s Bay Company, treaties with First Nations and construction of the CPR.
Determine student’s prior knowledge and ask questions.
Discuss the ‘first wave’ migration after 1897. Include a discussion of Clifford Sifton’s ‘Last Best West’ campaign abroad to attract settlers to western Canada. (Between 1896 and 1914 more than one million people from all over Europe, Asia and North America came to settle in western Canada.) / Students will listen and take notes on the material presented.
Students ask questions and take part in the discussion.
Lesson Development / Explain to students that they will explore how this mass migration to Canada’s west impacted the population and the land of the Prairie Provinces.
Read through the instructions of the Student Activity and answer any questions students may have.
Supervise and assist students with the activity. / Before you begin the Student Activity, ask any questions you may have.
Complete the student activity.
Conclusion / Collect student’s completed activity sheets and mark individually or as a class. / Hand in the Student Activity to your teacher.

Lesson Extension:

A. Students could explore the historical context and factors that led to this migration to Canada’s west such as the low availability of land and rising land prices in the United States.

B. Students could research in detail the various cultural groups (German, Chinese, Russian, etc.) who settled in Canada’s west and write about how these groups have contributed to Canada’s multicultural identity.

Assessment of Student Learning:

Assess student learning on the accuracy of the chart and graphs in the activity.

Migration and Canada’s West

Student Activity

Part 1 - Migration: Settling the Canadian Prairies

Research in the library or read through the following websites for information on migration to Canada’s west.

B. Answer the following questions:

1. What measures did the Canadian government take to settle the west? What year did the government’s campaign start and when did it end?

______

2. By the start of the First World War in 1914, what percentage of Canada’s population resided in the western provinces?

______

3. In what ways did the mass migration affect the land and agricultural industry in the Prairie Provinces?

______

4. What measures did the federal government take in order to make sure not all the prairie land was swallowed up by agriculture?

______

5. What factors led to the urbanization of the Prairie Provinces? When did urbanization begin in western Canada? (See this website for information: )

______

Part 2 – Population of the Prairie Provinces, 1901 – 1921

A. Go to the Statistics Canada website:

B. Go to the list of provinces in the left-hand column. Why does the census data for Manitoba begin in 1871 whereas the data for Alberta and Saskatchewan starts in 1901?

______

C. In 1901, what percentage of Canada’s population lived in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba? Calculate.

Alberta: ______

Saskatchewan: ______

Manitoba: ______

D. Compare the population of Manitoba and NT for the years 1901, 1911 and 1921.

Manitoba:

1901 ______

1911 ______

1921______

NT:

1901______

1911______

1921______

E. Why do you think NT lost some of its population during this time, while Manitoba gained in population?

______

F. Compare the rural and urban population distribution between Saskatchewan and Ontario in the years 1901, 1911 and 1921.

RuralUrban

Saskatchewan 1901 ______

Ontario 1901 ______

Saskatchewan 1911 ______

Ontario 1911 ______

Saskatchewan 1921 ______

Ontario 1921 ______

Account for the differences between the rural and urban populations of these two provinces during this time.

______

G. In your own words, describe how the mass migration to western Canada in the late 19th and early 20th centuries impacted the population and the land of the Prairie provinces.

______

Canadian Council for Geographic Education (1

Statistics Canada (