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 The
North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) was established on May
23, 1973 by an act of the Dominion Parliament. Men from
18 to 40 years old, “of sound constitution, able
to ride, active, able-bodied and of good character”
were hired as policemen, wages ranging over $0.75 to $1.00.
Furthermore, the men were required to be able to read and
write either the English or French language could become
members of this paramilitary body for the NorthWest Territories.
The NWMP’s objectives were “to stop
liquor trafficking in the North-West; to gain the respect
and confidence of the natives; to collect customs dues;
and to perform all the duties of a police force.”
Then, on August 30, 1873, an Order-by-Council finally brought
the provisions of the Act on the Mounted Police Force for
the NorthWest Territories into force: the NWMP was now actively
looking for young men. Recruiting was really necessary especially
after the massacre of a band of Assiniboine in Cypress Hills.
In total 300 men worked for the NWMP, its headquarters being
in Dufferin (Manitoba).
In July 1874, the NWMP moved out of Dufferin and started
marching toward present-day southern Alberta. In order to
be able to protect a larger territory, they were located
in Fort Whoop-up, notorious stronghold of the whiskey traders.
Another troop went to Fort Edmonton, a trading post owned
by Hudson Bay Company. After months of searches, Commissioner
James F. Macleod finally reached the Fort Whoop-up, located
at the foothills of the Rockies. Jerry Potts, a Métis
scout, helped them to find the fort. Unfortunately, all
the smugglers had since departed.
In October 1874, the Mounted Police began to build its first
outpost in Western Canada. Fort Macleod was located on the
banks of the Old Man River. After this, many other NWMP
posts were built in Western Canada in order to establish
law and order on the Canadian-American. border: Fort Saskatchewan,
Fort Calgary and Fort Walsh. “The hunting grounds
of the First Nations and the need to control whiskey trade
had determined the early police posts' locations.”
From 1874 to 1885, “the NWMP’s main task was
to establish and maintain amicable relations with the native
people of the Northwest Territories. The Canadian Government
wanted to avoid conflicts between native tribes and white
pioneers who settled in the North West Territories. Canada
didn't want to repeat the mistakes made by the Americans
during Western colonization. The American Government tried
to force American Sioux onto reserves: hostilities between
the Sioux and the United States Army began in 1876.
Fortunately for the Canadian Government, the NWMP contributed
to maintain peaceful relations with the native tribes. This
helped the Canadian Government to sign treaties with native
people and peacefully acquire title to much of their territories.
Once native people accepted to be relocated to reserved
land, police personnel was deployed close to settlements
located along the railway. The NWMP’s statutory strength
was increased to 500 men, in order to meet growing responsibilities.
The Canadian Pacific Railway reached Western Canada in the
late 1880’s. The NWMP’s concerns in maintaining
law and order changed with new problems: bad living conditions,
gambling, drinking, violence and disorder. CPR reduced its
employees’ wages, resulting in many strikes such
as in Moose Jaw and Broadview in 1883, and in Beaver Crossing
in 1885. “The Force organized a detachment […]
to follow the construction and enforce the Act for the Preservation
of Peace in the Vicinity of Public Works. This Act prohibited
gambling and drinking within a 10 mile radius of the railway
line.” The NWMP members also fulfilled other duties:
postmasters, customs collectors, Indian agents, agricultural
experts, welfare officials, immigration officers, census
takers, meteorologists, medical practitioners, etc. After
the establishment of territorial and federal departments,
NWMP members were replace by civil servants appointed by
the Canadian Government.
After playing an important role during the 1885 military
campaign against the North West Rebellion in Red River (Manitoba),
the NWMP faced new problems, between 1896 and 1914, with
the arrival of new immigrants from continental Europe. Religious
beliefs were among these special problems and especially
the Doukhobors’ fundamentalist beliefs. Then during
World War I, the NWMP kept under surveillance United States
pro-German sympathizers in order to avoid violence, tampers,
social unrest, etc. “As a result the Force terminated
its provincial policing contracts of Alberta and Saskatchewan,
and concentrated its resources on protecting the international
boundary.”
Within the following years, the NWMP quickly became a part
of the legend of the West and many novelists and motion
producers were inspired by their achievements. Unfortunately,
with the beginning of the twentieth century, the Force faced
many new challenges such as world wars, economic depression,
industrial strikes, etc. Social disruptions forced the NWMP
to reorganize its police force and to redefine its responsibilities.
However, the federal police had achieved an international
reputation for their role during the Boers War (Africa),
World War I and II (Europe), etc. For their commitment to
Western Canada’s development and their loyal overseas
services, the Force also received recognition from Great
Britain's Royal Family. In 1904, King Edward VII granted
the Mounted Police the prefix “Royal” and
it became the “Royal North-West Mounted Police”,
until 1920.
 During
the post war, greater changes such as unemployment and high
cost of living caused many disturbances. In order to ensure
law and order, the Canadian Government increased the Force’s
strength to 2,000 men and extended its responsibilities
throughout the four western provinces. “Fearing that
the country might be engulfed in a revolution similar to
that which had occurred in Russia, the government decided
there must be a single federal police force spread throughout
the country to maintain law and order.” In February
1920, the Dominion Police, which policed Eastern Canada,
was absorbed by the Royal North-West Mounted Police. Now
called the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, their headquarters
was located in Ottawa (Ontario).
This text is a shorter version of “The Origins of
the RCMP” you can find on the RCMP’s website
at http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
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