| The government's purchase of Rupert's Land from the Hudson Bay Company, Confederation, the defeat of the North-West Rebellion and the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway combined to bring a population boom to the West. Between 1870, when Manitoba joined Confederation, and 1914, the population on the Prairies grew from 75,000 to 1,500,000. Wheat rapidly became the king crop on the Prairies. By 1885, Manitoba was regularly exporting high-quality wheat and flour, despite such challenges as drought and a short growing season. It remains Manitoba's most important crop, and Brandon is known as "Wheat City." PA-031493 |