There were not many homestead registration offices across western Canada and a community possessing one became a focus of business activity. That is why Edmonton objected to losing its land office office in 1892. The resulting social unrest produced the founding of the Edmonton police force -- but not in the way you might think.
At the time, the transcontinental CPR rail-line had been built through Calgary and then a spur line to the north had been built in 1891. Called the Edmonton & Yukon Railway, it stopped on the south bank of the river and did not cross to the northside where a pioneer settlement was growing near the old Hudson's Bay Company fort.
On the southside a railway station was built and a hotel (the venerable Strathcona hotel, now more than 125 years old). At the time it was known as the C&E Hotel. And a new business district emerged on the southside. Many, including the railway company which owned much land on the southside, hoped that this new settlement would surpass Edmonton and become the main centre for the Saskatchewan prairie at this point. It had the strong advantage that it had a railway connection to the wide world, which Edmonton did not, but that was not enough for it to surpass its older rival.
The federal government decided to move Edmonton's land office to Strathcona, a perfectly logical move in that the office was an important stop for almost all the people arriving on the trains coming into Strathcona, many of whom had no interest otherwise in making the difficult river crossing to Edmonton.
When the office was being loaded into a horse-drawn wagon to be carried to its new home on the southside, a mob gathered and stopped the proceedings. Many Edmontonians brought their guns and imposed mob rule on the local land agent.
There had been little crime up to that point in Edmonton and no Mounties were permanently stationed in Edmonton. Their main north-central Alberta post was Fort Saskatchewan harking to a decision made back in 1875. (More on this in my book Old Strathcona Edmonton's Southside Roots).
So Mounties were called in from Fort Saskatchewan. The Edmonton mob led by mayor Matt McCauley knew that Mounties would be bound to come in on the Fort Saskatchewan Trail. This Trail narrowed to cross a bridge across Rat Creek (at the site of today's Commonwealth Stadium). The armed mob lined the nearby ridge, and McCauley walked on to the bridge to stop the Mounties led by Griesbach.
He warned Griesbach that if the Mounties carried on to cross the river to impose law on Edmonton, people would die -- and he and Griesbach would be the first to do so.
The situation was reported in the Edmonton Bulletin in its June 20, 1892 edition under the headline "Robbers Attempt to steal the Land Office..."
Griesbach thought better of the Mounties forcing their way in and returned to Fort Saskatchewan for instructions. The government said to stand down and await developments.
Finally in a neat solution to the problem, the government opened a second office in Strathcona and left Edmonton with its own.
An interesting sequel, one referred to fairly recently, was when the Edmonton Police Service marked its 125 years in existence, a chief (or spokesman) saying its formation had been due to a need for law and order in Edmonton in 1892.
Well.. yes.. but not the way it implied.
After the institution of mob rule under the leadership of the Edmonton mayor the Mounties said it would no longer be responsible for enforcing law and order in the community. Edmonton council then had to fork up to hire and pay for its own constables. This started the "Edmonton Constabulary."
For a short while Edmonton enforced its own law and order at town taxpayers' expense, and then the Mounties agreed to come back. The Edmonton Bulletin of March 16, 1893 announced that the NWMP force would be withdrawn from Edmonton on April 1. But apparently the Mounties stayed in action in the town until the following year. It was at that time that Edmonton got its own police force, this time to stay.
This historical tale shows many things
- the involvement of the federal government in Alberta pre-1905 as administrators of the land office and the Mounties
- the leniency of the government - Mountie Inspector Griesbach did not para-militarily push into Edmonton against the armed mob but made temporary retreat with bureaucratic revenge to follow
- the power of activated citizenry - the government requires support from the people if it wants to have dignity and power -- the government did back down to the extent of leaving an office in Edmonton. Despite its often high-handed behaviour the government needs popular support just as much as people need what it provides.
One tactic of reform that I have seen mentioned is uncivil obedience. Perhaps this could be stronger than civil disobedience. Express your dissatisfaction with the government while in other ways carrying on with your life.
While the Edmonton mob engaged in uncivil disobedience, and Gandhi engaged in civil disobedience, both stronger measures than many in Edmonton would engage in, perhaps uncivil obedience would be something to try, something that would eventually shift a government.
==================================================================
Other fallout from the Rat Creek Rebellion
June 1892
The town mayor, business community and others took up arms to prevent the federal land office from being moved to South Edmonton (later known as Strathcona)
After the heat and excitement of the rebellion passed, the federal government cleaned house.
A.W. Cairns, Edmonton's assistant post office inspector, was suspended on charge that he had in June "been seen gun in hand parading in the streets of Edmonton defying the government." (EB, July 21, 1892)
J. Looby, Edmonton's inspector of weights and measures, was also fired -- no grounds given but possibly the firing was due to his involvement in the Rat Creek Rebellion. (EB, July 21 1892)
Comments