About This Project
This is a series of stand-alone articles reflecting patterns and events
relating to the settlement of Western Manitoba. I
have linked them in a loosely chronological
sequence,
though they certainly don't need to be read that way.
It is important to recognize that we
have developed a habit of
referring to the "settlement era", when what they really mean is
settlement of the area by people of European ancestry, for
agricultural purposes.
Of course, this region has been "settled" for about
12000
years.
What began as a serties of stories about "False Starts" - the
shifting alignment of communities we saw in the late 1800's as
Canada essentially appropriated this region, and encouraged people
of European ancestry to settle here, has evolved
with the realization that all settlement is temporary. Towns, countries
and empires come and go. They roll with the times. They adapt.
That doesn't mean that the process was fair to the people who were
already here. It certainly wasn't. And by celebrating the
achievements of those settlers of European ancestry, I don't mean
to imply otherwise.
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