The North West Mounted Police and the March West

On August 30th, 1873, in response to the Cypress Hills Massacre, Governor General Lord Dufferin signed an Order-in-Council authorizing the creation of the North West Mounted Police. Their duties were to suppress the whiskey trade, protect First Nations people from unscrupulous traders, and to stamp out lawlessness in the region. Recruitment for the newly formed NWMP continued throughout the year, and the Force’s recruits were requested to be of sound constitution, able to ride, active and able bodied, of good character, and between the ages of eighteen and forty years. Those who joined also needed to be able to write and read in either French or English. The men signed on for three years, after which each member was eligible for 160 acres of land. Many of the officers also had military experience.

On July 8th, 1874, 300 men left Fort Dufferin, Manitoba, making their way toward Fort Whoop-Up in what is now modern-day Lethbridge, Alberta. The historic journey, known as the March West, covered over 1,200 kilometers, and was a difficult trek with many unexpected challenges. The March West spanned 3 months of travel, with the men finally arriving at an abandoned Fort Whoop-Up in October of the same year. The scout Jerry Potts, who the NWMP had enlisted for help in Fort Benton, led the NWMP to an island site, which was named Fort Macleod. The first Fort was built on a peninsula close to the Old Man River, and flooding was an annual problem. While the chosen position was defendable, it was also problematic. So, in 1884 the Fort moved to its final location uphill to what is known today as the NWMP Barracks Site. 150 years later, the small townsite which had sprung up around the Fort continues to grow today.

Written by Collections Manager, Christopher Richmond-Krahn

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