Port Arthur National Historic Event of Canada, Thunder Bay, Ontario
Posted by: 
colincan
N 48° 26.047 W 089° 13.064
16U E 335964 N 5366928
In 1870 Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald sent a military expedition to the Prairies to quell the Red River Rebellion. This flotilla of York boats led by Colonel Wolseley encamped at Port Arthur, present day Thunder Bay.
Waymark Code: WMN94P
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 01/22/2015
Views: 3
In 1869 the Northwest Territories came under the authority of the British Crown, transferred from the Hudson’s Bay Company which had managed Rupert’s Land. Louis Riel recognized a power vacuum in the Red River settlement and declared a provisional government to protect Metis rights. Meanwhile he negotiated with the Canadian Government under Sir John A. MacDonald the possible entry of the colony into Canada. An ill advised move on behalf of Riel to execute Orangeman Thomas Scott was considered treason in Central Canada. This inflamed linguistic and religious prejudice between French and English. MacDonald felt obliged to send out a military expedition, as much for security as for punitive purposes. The 1870 Red River Expedition under the command of Colonel Garnet J. Wolseley encamped at the lakehead on its way to the Prairies. The camp was at Prince Arthur's Landing (at the foot of Red River Road, now Port Arthur, Thunder Bay). The expedition used York Boats and was to endure arduous conditions further to the west before arriving at the colony. Manitoba was eventually constituted as a province in Confederation some months later. Port Arthur i.e. the encampment, was designated of national significance in 1923 and plaqued by the federal government in 1925. The recently replaced plaque can be seen at the Baggage Building Arts Centre on Marina Park Drive.
Classification: National Historic Event
Province or Territory: Ontario
Location - City name/Town name: Thunder Bay
Link to Parks Canada entry (must be on www.pc.gc.ca): [Web Link]
Link to HistoricPlaces.ca: Not listed
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