Canada
Between 1897 and 1905, the Northwest Territories
grew very quickly. As the railway made its way westward, more and
more immigrants settled on the Prairies. Although immigration was controlled
by the federal government, construction of local works was controlled
by the territorial governments. As their financial pressures and problems
increased, the territories began to look forward to becoming provinces.
The idea of provinces in the west had been raised before. Proposals on
how to create these provinces ranged from annexing part of the territories
to Manitoba, to the creation of up to four new provinces, with or without
annexation to Manitoba.
The federal government concentrated on an area bounded in the south by
the international border, in the west by British Columbia, in the north
by the 60th parallel, and in the east by the boundaries of Manitoba and
the District of Keewatin. This area was considered too big to become one
province, and the government decided to divide it into two equal parts.
In 1905, the federal government created two new provinces: Alberta
and Saskatchewan. People criticized
the decision because the dividing line between Alberta and Saskatchewan
was based on a meridian of longitude and did not take into account the
geography of the country. The boundaries of the District
of Keewatin were adjusted to account for the creation of the Province
of Saskatchewan. The decision to create the western provinces also intensified
the demands of Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba for northward extensions,
since three provinces, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan, now
extended as far as the 60th parallel. The government also redefined the
Northwest Territories as including the districts of Mackenzie, Franklin,
Ungava and Keewatin. The request by Manitoba to extend westward was denied.
Alberta
The province of Alberta was named after Louise Caroline Alberta, daughter
of Queen Victoria, and wife of the Marquis of Lorne, who was Governor-General
from 1878 to 1883.
The boundaries of the province of Alberta have remained the same since
the creation of the province. These boundaries are: to the south, the
international boundary with the United States; to the west, the boundary
of British Columbia; to the north, the 60th parallel of latitude; and
to the east, the boundary with Saskatchewan (the 110th meridian of longitude).
Saskatchewan
The name Saskatchewan was derived from the Cree word "Keiskatchewan",
which means "the river that flows swiftly".
The boundaries of Saskatchewan, as defined in 1905, were: to the south,
the international boundary with the United States; to the west, the boundary
with Alberta (the 110th meridian of longitude); to the north, the 60th
parallel of latitude; and to the east, the boundary with Manitoba, and
then a northern extension following the Dominion Lands Survey. The eastern
boundary of the Province of Saskatchewan was not the same as the previous
boundaries of the Districts of Saskatchewan and Athabasca. Some of the
land of the former territory to the north of the province of Manitoba
was returned to the District of Keewatin.
Keewatin
In 1905, the District of Keewatin was enlarged, but it ceased to exist
as an independent entity. With the creation of the Province of Saskatchewan,
the western boundary of Keewatin was redrawn. Parts of the Districts
of Athabaska and Saskatchewan, which were to the north of the Province
of Manitoba, were incorporated into the District of Keewatin. The western
boundary of the district became a line extending north from Manitoba
to the Arctic Ocean. Part of the District of Mackenzie was thus also
transferred to the District of Keewatin.
With the creation of two new provinces, Alberta and Saskatchewan, the
federal government decided to place all the remaining districts into the
Northwest Territories. The District of Keewatin thus became one of the
four districts included in the Northwest Territories; the others were
Mackenzie, Franklin and Ungava.
The animation Territorial
Evolution 1867 to 1999 shows sequentially the history of the
political boundary changes in Canada from Confederation to the creation
of Nunavut.
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