Canada Hall

Following the l763 conquest, the influential British military establishments occupied a prominent place in many Canadian urban centres. Britain sent thousands of soldiers and sailors to British North America to secure its frontiers and assist with its administration. Their contribution to defence, the maintenance of civil order, surveying, engineering, and cultural life helped shape Canada's social and economic fabric. This section of the Canada Hall explores the role officers and servicemen played in the administrative, cultural, social, and scientific aspects of colonial life between 1760 and 1871.

The War of 1812 with the United States underscored the vulnerability of British North America. The St. Lawrence-Great Lakes axis, a populated but poorly defended border region, was particularly at risk. As the population increased in the American Midwest, the Prairies also became open to attack. All of these factors contributed to a major initiative to improve Canada's defence in the first half of the nineteenth century.

The exhibit entitled The Geography of Defence focuses on efforts to fortify the borders of British North America through the construction of citadels, forts, and blockhouses. Equally important was the construction of roads, bridges, and canals to permit easy and rapid displacement of troops, arms, and equipment. The largest and most expensive of these initiatives was the Rideau Canal, which links the eastern edge of the Great Lakes to the Ottawa Valley. The canal provided a safe route for both civilian and military boats to travel between Upper and Lower Canada, in case the upper St. Lawrence River was ever blocked by the Americans.

Since it is difficult to defend territory without a thorough knowledge of the land, surveying and map making became essential tasks of the British military. The exhibit entitled The Military Engineer as Land Surveyor highlights the achievements of Samuel Holland, a military surveyor, cartographer, and engineer who surveyed Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton in the l760s. In addition to designing military works, Holland founded a system of surveys based on farm lots, parishes, and townships in Lower and Upper Canada.

The military was responsible for more than just defence. One of its duties was to maintain the authority of the government in times of armed rebellion and extreme civil disorder. From the 1830s to the 1850s, the army was called in to control riots, particularly in the large urban centres. Soldiers like the one from the 24th Regiment shown in the exhibit could be required to disperse angry mobs or to ensure that local elections were conducted in an orderly fashion.