When Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Prime Minister, boasted
that the twentieth century belonged to Canada, he spoke for a nation
buoyant with optimism about its future. After years of doubt and economic
depression, wheat sales were booming, a frenzy of railway building was
in progress, and the long-hoped-for settlers were at last pouring in
to 'the last, best west'.
This virtual exhibition is about the Canadian government's
role in advertising free land in The Last Best West to farmers
and farm workers in Britain, the United States and Europe. These were
the only immigrants targeted by the government, apart from domestic
servants. The Canadian Pacific Railway, and other rail and ocean
transportation companies, helped promote government land in western
Canada to would-be immigrants.
The exhibition presents images of western Canada that appeared in
posters put out by the government and the big transportation companies.
Also on view are colourful government pamphlet covers; newspaper
advertisements for immigrants; promotional photographs and notices.
Photographs of touring exhibition wagons, and displays of prairie
wheat at large agricultural shows and small country fairs, are also
included.
Many objects in the Canadian Museum of Civilization's collections
were brought to Canada by immigrants in the period from Confederation
to 1930. A selection is included here in the section called
Immigrants' Possessions.