{"id":4185,"date":"2022-10-26T13:08:20","date_gmt":"2022-10-26T19:08:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edmonton1.one\/?p=4185"},"modified":"2025-03-12T07:24:36","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T13:24:36","slug":"edmontons-mounted-police-history-and-interesting-facts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edmonton1.one\/en\/eternal\/edmontons-mounted-police-history-and-interesting-facts-4185","title":{"rendered":"Edmonton\u2019s Mounted Police: History and Interesting Facts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The <strong>North-West Mounted Police (NWMP)<\/strong> was the predecessor of the <strong>iconic Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)<\/strong>. It was established after <strong>Confederation<\/strong> to maintain <strong>law and order in Canada\u2019s western frontier<\/strong>. The <strong>mounted police<\/strong> played a key role in <strong>suppressing the North-West Rebellion<\/strong> and restoring order during the <strong>Klondike Gold Rush<\/strong>. Read more on <a href=\"https:\/\/edmonton1.one\/\"><strong>edmonton1.one<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3adf24a39bf\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3adf24a39bf\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/edmonton1.one\/en\/eternal\/edmontons-mounted-police-history-and-interesting-facts-4185\/#The_Creation_of_the_Mounted_Police\" >The Creation of the Mounted Police<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/edmonton1.one\/en\/eternal\/edmontons-mounted-police-history-and-interesting-facts-4185\/#The_First_Police_Recruits\" >The First Police Recruits<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/edmonton1.one\/en\/eternal\/edmontons-mounted-police-history-and-interesting-facts-4185\/#A_Major_Expedition\" >A Major Expedition<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/edmonton1.one\/en\/eternal\/edmontons-mounted-police-history-and-interesting-facts-4185\/#The_Klondike_and_a_Period_of_Change\" >The Klondike and a Period of Change<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Creation_of_the_Mounted_Police\"><\/span><strong>The Creation of the Mounted Police<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In <strong>May 1873<\/strong>, the <strong>Canadian Parliament<\/strong> passed an act establishing the <strong>&#8220;Mounted Police for the North-West Territories.&#8221;<\/strong> At that time, these territories included <strong>Alberta, Hudson Bay, Manitoba, and parts of Saskatchewan<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The decision to <strong>form the mounted police<\/strong> was driven by <strong>illegal whiskey trade<\/strong> and <strong>lawlessness in the region<\/strong>. <strong>John A. Macdonald<\/strong> sought to <strong>deploy military forces from Ottawa<\/strong> to protect <strong>Canada\u2019s sovereignty<\/strong> and lay the groundwork for <strong>peaceful conflict resolution<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Traders from <strong>Fort Benton, Montana<\/strong>, had <strong>illegally entered Alberta<\/strong>, setting up <strong>trading posts in the south<\/strong>. In exchange for <strong>buffalo hides<\/strong> from Indigenous peoples, they traded <strong>blankets, weapons, and ammunition<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the <strong>most profitable product<\/strong> was <strong>alcohol<\/strong>. With no <strong>law enforcement<\/strong> to stop them, violence, <strong>murders, and robberies<\/strong> became rampant. <strong>Lieutenant William Butler, an officer in the British Army<\/strong>, reported on these growing issues in a <strong>local newspaper<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_First_Police_Recruits\"><\/span><strong>The First Police Recruits<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>North-West Mounted Police<\/strong> was modeled after the <strong>Royal Irish Constabulary<\/strong>. The uniform was distinctive\u2014<strong>a red tunic and blue trousers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Applicants had to be <strong>physically fit men<\/strong> aged <strong>18 to 40<\/strong>, proficient in <strong>English, literate<\/strong>, and skilled <strong>horse riders<\/strong>. The <strong>daily wage<\/strong> was <strong>75 cents<\/strong>. Men from <strong>various social backgrounds<\/strong> applied, but preference was given to <strong>those with military or law enforcement experience<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Only <strong>young and healthy horses<\/strong> were provided to officers. Each <strong>policeman was assigned his own horse<\/strong>, responsible for <strong>feeding, grooming, and overall care<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By <strong>August 1873<\/strong>, the first <strong>150 recruits<\/strong> were sent to <strong>Winnipeg<\/strong>, where they trained under <strong>the first commissioner, George French<\/strong>. Their training was <strong>modeled on cavalry regiments<\/strong>, focusing on <strong>the use of revolvers, carbines, and light artillery<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Major_Expedition\"><\/span><strong>A Major Expedition<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.edmonton1.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2025\/03\/ad_4nxfg9nfwxlogr84rtsxomuybgzixn0jle_qe1bm1wz3wyb51otihu_rms_pt88-fmbzf67u98vfhhte47lgkxsfbibiilco99rkycsw5ejb-o8n5p_i7eu25-yez7kn3vuhcxiphlgkeyoaj3f3ael0uwp4-uo4o7whex.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In <strong>1874<\/strong>, <strong>300 officers and soldiers<\/strong> from the <strong>Mounted Police<\/strong> embarked on an <strong>exhausting 1,300-kilometre march<\/strong> from <strong>Manitoba<\/strong> across the <strong>trackless prairies<\/strong>. Facing <strong>extreme weather, hunger, and disease<\/strong>, both <strong>men and horses<\/strong> endured severe conditions before reaching <strong>La Roche Perc\u00e9e<\/strong> in <strong>southern Saskatchewan<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The unit then <strong>split<\/strong>\u2014<strong>one group moved westward<\/strong> to establish a <strong>police post at Fort Edmonton<\/strong>, while another <strong>traveled south to Fort Benton<\/strong> to <strong>purchase supplies and young horses<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By the time the <strong>police arrived in Fort Edmonton<\/strong>, most of the <strong>outlaws had fled<\/strong>, effectively <strong>ending the illegal trade without a single shot being fired<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Klondike_and_a_Period_of_Change\"><\/span><strong>The Klondike and a Period of Change<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In <strong>1896<\/strong>, Inspector <strong>Charles Constantine<\/strong> had already established a <strong>police outpost near the Yukon settlement of Forty Mile<\/strong> when news broke of a <strong>massive gold discovery on the Klondike River<\/strong>. This sparked a <strong>rush of fortune seekers<\/strong> heading north.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>Mounted Police quickly set up checkpoints<\/strong> along the <strong>main routes to Dawson City<\/strong>, the <strong>capital of the Gold Rush<\/strong>. Their presence ensured <strong>law and order<\/strong>, making the <strong>gold rush one of the most organized in history<\/strong>, relatively <strong>free from criminal activity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During <strong>World War I<\/strong>, members of the <strong>Mounted Police<\/strong> were <strong>exempt from military service<\/strong>, as they were needed <strong>on the home front<\/strong> to <strong>prevent enemy sabotage operations<\/strong>.In <strong>1920<\/strong>, several divisions of the <strong>Mounted Police merged<\/strong>, officially forming the <strong>Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)<\/strong>\u2014the force that continues to uphold law and order in Canada today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) was the predecessor of the iconic Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). It was established after Confederation to maintain law and order in Canada\u2019s western frontier. The mounted police played a key role in suppressing the North-West Rebellion and restoring order during the Klondike Gold Rush. Read more on edmonton1.one. The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":469,"featured_media":4190,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1168],"tags":[2835,2836,2843,2844,2842,2839,2840,2838],"moimportance":[78,81],"motype":[1158],"moformat":[83],"class_list":{"0":"post-4185","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-jobs","8":"tag-crime-in-alberta","9":"tag-edmonton-police","10":"tag-edmonton-police-officers","11":"tag-interesting-facts-about-the-police","12":"tag-mounted-police","13":"tag-police-history","14":"tag-police-in-edmonton","15":"tag-royal-mounted-police","16":"moimportance-golovna-novina","17":"moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatori","18":"motype-eternal","19":"moformat-vlasna"},"modified_by":"Katya Koshevaya","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edmonton1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4185","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edmonton1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edmonton1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmonton1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/469"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmonton1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4185"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/edmonton1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4185\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4189,"href":"https:\/\/edmonton1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4185\/revisions\/4189"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmonton1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edmonton1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4185"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmonton1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4185"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmonton1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4185"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmonton1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=4185"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmonton1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=4185"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmonton1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=4185"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}