Dominion Lands Act
Encyclopedia
The Dominion Lands Act was an 1872 Canadian
law that aimed to encourage the settlement of Canada's Prairie provinces
. It was closely based on the United States
Homestead Act
, setting conditions in which the western lands could be settled and their natural resources developed. In order to settle the area, Canada invited mass emigration by European and American pioneers, as well as settlers from eastern Canada. It echoed the American homestead system by offering ownership of 160 acres of land free (except for a small registration fee) to any man over 18 or any woman heading a household. They need not be citizens, but had to live on the plot and improve it.
of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, and (prior to 1905) the Northwest Territories
. Unlike the other provinces, the prairies were split-off from the Northwest Territories. When they were created, the federal government retained control over the public lands and natural resources. Without this control, the federal government would have lacked the jurisdiction to enforce the Dominion Lands Act.
The act gave a claimant a homestead area (160 acre
s, or 65 hectare
s) for free, the only cost to the farmer being a $10 administration fee. Any male farmer who agreed to cultivate at least 40 acres (16.2 ha) of the land and build a permanent dwelling on it (within three years) qualified. This condition of "proving up the homestead" was instituted to prevent speculators from gaining control of the land.
The act also launched the Dominion Lands Survey, which laid the framework for the layout of the Prairie provinces that continues to this day.
An important difference between the Canadian and U.S. systems was that farmers under the Canadian system could buy a neighboring lot for an additional $10 registration fee. This allowed most farmsteads to quickly double in size, and was especially important in the southern Palliser's Triangle
area of the prairies, which was very arid. There it is all but impossible to have a functional farm on only 160 acre (0.6474976 km²), but it could be managed with 320. Canadian agriculture was consequently more successful than U.S. agriculture in this arid region.
Bloc settlements were encouraged by Clause 37 which allowed associations of 10 or more settlers to group their houses together to form a settlement to fulfil their cultivation obligations on their own homestead while residing in a hamlet.
in Canada that followed confederation
). Also, the first version of the act set up extensive exclusion zones. Claimants were limited to areas further than 20 miles (32 km) from any railway (much of the land closer having been granted to the railways at the time of construction). Since it was extremely difficult to farm wheat profitably if you had to transport it over 20 miles (32.2 km) by wagon, this was a major discouragement. Farmers could buy land within the 20 mi (32.2 km) zone, but at a much higher price of $2.50 per acre ($6.20/ha). In 1879 the exclusion zone was shrunk to only 10 miles (16 km) from the tracks; and in 1882 it was finally eliminated.
Less than half the arable land in the West was ever to open to farmers (the Canadian Pacific Railway
owned most of the rest). The Hudson's Bay Company
, which had once owned the entire prairies, had kept 10 per cent of the land, and additional areas were set aside for schools and government buildings.
veterans settle more easily). In 1930, Parliament passed the Natural Resources Transfer Acts
, turning over the control of public lands and resources in the prairies to the provinces, thus relinquishing its right to the lands. Overall, about 478,000 square kilometres of land were given away by the government under the Dominion Lands Act.
Some historians argue that the Dominion Lands Act encouraged premature settlement of the West since many of the farms settled under the act later failed.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
law that aimed to encourage the settlement of Canada's Prairie provinces
Canadian Prairies
The Canadian Prairies is a region of Canada, specifically in western Canada, which may correspond to several different definitions, natural or political. Notably, the Prairie provinces or simply the Prairies comprise the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, as they are largely covered...
. It was closely based on the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Homestead Act
Homestead Act
A homestead act is one of three United States federal laws that gave an applicant freehold title to an area called a "homestead" – typically 160 acres of undeveloped federal land west of the Mississippi River....
, setting conditions in which the western lands could be settled and their natural resources developed. In order to settle the area, Canada invited mass emigration by European and American pioneers, as well as settlers from eastern Canada. It echoed the American homestead system by offering ownership of 160 acres of land free (except for a small registration fee) to any man over 18 or any woman heading a household. They need not be citizens, but had to live on the plot and improve it.
Requirements
The act only applied in the Prairie provincesCanadian Prairies
The Canadian Prairies is a region of Canada, specifically in western Canada, which may correspond to several different definitions, natural or political. Notably, the Prairie provinces or simply the Prairies comprise the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, as they are largely covered...
of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, and (prior to 1905) the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
. Unlike the other provinces, the prairies were split-off from the Northwest Territories. When they were created, the federal government retained control over the public lands and natural resources. Without this control, the federal government would have lacked the jurisdiction to enforce the Dominion Lands Act.
The act gave a claimant a homestead area (160 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s, or 65 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s) for free, the only cost to the farmer being a $10 administration fee. Any male farmer who agreed to cultivate at least 40 acres (16.2 ha) of the land and build a permanent dwelling on it (within three years) qualified. This condition of "proving up the homestead" was instituted to prevent speculators from gaining control of the land.
The act also launched the Dominion Lands Survey, which laid the framework for the layout of the Prairie provinces that continues to this day.
An important difference between the Canadian and U.S. systems was that farmers under the Canadian system could buy a neighboring lot for an additional $10 registration fee. This allowed most farmsteads to quickly double in size, and was especially important in the southern Palliser's Triangle
Palliser's Triangle
Palliser's Triangle, or the Palliser Triangle, is a largely semi-arid steppe region in the Prairie Provinces of Western Canada that was determined to be unsuitable for agriculture because of its unfavourable climate. The soil in this area is dark brown or black in color and is very nutrient-rich....
area of the prairies, which was very arid. There it is all but impossible to have a functional farm on only 160 acre (0.6474976 km²), but it could be managed with 320. Canadian agriculture was consequently more successful than U.S. agriculture in this arid region.
Bloc settlements were encouraged by Clause 37 which allowed associations of 10 or more settlers to group their houses together to form a settlement to fulfil their cultivation obligations on their own homestead while residing in a hamlet.
Results
The success of the Dominion Lands Act overall is questionable. Large-scale immigration to the prairies did not get underway until 1896 (immigrants prior to then generally preferring to live in the U.S. due to a protracted recessionRecession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction, a general slowdown in economic activity. During recessions, many macroeconomic indicators vary in a similar way...
in Canada that followed confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
). Also, the first version of the act set up extensive exclusion zones. Claimants were limited to areas further than 20 miles (32 km) from any railway (much of the land closer having been granted to the railways at the time of construction). Since it was extremely difficult to farm wheat profitably if you had to transport it over 20 miles (32.2 km) by wagon, this was a major discouragement. Farmers could buy land within the 20 mi (32.2 km) zone, but at a much higher price of $2.50 per acre ($6.20/ha). In 1879 the exclusion zone was shrunk to only 10 miles (16 km) from the tracks; and in 1882 it was finally eliminated.
Less than half the arable land in the West was ever to open to farmers (the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
owned most of the rest). The Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
, which had once owned the entire prairies, had kept 10 per cent of the land, and additional areas were set aside for schools and government buildings.
Aftermath
The act went through many changes and amendments, finally being done away with in 1918 (when a new system was set up designed to help World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
veterans settle more easily). In 1930, Parliament passed the Natural Resources Transfer Acts
Natural Resources Transfer Acts
The Natural Resources Transfer Acts were passed by the Parliament of Canada in 1930 in order to give the Prairie provinces jurisdiction over their crown lands and natural resources, a right they were not given when they entered Confederation...
, turning over the control of public lands and resources in the prairies to the provinces, thus relinquishing its right to the lands. Overall, about 478,000 square kilometres of land were given away by the government under the Dominion Lands Act.
Some historians argue that the Dominion Lands Act encouraged premature settlement of the West since many of the farms settled under the act later failed.