NORTH WEST TERRITORY PRIOR TO 1873

The Metis people living in the Canadian West thought that the British and American settlers would take their farms away from them so they set up their own government under Louis Riel.

The need to establish a police force finally came when a drunken American wolf hunter attacked some Assiniboine men, women and children at Cypress Hill killing them. He thought they had stolen his horse but it only wandered off.
For more information go to: http://www.museevirtuel.ca/Exhibitions/Police/eng_html/2.1_introduction.html

THE NORTH WEST MOUNTED POLICE ESTABLISHED

On May 3, 1873 Sir John A. MacDonald introduced a bill to establish a para-military police force in the North West Territories (now known as Alberta and Saskatchewan)to ensure peace and order. The North West Mounted Police were created for many reasons but the main reasons were to stop liquor trafficking in the west which was demoralizing the native people, and the newly formed government had to take action so they created the N.W.M.P. The territory grew to the Yukon in 1895 during the Klondike Gold Rush, making the gold rush one of the most peaceful affairs in history. Around this same time it was being discussed weather or not to dissolve the N.W.M.P force but their actions during the gold rush made the force famous around the world and the N.W.M.P were here to stay.
For more information go to:http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/hist/index-eng.htm

NORTH WEST MOUNTED POLICE RECRUITS

The men being recruited for the police force had to be between 18 and 40 years of age. They had to be able to ride a horse, be active and of sound mind and good character. They had to be able to read and write English OR French. The pay was 75 cents a day.

NORTH WEST MOUNTED POLICE UNIFORMS

Through out the course of the N.W.M.P their have been many different types of uniforms for many different ranks of the police force. The uniform of the North West Mounted Police (N.W.M.P.) was similar to the one worn by the British Army. In fact, the very first uniform used by the N.W.M.P. was issued from militia stores in Ottawa.

The scarlet Norfolk jacket was simple and practical with no trimmings. It was chosen so that the North West Mounted Police would be readily identifiable with the reputation of their British predecessors (rather than the Americans in blue uniform) The uniform was mainly used for gaining the respect of the native people.

The original uniform also included a pill box cap, which was worn tilted to the right side of the head and held on by a thin strap under the chin. They were made of blue cloth and had a yellow or gold ribbon on the top. A dull white helmet was also used.

Other items used by the N.W.M.P. were a white haversack, white gauntlets and a brown leather belt. The belt buckle and buttons eventually had the NWMP on them. A holster on the left side held a Deane and Adams revolver.
for more information go to: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/hist/hnud-nhut/nwmp-pcno-uni-eng.htm

NORTH WEST MOUNTED POLICE DUTIES

Other then the conventional duties like enforcing the law,controlling the whisky trade, the N.W.M.P  were given jobs to do and chores that had to be done, like mail delivery before the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was completed, mail delivery in the Northwest Territories wasn't all that good. Mail for the Mounted Police was carried through the United States to Fort Benton, Montana, and then overland to Fort Walsh. From there, it was distributed to the various forts. Any civilian mail traveled the same route. Mounted policemen often delivered the mail once it arrived in Canada, especially in the years prior to the North West Rebellion in 1885. Mail transportation to the N.W.M.P officers became faster and easier for the officers who were given the task of mail delivery after the CPR was built.
http://www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/tutor/calgary/nwmp.html

NORTH WEST MOUNTED POLICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Among the many accomplishments achieved by the N.W.M.P the taming of the Klondike gold rush was one of  their most important successes in N.W.M.P history. Due to peaceful nature of the Klondike gold rush the N.W.M.P merged with the Dominion Police and was granted the jurisdiction of the Nation of Canada in 1920 and became the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or R.C.M.P.