Archives Search

Title

Arrangement structure

Series part of

Department of Finance fonds [textual record, cartographic material, architectural drawing] (R200-0-9-E)

Bilingual equivalent

Route de la rivière Rouge [document textuel]

Date(s)

1870-1876

Place of creation

Canada

Extent

Language of material

English

Scope and content

Series consists of account books, pay lists, correspondence and memoranda created during the construction of the route. These records have become a part of the Department of Finance fonds because of the department's role as a central agency whose terms of reference extend to financial matters across all government activities.

Conditions of access

Terms of use

Copyright belongs to the Crown.

Finding aid

Textual records The finding aid consist of volume number, title and outside dates. 19-138 90 (Paper)

Additional name(s)

Red River Route.

Biography / Administrative history

The Red River Route, or the Lake Superior and Red River Road as it was first called, was built as a Department of Public Works project under the superintendence of S.J. Dawson. Interest in the project began as early as 1857 when Dawson was sent to explore the area. He remained in the field on this project from the fall of 1857 until the fall of 1859 and on his return submitted a comprehensive Report Line of Route Between Lake Superior and the Red River Settlement which was published as Sessional Paper No. 81 in 1867-1868. During the fall of 1867, six miles (10 km) of the proposed route were completed commencing at Fort William. The summer of 1868 brought great hardship to the Red River settlers when their crops were destroyed by locusts. As a relief measure the Minister of Public Works was authorized (P.C. 814, 14 September 1868) to commence that section of the road which would connect Fort Garry and Lake of the Woods. An appropriation for the entire route was made on July 1, 1869 and work began in earnest. During the summer of 1869 four companies of the Sixtieth Rifles, two hundred voyageurs and five hundred workmen were employed on the project and twenty-five miles (40 km) of brough wagon road were completed. RG19 General Inventory

Additional information

Source

Government

MIKAN no.

139278