Alex Judge

The Great Land Swindle

In 1870, Louis Riel and those who fought alongside him insisted that the land rights of their descendants be protected. Decades later, less than 10% of a promised 1.4 million acres had made its way into the hands of Métis families. What happened to the rest of it?

In this episode we’ll be talking about Métis scrip: perplexing government policies, deliberate fraud, and the men who got rich from the whole fiasco.

Images

To respect the wishes of the Gabriel Dumont institute that the images on their site not be reproduced elsewhere, I have linked to specific items in their collection below rather than creating a slideshow of images as usual, and have used the titles and descriptions provided by the Institute. Most of these images can also be found in the Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan.

These images show the scrip commission, but are also a record of the lives and lifestyles of the Métis at the turn of the century.

  • “A Sitting of the Commission” – Métis and Commissioners at a sitting of the Half-Breed Commission at Devil’s Lake, near Sandy Lake Reserve, 1900.
  • “At Devil’s Lake” – A group of Indians and/or Métis outside the Half-Breed Commissioners’ tent, Devil’s Lake (near Sandy Lake Reserve) NWT, 1900.
  • “Baking Bannocks” – Half-Breed Commissioner’s York boat crew baking bannock in camp, 1900.
  • “Commissioners’ Mess Tent” – The Half-Breed Commissioners’ mess tent, with Commissioners seated at table, Duck Lake, 1900.
  • “Send off to commissioners, Grand Rapids” – A group of people giving a “send off” for the Half-Breed Commissioners, Grand Rapids MB, 1900.
  • “At Sturgeon River” – Members of the Half-Breed Commission at Sturgeon River, 14 September 1900.
  • “At Batoche” – Unidentified man seated outside the Half-Breed Commissioners’ tent at Batoche, 1900.
  • “At Onion Lake” – A group of Métis men, women and children sitting beside a campfire, Onion Lake NWT, 1900.
  • “Group of Half-Breeds at Grand Rapids” – “Métis women and children, at the time of the visit by the Half-Breed Commission, Grand Rapids MB, 1900.”

Sources/Further Reading

Alex Judge

16 – Winnipeg Today

Happy birthday, Winnipeg! 150 years (and one day) ago, Winnipeg’s incorporation papers were signed. To finish up this series we’ve called upon a bunch of our favourite Winnipeggers to help us tell the story of the last few decades of the city’s history.

Thank you to the Manitoba Historical Society, The Winnipeg Foundation Centennial Grant, and the Manitoba Heritage Grants program for supporting this series!

  • An ad featuring Bay Man, 1974 Source: Sent to us by Al Simmons
  • Our favourite photo of Bay Man, talking on the phone to his agent. Source: Sent to us by Al Simmons
  • Portage and Main prior to closing to pedestrians, 1979. Source: City of Winnipeg Archives
  • Ron Robinson’s article describing his layoff from Eaton’s. Source: Winnipeg Free Press, 1981-01-22
  • Winnipeggers trying to push a car during the 1986 blizzard. Another car is seen abandoned in the snow. Source: Winnipeg Free Press/Gerry Cairns
  • The Forks site when it was a rail yard, 1970. Source: Winnipeg Tribune photo collection
  • The only photo (that we know of) of the jail cells under the Exchange District, taken in 1958. Source: Manitoba Archives
  • Jim Silver, spokesperson for Thin Ice, is surrounded by Jets supporters at a City Council meeting. Source: Winnipeg Free Press, 1996-12-15
  • Members of the military helping with sandbagging along Scotia street during the 1997 Flood. Source: City of Winnipeg Archives
  • Fans cheer the return of the Jets. Source: Winnipeg Free Press, 2011-06-01
  • Planned redevelopment of the Bay building in downtown Winnipeg. Source: Southern Chiefs’ Organization

Thank you so much to all our guests on this episode! Here’s more about everyone and where you can find them.

Al Simmons has been making children’s music since the 1980s! His website is here, and we highly recommend this video of his Human Jukebox act.

Ron Robinson, co-founder of McNally Robinson and radio personality, hosts the Saturday Morning Show and Pages: Radio for Readers on CKUW.

Rosemary Barton is CBC’s chief political correspondent! You can check her out on Rosemary Barton Live.

Fred Penner has also been recording music for families since the 1980s, hosting Fred Penner’s Place on CBC in the 80s and 90s. His website is here, and children at heart should watch out for more adult-only performances on his instagram here!

John Samson Fellows is perhaps best known to Winnipeggers as frontman of The Weakerthans. These days he is recording music as Vivat Virtute, weaving beautiful scarves, and speaking out for a more equitable city.

Michael Redhead Champagne is a community organizer in Winnipeg’s North End and a member of Shamattawa First Nation. He is currently working on establishing a North End Historical Society, which we are super excited about!

Carter Chen is a content creator showcasing Winnipeg, especially its restaurants! His instagram is here – watch out for his dim sum tours of Chinatown in the summer!

Katherena Vermette is a Métis author from Winnipeg. Her website is here – we highly recommend her books, but be sure to read with a kleenex box nearby. Her graphic novel series A Girl Called Echo is an awesome introduction to Red River history.

Geraldine Shingoose is an elder, activist, and 9 year residential school survivor. Geraldine is here on Twitter and can be found around Winnipeg speaking out about reconciliation and the history of residential schools.

Alex Judge

15 – Daphne Odjig

Originally from Wikwemikong First Nation, Daphne Odjig came to Winnipeg in 1970 and opened Canada’s first-ever indigenous-owned gallery. In this episode we discuss Daphne’s art, the path that brought her to Winnipeg, and the impact of her life and work.

  • Baby Daphne with her father Dominic, 1919. Source: A Paintbrush in my Hand
  • Daphne and Paul at their wedding, August 1945. Source: A Paintbrush in my Hand
  • Daphne and some of her siblings: Stanley, Winnie, and Donald, in 1981 Source: A Paintbrush in my Hand
  • Daphne standing beneath a doorway carved by her grandfather Jonas, 1981. Source: A Paintbrush in my Hand
  • Daphne stands in front of one of her pieces Source: Library and Archives Canada
  • The Odjig family home in Wikwemikong Source: A Paintbrush in my Hand
  • Daphne Odjig, The Indian in Transition, 1978 Source: Canadian Museum of History Collection

Sources/Further Reading

  • Myseum of Toronto: Toronto Stories Live: Daphne Odjig
  • Winnipeg Tribune Archives
  • Vanderburgh, R.M and M.E. Southcott, A Paintbrush in My Hand: Daphne Odjig. Toronto: Natural Heritage/Natural History Inc., 1992.
  • NFB, The Colours of Pride
  • Daphne Odjig: Four Decades of Prints. Kamloops Art Gallery: Kamloops, 2006.
  • Odjig: The Art of Daphne Odjig, 1960-2000. Key Porter Books: Toronto, 2001.
  • McLuhan, Elizabeth and R.M. Vanderburgh. Daphne Odjig: A Retrospective, 1946-1985. Thunder Bay National Exhibition Centre and Centre for Indian Art, 1985.
  • Quill Christie-Peters on Instagram
  • Chief Lady Bird on Instagram

Thank you to Franchesca Hebert-Spence for her input on this episode! Currently residing in Inuvik, the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Franchesca is Anishinaabe (member of Sagkeeng First Nation) from Winnipeg, Manitoba, her grandmother Marion Ida Spence was from Sagkeeng First Nation, on Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba. Hebert-Spence has worked as a cultural producer with a background in making, curating, research, and administration. She has described her curatorial practice as “snacks and chats,” the foundation of which stems from Ishkabatens Waasa Gaa Inaabateg, Brandon University Visual and Aboriginal Arts program. She is the Curator of Indigenous Ceramics at the Gardiner Museum in Toronto, and previously the Curatorial Assistant within the Indigenous Art Department at the National Gallery of Canada. She is a PhD candidate in Cultural Mediations (Visual Culture) at Carleton University, examining the presence of guest/host protocols within Indigenous methodological practices with a focus on visual art in Canada.

Alex Judge

14 – Georges Forest

In 1976, a man got a parking ticket in Saint Boniface. The events that followed would challenge the foundations of Manitoba’s laws, and the tolerance of Manitobans for their neighbours. In this episode we discuss Georges Forest and his quest for francophone rights.

Thank you to Raymond Hébert and Roger Bilodeau for their input on this episode, and to Annie Langlois for her great archival finds!

  • Georges Forest, pre-beard. UM Digital Collections, Winnipeg Tribune.
  • Georges and Anita Forest in voyageur garb, speaking to Roger and Carmen Zwickel. Winnipeg Tribune Personalities Collection.
  • The Bank of Montreal, redecorated for Festival du Voyageur. La Liberté, 1970-02-25
  • Who will be the queen of the Festival? La Liberté, 1970-02-10
  • Brigitte Prince, 1970 Queen of Festival du Voyageur, crowns the 1971 Queen Marcia Lacroix. La Liberté 1971-02-24
  • Georges Forest meets the governor of South Dakota. La Liberté, 1970-12-30
  • The costume ball which celebrated the final night of Festival du Voyageur. La Liberté, 1971-02-17
  • A pamphlet featuring Daniel Lavoie’s Voyageur Song written for the Festival. Also pictured are Laurette and Roland Marion, who took over as Official Voyageurs after Forest’s resignation. La Liberté special edition, 1971-02-17
  • Forest in front of the Supreme Court building in June 1979. Forest had his first win in the Supreme Court on this day, and would win his case fully in December of that year. La Liberté, 1989-12-08
  • “1979 – A moment of reflection after the decision of the Supreme Court of Canada” La Liberté, 1990-02-23
  • Roger Bilodeau, a then-law student who launched a second court case pushing for francophone rights. La Liberté, 1980-08-07
  • Russell Doern, who left the NDP over the issue of bilingualism. U of M Digital Collections, Winnipeg Tribune Personalities Collection. 1977-10-11
  • Festival du Voyageur on opening night, featuring the ice palace. Winnipeg Tribune Photo Archive, February 1970.

Sources

Alex Judge

10 – Jacob Penner

In the 1930s, new ideologies flourished in the face of global economic crisis. Jacob Penner, a local communist activist, was elected to Winnipeg City Council in 1933 and remained in that position for many years, advocating for increased relief in the darkest years of the Great Depression. Despite his radical proclivities, Penner was respected by many of his less radical colleagues. In this episode we discuss municipal politics during the 1930s (we promise this is more interesting than it sounds) and Penner’s complicated legacy.

Listen to Sabrina’s previous episode on the Battle at Market Square to learn more about the rise of fascism in Winnipeg during this period.

Support the show on Patreon!
For $5 a month you also get access to our bonus episodes, including post 150 episode discussions on sources and what we had to leave out.


Thanks to the Winnipeg Free Press, Manitoba Historical Society, the Winnipeg Foundation’s Centennial Institute Grant and the Province of Manitoba’s Heritage Fund for their support!

  • A Communist anti-war protest. Source: Winnipeg Tribune, 1935-11-21
  • Jacob Penner in 1933. Source: Archives of Manitoba
  • Jacob and Rose Penner Source: Mennonite Heritage Archives, via Pembina Valley Online
  • A young Jacob Penner on a motorbike Source: Mennonite Heritage Archives, via Pembina Valley Online
  • An unemployed march to parliament in 1935 Source: Winnipeg Tribune, 1935-07-04
  • An ad alleging an alliance between the ILP and the Communist Party Source:

Sources

  • Archives of Manitoba – Jacob Penner Fonds
  • Epp-Koop, Stefan. We’re Going to Run This City: Winnipeg’s Political Left after the General Strike. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 2015.
  • Gray, James. The Winter Years: The Depression on the Prairies. Calgary: Fifth House, 2003.
  • Manitoba Historical Society. Memorable Manitobans: Jacob Penner.
  • Pembina Valley Online. Still Speaking Episode 4 – Jacob Penner.
  • Penner, Jacob. Recollections. 1965.
  • Penner, Roland. A Glowing Dream: A Memoir. Winnipeg: J. Gordon Shillingford, 2007.
  • The Winnipeg Tribune Archives via U of M Digital Collections
  • The Winnipeg Free Press Archives
Alex Judge

9 – L.B. Foote

If you haven’t heard of Lewis Benjamin Foote, you’ve almost certainly seen his work. That iconic photo from 1919 of a toppled streetcar? That was Lew. If you’ve seen old photos of North End slums or the construction of the Fort Garry Hotel, those were his too. For decades, Foote captured the public and private lives of Winnipeggers. In this episode, we talk about the less-than-roaring 20s seen through the eyes of L.B. Foote.

If you want to follow along with the photos we looked at during this episode, flip through the album below! All photos are from the L.B. Foote Fonds at the Archives of Manitoba.

Additional Photos

  • The lead car of the Tribune’s “Daylight Tour” to Minneapolis. Source: The Winnipeg Evening Tribune, 1925-05-16 (Page 16)
  • The drivers of the Daylight Tour. Source: Winnipeg Tribune, 1925
  • Foote photo of the first “Dustless street sweeper” Source: L.B. Foote Fonds, Province of Manitoba Archives
  • Foote with his camera at the corner of Portage and Main St. Source: L.B. Foote Fonds, Province of Manitoba Archives
  • An image of the strike in which Union Bank is visible at the left. Source: L.B. Foote Fonds, Province of Manitoba Archives
  • An image of Memorial Boulevard and the Hudson’s Bay Company department store, both of which were constructed in the 1920s. Source: L.B. Foote Fonds, Province of Manitoba Archives
  • A newspaper page highlighting publicity garnered by the “Daylight Run” trip to Minneapolis. Source: Winnipeg Tribune 1925-06-17 (page 13)
  • A full-page ad highlighting the newly constructed Seven Sisters Falls Dam. Source: Winnipeg Tribune 1931-07-15
  • L.B. Foote as a young man. Source: Winnipeg Tribune May 15 1954 (page 13)

Sources

  • Esyllt Jones, Imagining Winnipeg: History through the Photographs of L.B. Foote
  • Jim Blanchard, A Diminished Roar: Winnipeg in the 1920s
  • The Winnipeg Tribune Archives
  • The Winnipeg Free Press Archives
  • Archives of Manitoba – L.B. Foote Fonds
  • Manitoba Historical Society, Memorable Manitobans: L.B. Foote
  • This incredible album on Flickr has a number of Foote photos very nicely digitized to flip through
  • University of Manitoba – Lost Foote Photos blog
Alex Judge

8 – John Robinson

In the eighth episode of our One Great 150 series, we talk about John Robinson, a railcar porter and labour activist who founded one of the first black-led unions in North America. We discuss the exclusion of black workers from railway unions, the creation of the Order of Sleeping Car Porters, and how Robinson’s union responded to the Winnipeg General Strike.

Project funded in part by the Winnipeg Foundation’s Centennial Institute Grant, the Province of Manitoba’s Heritage Grant, and the Winnipeg Free Press.

Support the Show on Patreon – you get fun bonus episodes and behind the scenes episode discussions for the 150 series.

  • A lavish CPR sleeping car, 1890. Source: Wm Notman &Son, via McCord Museum
  • A more standard pullman sleeping car, 1912. Source: Illinois Digital Archives
  • A CPR dining car in 1924. While black employees often worked in dining cars in the early days of rail travel, whites-only unions gradually pushed them out of these roles.
  • A sleeping car in use, 1937. Source: Library and Archives Canada
  • The former headquarters of the Order of Sleeping Car Porters on Main Street. Source: Google Maps
  • A porter making a bed in a sleeping car, 1940. Source: Newberry Library
  • The platform at union station, date unknown. Source: PastForward, Rob McInnes Postcard Collection
  • A crowd at Victoria Park during the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike. Source: L.B. Foote fonds, Manitoba Archives

Sources

  • Foster, Cecil. They Call Me George: The Untold Story of Black Train Porters and the Birth of Modern Canada. Biblioasis: 2019.
  • Mathieu, Sarah-Jane. North of the Color Line: Migration and Black Resistance in Canada, 1870-1955. (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2010)
  • Grizzle, Stanley G. My Name’s Not George: The Story of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in Canada. Umbrella Press: 1998.
  • Calliste, Agnes. “Sleeping Car Porters in Canada: An Ethnically Submerged Split Labour Market,” Canadian Ethnic Studies vol. 19, no. 1, 1987, p. 3, 5.
  • Manitoba Historical Society. Memorable Manitobans: John Ashley Robinson.
  • Winnipeg Tribune Archives
  • CBRE. It was Never Easy: 1908-1958: A History of the Canadian Brotherhood of Railway, Transport and General Workers.
Alex Judge

5 – Margaret Scott

In the fifth episode of our One Great 150 series, we talk about Margaret Scott, an early Winnipeg philanthropist and purveyor of the social gospel. We discuss just how gross Winnipeg was at the turn of the century, and whether organizations like the Margaret Scott Nursing Mission succeeded in making it less so.

Thank you to Dr. Esyllt Jones for her help on this episode!

Support the show on Patreon!
For $5 a month you also get access to our bonus episodes, including post 150 episode discussions on sources and what we had to leave out.
Thanks to the Winnipeg Free Press, Manitoba Historical Society, the Winnipeg Foundation’s Centennial Institute Grant and the Province of Manitoba’s Heritage Fund for their support!
  • Margaret Scott. Source: Manitoba Historical Society
  • A box closet at 368 Jasper Avenue, ca. 1909. Source: City of Winnipeg Archives
  • The aftermath of the Ashdown hardware/Bulman building fire, October 1904 (postcard). Source: Peel’s Prairie Provinces
  • The Margaret Scott Nursing Mission at 99 George Street, date unknown. Source: Manitoba Archives
  • The former Margaret Scott Nursing Mission at 99 George Street, 2017. Source: Manitoba Historical Society; photo by George Penner
  • An ad for “Liquozone,” a phony patent medicine advertised as a cure for typhoid. Source: Winnipeg Tribune, 1904-12-08
  • A parade float for the City of Winnipeg Plumbing and Sewer Department boasting a huge reduction in typhoid cases. Source: Pastforward, Martin Berman postcard collection

Sources

Alex Judge

3 – Elzéar Goulet

In episode 3 of our One Great 150 series, we cover the Red River Resistance by following the path of Elzéar Goulet, a mail carrier who became a leader in Louis Riel’s Métis armed forces and, ultimately, was one of six men who decided the fate of Thomas Scott. Though Goulet was a player in many of the key moments of the resistance, the most lasting impact of his story may have been the tragedies that followed in the wake of his death.

Thank you to Jean Teillet, author of The North-West is Our Mother, for her help in this episode. Her full interview can be found on our Patreon page.

  • Elzear Goulet. Source: Manitoba Archives
  • Illustration depicting the execution of Thomas Scott. Source: Preliminary Investigation and Trial of Ambroise Lepine, 1874.
  • Thomas Scott. Source: Canadian Encyclopedia
  • “Doctor” John C. Schultz. Source: Dictionary of Canadian Biography
  • Ambroise Lépine. Source: Preliminary Investigation and Trial of Ambroise Lepine, 1874.
  • Louis Riel. Source: Manitoba Archives
  • Cartoon depicting William McDougall stuck in Pembina. Source: L’opinion publique illustré de Montréal, 1870-01-01

Sources/Further Reading

  • The New Nation (available through U of M digital collections)
  • Begg, Alexander. The Creation of Manitoba. Toronto: Hunter, Rose & Co., 1871.
  • Boulton, Major Charles. Reminiscences of the North-West Rebellions. Toronto: Grip Printing and Publishing, 1886.
  • Boyden, Joseph. Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont. Penguin: 2010.
  • Elliott and Brokovski (compiled by). Preliminary Trial and Investigation of Ambroise Lepine for the Murder of Thomas Scott. Canadian Press, 1874.
  • Marchildon, Jérôme. “The Story of Elzear Goulet.” Manitoba History 65, Winter 2011.
  • Riel, Louis. Poésies réligieuses et politiques. Manitoba: Les Éditions des plains, 1979. (reprint of 1886 edition)
  • Ronaghan, Neil Edgar Allen. The Archibald Administration in Manitoba – 1870-1872 (PhD Thesis). University of Manitoba, 1987.
  • Teillet, Jean. The North-West is Our Mother. Toronto: Harper Collins, 2019.
  • Young, George. Manitoba Memories: Leaves from my life in the prairie province, 1869-1884. Toronto: William Briggs, 1897
  • Norma Jean Hall’s incredible website on the Resistance, which unfortunately is only available these days through Web Archive
  • A number of primary sources on the resistance not already included above are listed and made available here
Alex Judge

Hanukkah in Winnipeg

Happy Hanukkah! This December, we explore some historic Hanukkah celebrations in Winnipeg, including a potato-grating contest and a questionable fruit salad. We are also joined by Belle Jarniewski from the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada, who tells us a little bit about the history of the holiday and its significance for Winnipeg’s Jewish community.

Listen here:

  • A cookie dough menorah (complete with chocolate flames) and a “potato pancake souffle” Source: Winnipeg Free Press, 1973-12-17 (p16)
  • Dancers preparing for a Hanukkah cabaret at Shaarey Zedek synagogue Source: Winnipeg Tribune, 1967-12-11
  • A Hanukkah illustration by grade one student Cara Schwartz Source: Winnipeg Tribune, 1977-12-02
  • The final night of Hanukkah in 1970 is combined with a protest relating to the Dymshits–Kuznetsov hijacking affair Source: Winnipeg Tribune, 1970-12-30
  • Three women show off their dresses for the Hanukkah ball at Shaarey Zedek synagogue Source: Winnipeg Tribune, 1961-12-07

Support the show on patreon!

Your support lets us cover streaming costs and purchase research materials. In return, you get exciting monthly bonus episodes. In November, you can learn about the origins of Punk Island in Lake Winnipeg. We’ve also discussed a World War 2 Cordite plant in Transcona, the rumoured Winnipeg origins of Marilyn Monroe, and so much more.

Sources

Most of our info this episode comes from historic issues of the Jewish Post, which can be searched via the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada.

We also got some of our stories from the Winnipeg Tribune, which as always can be found digitized in the UM Digital Collections.

Thanks to Belle Jarniewski for joining us on this episode! We are so thankful for organizations like the JHCWC that archive local history and make it available to everyone.