The Forks National Historic Site of Canada
A Metropolis in the Making
Portage and Main in 1872© National Archives of Canada / PA-66785
Main Street in 1889© National Archives of Canada / PA-66785
After quelling the Métis resistance and settling Treaty Aboriginals on reserved lands, the Canadian government surveyed millions of hectares of land in preparation for the anticipated influx of immigrants from Europe. The influx was a direct result of the government promoting and encouraging immigration, settlement and railway development in the Canadian West. Between 1870 and 1886, Winnipeg grew from a small settlement into a principal metropolitan centre of Western Canada, and became the "Gateway to the Canadian West." Manitoba's population jumped from 25,000 in 1871 to 150,000 in 1891, with the largest settlement continuing to centre around The Forks.