HOMESTEADING in Canada FREE LAND! Do you go?

FREE LAND!   - 160 Acres for $10

Until 1900 the CANADIAN WEST remained vastly underpopulated and under utilized and so the federal government began an intensive settlement program and marketing campaign offering cheap land and social and religious freedom.

The homesteading of Canada was an organized and decisive movement which populated Canada and then managed the immigrants so they settled the areas where production of goods(mainly wheat, and other grains) was needed to 

• fuel the burgeoning industrialization of central Canada and 

• populate the western area of Canada in order to quell the United States claims at the time to the area.

The HOMESTEAD System was developed for the three Prairie provinces in Canada, Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.  It covers 200 million acres and is the Worlds Largest Serving grid laid down in a single integrated system and led to the creation of 1.25 million homesteads.  And decisively to the creation of Canada as it is today.

160 acres cost $10.

Tools needed would be
- oxen to clear the land
- basic agricultural implements, like plough, picks, shovels, hoe, axe etc..
- twine, wood, nails, bluckets
- hand labour

What the homesteader needed to accomplish
- build a shelter, barn and other outbuildings
- clear land
- production of a portion of the land within 3 years
- plough a fireguard around the farm buildings
- vegetable garden
- reliable water source

The ideal homestead
- near a water source
- near a railroad (no more than 15km away)

The poor and latecomers were forced to take less productive land away from the markets and away from the towns and railroad access.

Many problems persisted including, absence of roads and bridges, most trails were impassable when wet, farm accidents often resulted in permanent injury or death due to lack of doctors.  Drought ruined those who settled in the Palliser Triangle(this is the area in the southern area of Saskatchewan and Alberta).   Many homesteaders found the price both financially and physically too high and moved away.

But, adverse conditions brought the homesteaders together.  Prejudices were lessened as people depended on one another to survive the long winters.  Those who stayed leave a legacy and land to family members today. Many of those that didn't stay on the land - it remained a stepping stone to them starting their new life in Canada.

Here is the homesteading application process from Dominion Land Act of 1872 - The Provincial Archives of Canada.

DOMINION LAND ACT OF CANADA 1872

The homestead process began with entry, which is a term that was used to describe the act of going to a Dominion Lands office and filing for a claim to a particular parcel of land or "homestead".

Eligibility

Settlers could only obtain entry to a homestead quarter section if they met certain eligibility requirements:

Dominion Lands Act Eligibility Requirements, and Changes to Requirements Over the Years:

• Before 1874:  Initial age requirement was a minimum of 21 years.
• 1874:  Age requirement was dropped to 18 years but if you were younger and already head of a family, you could make entry.
• 1876:  Women were eligible to enter only if they were the sole head of family.
• 1908:  Settler must be or declare an intention to be a British subject

Required Duties or “Proving Up” the Homestead

Once in Saskatchewan and on their chosen quarter section of land, settlers had to meet certain obligations before the patent – or ownership – of the land was transferred from the Crown to the homesteader.  The process of fulfilling the duties was referred to as "proving up" the homestead:

Some Required Duties for Homesteaders to Obtain Patent (Title), and Changes to Requirements:

• The settler must cultivate and reside on the land for three years.

1884

• The settler must build a habitable house and reside on homestead for no less than three months.
• The settler must live within a radius of two miles from the homestead.
• Within the first year after date of entry, the settler must break and prepare for to crop no less than 10 acres of the homestead quarter section.
• Within the second year, the settler must crop the first ten acres, and break and prepare to crop no less than 15 more acres.
• Within third year after date of entry, the settler must crop the 25 acres broken in the first two years, and break and prepare for crop no less than 15 more acres.
• The settler must reside on the homestead for at least six months of the year in each of the three years.

1886

• The settler must commence cultivation of his/her homestead within six months of date of entry or, if entry was obtained on or after the first day of September in any year, before the first day of June following.
• Within the first year after entry, the settler must break and prepare for crop no less than 5 acres.
• Within the second year, the settler must crop the initial 5 acres, and break and prepare for crop no less than 10 additional acres.
• The settler must build a habitable house before end of second year and at the beginning of the third year must commence residence on homestead.
• The settler must give six months notice in writing to the Commissioner of Dominion Lands of his/her intention to make application for patent.

1908

• The settler must be a British subject.
• The settler may reside within a distance of nine miles of the homestead to count as residence.

1914

• The settler must enclose the whole quarter section being entered by a substantial fence.
•  Any alien who has not resided in the British Dominions for the period necessary for naturalization shall be entitled to obtain letters patent for a homestead as if he/she were a British subject provided that he/she satisfies the Minister of the Interior that in all other respects save the period of residence that he/she is qualified to be naturalized.

1915

• Residence and cultivation duties waived for those whose injuries during service in the First World War made compliance with homestead duties impossible.

Pre-emptions

Pre-emptions were introduced in 1874 and allowed a homesteader to obtain a second quarter section of land adjacent to the homestead.

• The homesteader could receive the patent for the pre-emption by paying a fixed price for the land after receiving the patent for the homestead.
• Pre-emptions could be purchased up to 3 years after the homestead was patented and could remain unimproved for at least 6 years after the date of entry.
• This system was cancelled in 1890 and reinstated in 1908.

After an amendment to the Dominion Lands Act In 1908, pre-emptions could be made by any person who had obtained or intended to obtain an adjoining homestead entry.

• Resident requirements for the pre-emption could be satisfied by residence on the homestead.
• Cultivation requirements – 50 acres in addition to the homestead requirements – could also be satisfied on the homestead.
• Patent for the pre-emption could be obtained when a fixed price for the land had been paid by installments over eight years.

Purchased Homesteads

Purchased homesteads were available from 1871 to 1918.  Under this system, a settler could purchase 160 acres of land within a nine mile radius of his or her homestead quarter.  The price for the land was $3.00 per acre. A one-third down payment was required and the balance was to be paid in five equal installments.