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In 1858, some 30,000 gold seekers stampeded to the Fraser River.

At the end of the nineteenth century, Canada’s prairies were still sparsely populated.

They looked impressive in their red tunics, but the members of the fledgling North West Mounted Police had little experience as they departed from Fort Garry in 1874 on a mission to bring order to

Gold rush fever in the 1860s brought thousands of miners to the new territories of British Columbia and the Yukon armed with rifles, revolvers, and bowie knives.

The far-ranging officers of the BC Provincial Police covered an area larger than California, Oregon, and Washington combined.