CLIMATIC  TABLE

Climate . Places . Above the Mean Sea . Winter Temp . (A) Moderate and Medicine Hat, lat . 2171 ft . 14'3° F . changeable 5o° N . 3421 „ 15.4° Calgary, lat . 51 ° 4515 „ 15'9° Banff, lat . 512° (B) Steady • . Edmonton, lat .

531° 2210 „ 10.3° (C) Severe Fort

Chipewyan, lat . 600 „ 7.2° „ 59° N . Climate (A) allows, in what is a great ranching district, cattle and horses to run at large through the whole winter . Through the mountain passes come at times dry winds from the Pacific coast, which lick up the snow in a few hours . These winds are known as Chinook winds . While elevating the temperature they bring more moisture into the air and produce a change not entirely desirable . Climate (B) is the steady winter climate of Edmonton district . This while averaging a lower temperature than (A) is not so subject to change; it retains the snow for sleighing, which is a boon to the farmer . This climate is much less influenced by the Pacific winds than (A) . Climate (C), that of Fort Chipewyan, having a mean winter temperature of 22.6° lower than Calgary, is a decidedly sub-arctic climate . It is the region in winter of constant ice and snow, but its lower altitude gives it a summer climate with a mean temperature of only 1.6° less than Calgary, and 1.8° less than Edmonton . It will thus be seen that the agricultural capabilities of the Athabasca and Peace river districts, not yet fully known, are full of promise .

Fauna.—The three climatic regions of Alberta have naturally a varying fauna . The south and central region was the land of the bison, its grasses affording a great pasture ground for tens of thousands of " buffaloes.” They were destroyed by whites and Indians in 1879–1882 on the approach of the Canadian Pacific railway . Grizzly, black and cinnamon bears are found in the mountains and wooded districts . The coyote or small wolf, here and there the grey wolf, the fox and the mountain lion (panther) occur . The moose and red deer are found in the wooded regions, and the jumping deer and antelope on the prairies . - Wild sheep and goats live in the Rocky Mountains . The lynx, wolverine, porcupine, skunk, hare, squirrel and mouse are met . The gopher is a resident of the dry plains . District (C) is the fur-trader's 4' yogi/ ooi// <a«woerLe[wm IslLand 9 . aAnn - ~~ on L• n ne• S ath o TO . ,40 Bight .. ,J , Pigeon weep._ 9' .

Buck Gull V.” °rtjefl. as~ .~C• . ffa 'Pb - b Stealer' , Bulb,- Sou ouy* rl an'Kt k©atrfaN;`~,:y Dou/ aund~na Hill ALBERTA English Miles ° 5. too Raileays „- .. Canals +•-r Grand Trunk Pacific R °T P'n t+t~” { adia Mf Butd H c . ct •ri•ge titling EtziNotn ' ®as Coulee. akaegi Milk B . bisknu, Lakes Pt.vtYtna+on ake affa cad s paradise . The buffalo is replaced by the mountain buffaloes, of which a few survive . The musk-ox comes in thousands every year to the great northern lakes, while the mink, marten, beaver, otter, ermine and musk-rat are sought by the fur-trader . Fort Chipewyan was long known in Hudson's Bay Company history as the great depot of the Mackenzie river district . Northern Alberta and the region farther north is the nesting-ground of the migratory birds . Here vast numbers of ducks, geese, swans and pelicans resort every year . Cranes, partridges and varieties of singing birds abound . The eagle, hawk, owl and crow are plentiful .

Mosquitoes and flies are everywhere, and the

wasp and wild bee also . In the rivers and lakes pike, pickerel, white fish and sturgeon supply food for the natives, and the brook trout is found in the small mountain streams . The turtle and frog also appear . Flora.—In central and northern Alberta the opening spring brings in the prairie anemone, the avens and other early flowers . The advancing summer introduces many flowers of the sunflower family, until in August the plains are one blaze of ,yellow and purple . The southern part of Alberta is covered by a short grass, very nutritive, but drying up in the middle of summer until the whole prairie is brown and unattractive . The trees in the wooded sections of the province are seen in clumps and belts on the hill-sides . These are largely deciduous . On the north side of the Saskatchewan river forests prevail for scores and even hundreds of miles . They contain the poplar or aspen (Populus tremuloides), balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera), and paper or canoe birch (Betula papyrifera) . The Coniferae are found northward and in the mountain valleys . Some of these are: Jack pine (Pinus Banksiana), Rocky Mountain pine (Pinus flexilis), black pine (Pinus Murrayana), white spruce (Picea elba), black spruce (Picea nigra), Engelman's spruce (Picea Engelmanni), mountain balsam (Abies subalpina), Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga Douglesii), mountain larch (Larix Lyallis) .

Population.—By the census of Igo6 the population of Alberta was found to be 185,412 . It has grown from 73,022 in 190I (the area of Alberta being then slightly different) . The basis of the population is Canadian, and the immigration has been chiefly from (I) the British Isles, (2) United States, (3) continent of Europe (chiefly Austria, Hungary and Russia) . Of the population in 19o1, 17,245 had immigrated thither from the three mentioned sources . The following table shows the percentages of origins: 190I . Canadian and native born 54 % The British Isles 6.8 % United States . 16.6 % Continent of Europe 24'4 % Of the Indian and Indian half-breed population there were in 1901, 14,669 of the former and 11,635 of the latter . The Indians of central Alberta are chiefly plain Crees, a tribe of Algonquin stock . In southern Alberta are several thousands of Indians on reserves south and west of Calgary, consisting of the Blackfoots of Algonquin stock, Sarcees, Piegans and a few Assiniboins . The chief cities and towns of Alberta are Edmonton (11,167), Calgary (11,967), Medicine Hat (3020), Lethbridge (2948) and Strathcona (2927) . Industries.— The chief industries of the people are farming and ranching . Cattle, horses and sheep are largely reared in the southern prairie region on ranches or smaller holdings .

In this region

irrigation is widely used . Red winter wheat is now produced to a considerable degree . In the town of Raymond is a large beet sugar manufactory, and in the vicinity great quantities of beets are grown by irrigation . In central Alberta coarse grains—oats and barley—and some wheat are grown, in conjunction with mixed farming . While washing out the sands of the North Saskatchewan for gold is still somewhat resorted to, the only real mining in Alberta is that for coal . Vast beds of coal are found extending for hundreds of miles, a short distance below the surface of the plains . The coal belongs to the Cretaceous beds, and while not so heavy as that of the Coal Measures is of excellent quality . In the valley of the Bow river, alongside the Canadian Pacific railway, valuable beds of anthracite coal axe worked,; and the coal is carried by railway as far east as Winnipeg . The usual coal deposits of Alberta are of bituminous or semi-bituminous coal . These are largely worked at Lethbridge in southern Alberta and Edmonton in the centre of the province . Many other parts of the province have pits for private use . The Athabasca river region, as well as localities far north on the Mackenzie river, has decided indications of petroleum, though it is not yet developed .

Natural

gas has been found at several points . The most notable gas discovery is that at Medicine Hat, which has wells with unlimited quantities . The gas is excellent, is used for lighting the town, supplies light and fuel for the people, and a number of industries are using the gas for manufacturing . Communications.—For transportation the North Saskatchewan is to some extent depended on for carrying freight by steamboats, but railways are widespread in the province . The Canadian Pacific railway has its main line running from east to west chiefly between 50 and 510 N . Over this line passes an enormous trade from the, Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean—the railway with its "Empress " steamers on the Pacific and also on the Atlantic Ocean claiming to have as its termini Liverpool and Yokohama . A branch line of the Canadian Pacific railway runs from Medicine Hat between 490 and 500 N., passing through the Crow's Nest Pass of the Rocky Mountains and carrying on trade with British Columbia . Another branch from Calgary runs southward to Macleod, and to Lethbridge there comes from the south a branch of the Great Northern railway of the United States, connecting with the state of Montana . From Calgary to Edmonton north-ward runs a line under the control of the Canadian Pacific railway . From this railway also run, eastward from Lacombe and Wetaskiwin, branch lines to complete the system . In 1906 the new line of the Canadian Northern railway was opened, connecting Winnipeg, I000 m. to the east, along the North Saskatchewan river, with Edmonton . The Grand Trunk Pacific railway, backed by the Canadian government, forms a new transcontinental line; the prairie section from Winnipeg to Edmonton was in 1908 under contract .

Administration, &°c.—The local government of Alberta is carried on by a provincial organization resembling that of the other Canadian provinces . The capital of the province is Edmonton, and here reside the lieutenant-governor and cabinet . The legislature consists of one house—the Legislative Assembly—of twenty-five members . Responsible government after the British model is followed, and the revenue is chiefly derived from grants from the Dominion government . Alberta has a system of-municipal government similar to that of the other provinces . Education is given by a public-school system, which, while nominally providing for separate schools for Catholics and Protestants, makes it practically impossible at most points to carry on such schools . A normal school is situated at Calgary . There is a college for secondary education in Calgary and another in Edmonton . The following are the leading denominations in Alberta:-, 1901 . Roman Catholics x2,957 Presbyterians 10,655 Methodists 9,623 Church of England 8,888 Lutherans . . 5,810 Greek Church . 4,618 Mormons 3,212 Baptists 2,722 The Mormons of Alberta are in the most southerly part of the province, and are a colony from the Mormon settlements in Utah, U.S .

On coming to

Canada they were given lands by, the Dominion of Canada . The organization adopted in Utah among the Mormons is found also in Alberta, but the Canadian Mormons profess to have received a later revelation condemning polygamy . History.—The present province of Alberta as far north as the height of land (53° N.) was from the, time of the, incorporation of the Hudson's Bay Company (167o) a part of Rupert's Land . After the discovery of the north-west by the French in 1731 and succeeding years the prairies of the west were occupied by, them, and Fort La Jonquiere was established near the present city of Calgary (1752) . The North-West Company of Montreal occupied the northern part of Alberta district before the Hudson's Bay Company succeeded in coming from Hudson Bay to take possession of it . The first hold of the Athabasca region was gained by Peter Pond, who, on behalf of the North-West Company of Montreal, built Fort Athabasca on river La Biche in 1778 . Roderick Mackenzie, cousin of Sir Alexander Mackenzie, built Fort Chipewyan on Lake Athabasca in 1788 . By way of the North Saskatchewan river Alexander Mackenzie crossed the height of land, and proceeding northward discovered the river which bears his name, and also the Arctic Sea . Afterward going westward from Lake Athabasca and through the Peace river, he reached the Pacific Ocean, being the first white man to cross the North American continent, north of Mexico . As part of the North-West Territories the district of Alberta was organized in 1875 . Additional privileges and a local legislature were added from time to time . At length in 1905 the district of Alberta was enlarged and the present province formed by the Dominion parliament .

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