1892

A t w o monLli p a t r o l , u n d e r t h e command o f S g t . S.
H e t h e r i n g t o n , was made t o A t h a b a s c a L a n d i i i i ' . d u r i n g
Lhio s u m m e r l o r L h e p u r p o s e o f p r e v e n t i n g
liquor
f r o m b e i n g t a k e n i n t o Lhe d i s t r i c t where i t was
p r o h i b i t e d by N o r t h WesL I e r r i L o r i a l
Ordinance.
The
p o l i c i n g o f Lhe d i s L r i c t was Lhe r e s p o n s i b i l i t y
o f "G" D i v i s i o n w h i c h t h e n h a d i t s H e a d q u a r t e r s a L
F art
S a s k a L c Ii e w a n .

1893

One o f f i c e r , o n e N.C.O. ( S g t . H E i H E R INGTON) , e i g h t ( 8 )
c o n s t a b l e s and two i n t e r p r e t e r s were s t a t i o n e d at
A t h a b a s c a h a n d i n g f r o m Mav t o ScpLtMiiber a n d o u t o f t h i s
s t r e n g t h , o u t p o s t s were opened a t L e s s e r S l a v e R i v e r and
Grand Rapids.
These detachments l i v e d i n t e n t s and t h e i r
p u r p o s e was t o p r e v e n t
liquor being taken
into the prohibited d i s t r i c t s .
Names o f t h e o t h e r p e r s o n n e l a r e n o t g i v e n .

1894

As i n t h e p r e v i o u s y e a r , a d e t a c h m e n t was s e n t Lo A L h a b a s c a
Landing wiLh o u t p o s t s at L e s s e r Slave R i v e r and Grand
Rapids.
I n s p e c t o r D.M. HOWARD, t w o ( 2 ) N . C . O . s . t w o ( 2 ) c o n s t a b l e s
and one I n t e r p r e L e r were a t L e s s e r S l a v e R j v e r and 3 c o n s t a b l e s were a t t h e Grand
Rapids.

1895

DeLachments were a g a i n p l a c e d at A t h a b a s c a L a n d i n g ,
Lesser
Slave R i v e r and Grand Rapids.
One N.C.O., t w o ( 2 ) c o n s t a b l e s
and
one I n L o r p r e L e r wore a t Cirand R a p i d s
165 m i l e s down t h e
Athabasca River to overhaul
Lhc- M a c k e n z i e R i v e r
d i s t r i c t
f r e i g h t ; t h r o e ( 3 ) c o n s t a b l e s and one I n t e r p r e t e r were a t t h e
m o u t h o f t h e L e s s e r S l a v e R i v e r 75 m i l e s u p t h e A t h a b a s c a L o
overhaul
Peace R i v e r d i s t r i c t
f r e i rg h t a n d o n e N . C . O . a n d o n e
C o n s L a b l e were a t A t h a b a s c a Landint ,, 100 m i l e s n o r t h o f L o r L
SaskaLchewan.
'these d e t a c h m e n t s w e r e u n d e r c a n v a s a n d t h e i r
p u r p o s e was t o p r e v e n t
l i q u o r from being taken i n t o the p r o h i bited areas.
L r e i g h t c o u l d n o t bo s e a r c h e d
f o rliquor at
A t h a b a s c a L a n d i n o . h o w e v e r , as t h a t p l a c e was n o t w i t h i n t h e
prohibited d i s t r i c t .
Lhe f r e i g h t m u s t be i n s i d e Lhe b o u n d a r y
o e i o r e cue p o l i c e c o u l d l e g a l l y s e a r c h f o r , s e i z e and d e s t r o y
l i q u o r not under permit.
This i s the reason
i t was n e c e s s a r y
f o r t h e o u t p o s t s t o be e s t a b l i s h e d a t G r a n d R a p i d s a n d a t L e s s e r
S l a v e R i v e r , both p l a c e s b e i n g w i t h i n Lhe p r o h i b i t e d
area.

. . ./2

O

1_896

D u e t o a s h o r t a g e o f m a n p o w e r i n "G" D i v i s i o n s , t h e
Commanding O f f i c e r , S u p e r i n t e n d e n t A.H. GRIESBACH a t
Fort Saskatchewan, s t a t e s i nh i s report o f 1896 that
he f o u n d i t n e c e s s a r y t o r e d u c e t h e s t r e n g t h o f A t h a b a s c a L a n d i n e d e t a c h rm e n t .
By August o f 1896 o n l y one
N.C.O. ( S / S g t .
S . H E I H E R I N G T O N ) ,' 1 C o n s t a b l e
(Cst.
P H I L L I P S ) a n d 1 I n t e r p r e t e r (James GULLION) were
there.
The
outposts
a t Grand Rapids and t h eL i t t l e Slave
River
(or
Lesser
S l a v e R i v e r a s i t was a l s o r e f e r r e d t o ) were
not opened t h a t y e a r because o f t h emanpower
shortage.
S u p e r i n t e n d e n t GRIESBACH a l s o m e n t i o n s t h a t he found i t
necessary t o place a horse at Athabasca Landing
during
the
year.
C o m m i s s i o n e r HERCHMER, i nh i s r e p o r t o f 1896,
refers to
t h e G o v e r n m e n t ' s d e c i s i o n t o s e n d a s m a l l NWMP p a t r o l
i n t o t h eAthabasca d i s t r i c t
as f a r north as Fort
Resolut i o n t o look into various matters such as t h e prevalence
of d e s t r u c t i v e f i r e s , t r a f f i c i n l i q u o r and t h e a l l e g e d
w h o l e s a l e s e t t i n g o u t o f poison by w h i t e t r a p p e r s
i n the
area.
The p a t r o l , l e d by an I n s n c c t o r h o l d i n g a J u s t i c e
o f t h e P e a c e a p p o i n t m e n t a n d t h a t o f a Game G u a r d i a n ,
was
t o leave F o r t Saskatchewan e a r l y i n 1897 by d o g team.

1897

On J a n u a r y 4 , 1 8 9 7 I n s p e c t o r A . M . J A R V I S , S / S g t . H E T H E R I N G T O N ,
g u i d e James GULLION and d o g d r i v e r P . LUTIT J r . l e f t
Fort
Saskatchewan for Fort
Resolution.
T r a v e l l i n g v i a Lac l aBiche, Fort McMurrav, Fort
Chipewyan,
Smith's L a n d i n g (nowF i t s g e r a l d ) and Fort S m i t h ,
I n s p er c t o r
JARVIS a r r i v e d a t Fort R e s o i u t i o n on Febri^uary 13th.
Ihe
r e t u r n t r i p w a s made v i a F o r t V e r m i l l i o n , L e s s e r
Slave
Lake
and
Athabasca Landing.
Inspector JARVlS returned
to Fort
S a s k a t c h e w a n on A p r i l 15th 1897 a f t e r a round t r i p o f more
than 2,000 m i l e s .
In h i s r e p o r t , that
i s p r i n t e d i n i t s e n t i r e t y i n t h e NWMP
A n n u a l R e p o r t f o r 1897 , I n s p . J A K V I S c o v e r s f u l l y a l l a s p e c t ,
of t h ecountry
including liquor, poison,
fires,
fisheries,
t i m b e r , hay,
settlements,
fur bearing animals and larger
game s u c h a s wood b u f f a l o , c a r i b o u a n d m o o s e .
'Ihe p a t r o l w a s c o n s i d e r e d
a great
success as the natives
and
t r a p p e r s were a l l . i n f o r m e d by hand b i l l s
distributed
among them, a n d by p e r s o n a l
communication, o f t h e laws
r e s p e c t i n g game, l i q u o r , f o r e s t f i r e s , and t h e p r o t e c t i o n
of t h e wood b u f f a l o .
A n u m b e r o f a r r e s t s w e r e made a n d
convictions generally followed, but except i ng l a r i n g cases
w h e n t h e p a r t i e s w e r e wed I a w a r e o f t h e l a w , I n s p .
JARVIS
merely cautioned
the delinquents.
One
o f t h e r e s u l t s o f t h i s p a t r o l , was t h ee s t a b l i s h m e n t o f
p e r m a n e n t p o l i c e d e t a c h m e n t s a t F o r t C h i p e w y a n (1 C s t . ) ,
A t h a b a s c a L a n d i n g (1 C s t . ) a n d L e s s e r
Slave Lake (2 C s t s . ,
1 I n t e r p r e t e r and 2 pack
ponies).

1898

On D e c e m b e r 1 6 , 1 8 9 7
I n s p - W.H.
ROUTLEDGE l e f t F t . Sask.
for F t . Simpson v i a Athabasca Landing v i s i t i n g
enroute
Grand Rapids, F o r t s McMurray, Chipewyan, Smith, R e s o l u t i o n
and
Providence.
F o r t S i m p s o n was
r e a c h e d on F o b .
7,
1898.
I n s p . K O U T L E D G E was
a c c o m p a n i e d by S / S g t . S.
HEiHERINGTON
a n d W i l l i a n a n d A r c h i e ROWLAND.
'Lhe p a r t y v i s i t e d
and
d i s t r i b u t e d m a i l t o a l l the d i f f e r e n t camps of Yukon bound
p a r t i e s and
r e t u r n e d t o F t . 9S a s k a t c h e w a n o n M a r c h 2 6 ,
1898
a f t e r t r a v e l l i n g a t o t a l of
,17 2 m i l e s .

1901

See
attached
r e p o r t of Supt . (X)NSiANTlNE
COUNTRY".
The
s t r e n g t h of detachment at
was
two.

1905

On M a r c h 1 s t , a new
p o l i c e d i s t r i c t known as
"ATHABASCA"
was
c r e a t e d and
"N"
D i v i s i o n , under Superintendent
C.
C O N S T A N T I N E was
organized
for duty i n this d i s t r i c t .
The
H e a d q u a r t e r s o f t h e new
d i v i s i o n was
at Lesser Slave
Lake.
For the time b e i n g , however, Athabasca Landing detachment
r e m a i n e d a s p a r t o f "G"
Division.

19Q7

I n t h e L e s s e r S l a v e L a k e a r e a t h a t t h e r e was
a decided
change
f o r the b e t t e r i n t r a n s p o r t a t ion to Lesser Slave Lake
from
Athabasca Landing,
and
the o l d and
Lime-honoured scows wiLh
t h e i r c r e w s had
a l m o s t e n t i r e l y g i v e n way
to steamers.
In
U u l y t h e S.S.
"Northern
L i g h t " made Iier f i r s t
t r i p on
Lesser
S l a v e Lake and
p l i e d f r o m cud t o end
almost weekly.
Mail
f a c i l i t i e s w e r e much i m p r o v e d and
i t was
now
a
comparatively
easy m a t t e r to get mail from Lesser Slave Lake to Athabasca
Landing,
the nearest
t e l e g r a p h s t a t i o n , a d i s t a n c e of
about
200 m i l e s .
N a v i g a t i o n on t h e P e a c e and A t h a b a s c a R i v e r s
was
general
d u r i n g most of the summer, the s t e a m e r "Peace R i v e r "
made t h r e e t r i p s b e t w e e n t h e c h u t e s and F o r t S t . J o h n , and
on
the A t h a b a s c a R i v e r the l a r g e steamer " M i d n i g h t
Sun"
connected
w i t h the "Northern
Light."

o n "THE
NORTHERN
Athabasca
Landing

I t i s a l s o n o t e d t h a t the f i r s t wave of i m m i g r a t i o n
into
the
P e a c e R i v e r a r e a had
begun.
A p a r t y o f 50 men,
under a
Mr.
Lampman, had
gone t h r o u g h to l o c a t e i n the S p i r i t
River
d i s t r i c t and
i t was
understood that other p a r t i e s were
to
follow.
I t i s m e n t i o n e d t h a t not a g r e a t d e a l of
agriculture
was
c a r r i e d o u t i n t h e a r e a , e x c e p t a r o u n d V e r m i l l i o n whereg o o d saw
and
g r i s t m i l l s were i n e x i s t e n c e .
Near Peace R i v e r C r o s s i n g t h e r e were s e v e r a l good crops
but
not
up t o t h e y i e l d o f f o r m e r y e a r s as some had
b e e n h i t by
early frosts.
M e n t i o n i s made t h a t , a l t h o u g h
t h e r e was
a
good p o t e n t i a l f o r a g r i c u l t u r e and
i n d u s t r y i n the Peace R i v e r
a r e a , l o c a l m a r k e t s w e r e s m a l l and u n t i l r a i l w a y s w e r e
built
i n t o the area the prospect
of i n c r e a s e d g r a i n g r o w i n g
and.
a g r i c u l t u r a l p r o s p e r i t y was
limited.
In o t h e r words the
future
o f t h e a r e a h i n g e d on one w o r d " T r a n s p o r t a t i o n . "

1908

On O c t o b e r 1 2 , 1908
t h e H e a d q u a r t e r s o f "N"
Division
( A t h a b a s c a D i s t r i c t ) was
t r a n s f e r r e d to Athabasca
Landing
from L e s s e r Slave Lake.
S u p e r i n t e n d e n t W.H.
ROUTLEDGE
was
the O f f i c e r Commanding.
The s t r e n g t h o f t h e
Sub/District
i n 1 9 0 8 was
as f o l l o w s :
Athabasca

Lesser

1910

t)

a
™
..J

SB

Landing:

Slave

Lake:

Peace

River

Fort

Vermilion;

1
1

Superintendent, I Inspector, 1 Sergeant,
C o r p o r a l , 3 C o n s t a b l e s , 2 Sp. C o n s t a b l e s

1

Sergeant,

Crossing:

1

Staff

1 Constable, 2

Sp.

Constables

Sergeant

1

Sergeant

Sawridge:

1

Constable

Chipewyan:

1

Sergeant,

1 Constable,

1

Sp.

Constable

Smith's

1

Corporal,

1 Constable,

1

Sp.

Constable

Macphe r s o n :

1

Sergeant,

2 Constables,

Herschel

Island:

1

Inspector, 1
tables

Sturgeon

Lake

1

Constabl

Landing:

Staff

1 Sp.

Sergeant,

Constable
2

Sp.

Cons-

S u p e r i n t e n d e n t G.E.
S A N D E R S , D.S.O. was
now
i n command o f
" N " D i v i s i o n , r e p l a c i n g S u p t . ROUTLEDGE.
"N" D i v i s i o n
now
c o n s i s t e d o f Peace-Athabasca
and M a c k e n z i e R i v e r D i s t r i c t a r e a s ,
a t o t a l o f 6 2 0 , 0 0 0 s q u a r e m i l e s , o r e q u i v a l e n t t o one f i f t h o f
the t o t a l l a n d a r e a of Canada.
In the A t h a b a s c a p o l i c e
district
a l o n e ( t h e N o r t h e r n p a r t of the p r o v i n c e of A l b e r t a ) t h e r e were
130 t h o u s a n d
square m i l e s .
I t i s n o t e d t h a t s e t t l e r s were
p o u r i n g i n t o t h e A t h a b a s c a L a n d i n g , G r a n d e P r a i r i e and Upper
Peace R i v e r A r e a s .
One p a t r o l o f i n t e r e s t was made t h r o u g h t h e d i s t r i c t i n
1910.
Sgt.
D a r l i n g and C o n s t a b l e s S t . L a u r e n t and Howen, p a t r o l l e d
from A t h a b a s c a L a n d i n g t o W h i t e h o r s e , Y.T. w i t h p a c k h o r s e s .
T h e y l e f t W h i t e h o r s e O c t . 1.5, t h e same y e a r , a f t e r
travelling
a t o t a l o f a p p r o x i m a t e l y 1700 m i l e s .
Ihe o b j e c t o f t h e i r
p a t r o l vjas t o f o l l o w a n d c l e a r t h e p o l i c e t r a i l
t h r o u g h to the
Government t e l e g r a p h l i n e n o r t h of H a z e l t o n , then to
Whitehorse
via
T e l e g r a p h C r e e k and A t l i n .
S g t . D a r l i n g noted t h a t between
F o r t S t . J o l m , B . C . a n d a ' I e l e g i a p h C r e e k , o n l y two w h i t e
men,
o n e h a l f b r e e d a n d a few I n d i a n s w e r e m e t .
T h e r o a d was
i n very
bad s h a p e , a g r e a t d e a l of f a l l e n t i m b e r b l o c k e d the t r a i l
and
many o f t h e b r i d g e s h a d c i t h e r r o t t e d o r h a d b e e n w a s h e d a w a y .

On M a r c h 1, 1 9 1 2 , S u p t . S a n d e r s r e t i r e d a n d I i i s p o s i t i o n
was
f i l l e d b y S n p t . T . A . W r o u g h t o n , who t o o k o v e r command
o n "N" D i v i s i o n .
I t i s noted t h a t v a r i o u s companies were
s e a r c h i n g e x t e n s i v e l y f o r o i l and gas i n t h e Peace and
A t h a b a s c a r e g i o n s a n d t h a t many new s e t t l e r s c o n t i n u e d t o
arrive.
On J u n e 1, 1 9 1 3 , S u p t . A . E . C . M c D o n e l l t o o k o v e r command
o f "N" D i v i s i o n .
I t i s n o t e d t h a t on August
1913 a
f i r e i n t h e t o w n o f A t h a b a s c a d e s t r o y e d two h o t e l s , a
number o f b u s i n e s s b l o c k s a n d a l l R o y a l N o r t h - W e s t M o u n t e d
Police buildings.
I t i sa l s o noted that s e t t l e r s
continued
to p o u r i n t o t h e Peace R i v e r a r e a , s e t t l e m e n t s and towns were
r a p i d l y d e v e l o p i n g , b u s i n e s s was b o o m i n g a n d t h a t t h e g e n e r a l
s t a t e o f t h e d i s t r i c t was o n e o f g r e a t d e v e l o p m e n t a n d p r o g r e s s .
A f t e r .the f i r e i n A t h a b a s c a t h e F o r c e o c c u p i e d
there and
a t L e s s e r S l a v e L a k e some s m a l l
b e e n made t o t h e q u a r t e r s .

rented buildings
improvements had

T h i s i s t h e l a s t c o m p l e t e y e a r t h a t H e a d q u a r t e r s o f "N" D i v i s i o n
was
at Athabasca.
A t t a c h e d i s a copy o f S u p t . M c D o n e l l ' s
e n t i r e r e p o r t f o r t h a t y e a r , g i v i n g an i d e a o f t h e work p e r f o r med b y t h e d i v i s i o n .
The H e a d q u a r t e r s o f " N " D i v i s i o n , u n d e r S u p t . A . E . C . M c . D o n e l l ,
was m o v e d f r o m A t h a b a s c a t o P e a c e R i v e r o n A u g u s t 3 , 1 9 1 6 .
U n d e r "N" D i v i s i o n w e r e f o u r S u b - D i s t r i c t s : P e a c e R i v e r S u b D i s t r i c t , u n d e r I n s p . R. F i e l d : t h e G r e a t S l a v e L a k e S u b - D i s t r i c t , under Insp. Tupper: theMackenzie R i v e r S u b - D i s t r i c t
u n d e r I n s p . C.D. L a N a u z e a n d L e s s e r S l a v e L a k e S u b - D i s t r i c t
under Insp. K.F.Anderson.
The detachments o f A t h a b a s c a ,
L a c L a B i c h e a n d F o r t M a c M u r r a y w e r e t r a n s f e r r e d t o "G" D i v i s i o n , H e a d q u a r t e r s now a t E d m o n t o n .
T h e r e was a c o n s i d e r a b l e c h a n g e i n t h e p o l i c i n g o f t h e p r a i r i e
p r o v i n c e s t h i s y e a r b e c a u s e o f war c o n d i t i o n s and t h e s u b s e q u e n t
c a n c e l l a t i o n o f t h e c o n t r a c t s between t h e F e d e r a l Government and
the p r o v i n c e s o f A l b e r t a , Saskatchewan and M a n i t o b a .
These
a g r e e m e n t s , w h i c h p r o v i d e d f o r t h e p o l i c i n g o f t h e p r o v i n c e s by
t h e R.N.W.M.P., h a d b e e n e n t e r e d i n t o w i t h A l b e r t a a n d S a s k a t c h e
wan i n 1905 a n d w i t h
<' M a n i t o b a i n 1 9 1 2 .
I-. t h e c a s e o f A l b e r t a t h e c a n c e l l a t i o n o f t h i s a g r e e m e n t
took
e f f e c t o n M a r c h 1 s t , 1 9 1 7 when t h e A l b e r t a P r o v i n c i a l
Police
took o v e r .
A t h a b a s c a d e t a c h m e n t was c l o s e d .
In December 1918 t h e F e d e r a l Government d e c i d e d t h a t t h e R o y a l
N o r t h - W e s t M o u n t e d P o l i c e w o u l d be t h e s o l e f e d e r a l p o l i c e
force
i n Western Canada, S u s e q u e n t l y , i n 1919, t h e s t r e n g t h o f t h e
F o r c e was i n c r e a s e d , d i s t r i c t s w e r e c o m p l e t e l y r e - a r r a n g e d a n d
t h e d i s t r i c t o f N o r t h e r n A l b e r t a came i n t o b e i n g .
This d i s t r i c t
i n c l u d e d t h e p o r t i o n o f B.C. e a s t o f t h e Rocky Mountains and
the Western p o r t i o n o f t h e Northwest T e r r i t o r i e s as w e l l as t h e
Northern part of the province of A l b e r t a .

1919

A c t i v e r e c r u i t i n g took p l a c e
rom Miiy t o S e p t e m b e r , 1 9 1 8 ,
a n d t h e t o t a l s t r e n g t h o f t h e F o r c e i n c r e a s e d i rom 303 men
i n S e p t e m b e r o f 1 9 1 8 , p r a c t i c a l l y an a l l t i m e l o w , t o 1 6 0 0
by S e p t e m b e r o f 1 9 1 9 .
reopened i n n o r t h e r n
A t h a t b a s c ; . was o n e o f s e v e r a l d e t a c h m e n t s
A t t a c h e d t o "G" D i v i s i o n , A t h a b a s c a h a d a s t r e n g t h
Alberta .
o f o n e man

1920

T h e RoyaL N o r t h West M o u n t e d P o l i c e a m a l g a m a t e d w i t h t h e
Dominior
Police creating a single federal force
exercising
jurisdiction
a c r o s s C a n a d a a n d named t h e R o y a l C a n a d i a n
M o u n t e d P o l i ce .

1924

Athabasca

1932

On A p r i l t h e R.C.M.P. a b s o r b e d t h e A l b e r t a P r o v i n c i a l
Police
assuming i t s r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r p o l i c i n g t h e p r o v i n c e under
contract.
D u t i e s were p e r f o r m e d by d e t a c h m e n t s
o f "K" D i v i s i o n
w i t h H e a d q u a r t e r s a t EdmontonA t h a b a s c a d e t a c h m e n t was r e o p e n e d w i t h o n e man o n s t r e n g t h .

1932

f!

- Present:

detachment

R.C.M.P.

was

closed.

detachment

Athabasca.