6Crossing the 49Th Parallel
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Crossing the 49th Parallel Community, Culture, and Church in the Canadian Environment 6 REBECCA J. DOIG AND DANIEL H. OLSEN When Charles Ora Card and the first company of Mormon This chapter will explore the extent to which Mormon settlers crossed the border into Canada in 1887, they settlers crossing the border from the United States into “halted and gave three cheers for [their] liberty as exiles for Canada were successful in recreating a typical Utah com- [their] religion.”1 These Mormon settlers had high hopes for munity in southern Alberta and how their pattern of living Canada. Church President John Taylor had counselled Card enriched Canadian life. It will evaluate the ways in which to seek refuge in Canada, observing, “I have always found they were forced to adapt to the unique political, legal, justice under the British flag.”2 Much like the Aboriginal social, and climatic environment in Canada. It will assess peoples of the day who believed that by crossing the US- the degree to which southern Alberta Latter-day Saint cul- Canadian border they were crossing a “medicine line,” Mor- ture in its early decades was enhanced and transformed mons hoped that north of the border they would find a safe by ongoing interactions with LDS culture in the United haven where they could continue their religious beliefs and States. This chapter will also address the extent to which practices without harassment.3 But the desire to re-create southern Alberta culture was able to spread throughout the their unique society in this new land north of the 49th par- rest of Canada and what new ideas emerged as the Church allel not only involved the immediate challenges of adapt- grew across the country and as Latter-day Saints had to ing to a new physical, social, and political environment, but deal with the challenges that they faced in an environment had long-term consequences in terms of establishing a new where they were in the minority. The study will consider church in a new land with differing political traditions. the changes that came to LDS culture in Canada from Political borders act as psychological and physical the 1960s to the 1990s as the Church began to globalize, barriers to the movement of people, goods, services, cul- simplify, and refocus its programs, and drop its American tural ideas, and values. Yet, as one expert has pointed out, cultural bias. It will assess the impact of the growing Cana- the US-Canadian border has long displayed “variability dian ethnic diversity on Mormon culture and the extent to in its role as an inhibitor.”4 As the longest unmilitarized which there has emerged a distinctive Canadian-Mormon border in the world, the US-Canadian border has acted culture and identity in the twenty-first century. At the as a semipermeable barrier rather than an absolute barrier same time, this chapter will reflect on the political culture between the two countries. At different points along the of Canadian Mormons, the functioning of the Church as length of the border and at different times in the history, an institution within the Canadian legal framework, and cross-border movement has occurred with varying levels of the problems related to cross-border movements of people intensity. The US-Canadian border has been a major factor and commodities. These are issues which Card could have in determining the differing cultural, economic, and polit- hardly imagined as he found a new home for his coreligion- ical trajectories of Mormon settlements on either side of it. ists in this northern refuge. CANADIAN MORMONS 145 146 CANADIAN MORMONS CrossinG THE 49TH PARALLEL 147 ◀ As Church President John ESTABLISHMENT OF A DISTINCT to Raymond, Magrath, and other Mormon Taylor predicted, Mormons MORMON COMMUNITY IN communities as they were established. arriving in Alberta in the SOUTHERN ALBERTA The ways in which the Mormons cel- 1880s were treated fairly by ebrated Dominion Day, however, were the Canadian government. Adjusting to Canadian Laws: more similar to a 4th of July celebration (Darrel Nelson) The Presence of the North-West than to Dominion Day observances of the Mounted Police time.7 Their rousing American-style cele- While the southern Alberta settlements brations seemed rather odd to their neigh- were similar to other LDS settlements in bours, who typically observed the holiday the American Intermountain West, the as a day of “popular leisure and recreation” border was an important factor, right from rather than a day of “patriotic ceremonial the beginning, making the Alberta com- and public rejoicing.”8 In his history of the munities distinct from their American North-West Mounted Police, R. C. Macleod counterparts. When Mormons arrived in commented that the Mormons’ enthusias- Utah, they were beyond the frontiers of tic display every 1 July was curious, “since the United States, and thus Church leaders instead of making the Latter Day Saints hoped that they could practice their faith less conspicuous it only made them more without outside interference. Conflict came so. Canadians generally tended to be unde- later as the United States extended territo- monstrative on the occasion.”9 rial control throughout Utah and imposed ▶ Bishop Levi Harker of laws banning the practice of polygamy. In Magrath encouraged the contrast, it is significant that when the first Saints in Magrath to be patri- Mormon settlers arrived in Canada, the otic Canadians. He erected a law, enforced by the North-West Mounted giant flagpole with the Union Police (later renamed the Royal Canadian Jack atop. Liberty poles like Mounted Police, or RCMP), was already this were popular in the United established and had a strong presence in States at that time but not southern Alberta. This was a significant common in Canada. Harker Canadianizing influence on the Mormon is shown at the top of the pole settlers and ensured that they obeyed the with men below preparing laws of their new homeland. dynamite to explode between two anvils to announce the Embracing a New Homeland: Early beginning of a celebration Mormon Patriotism in Canada day.10 (Magrath Museum) Mormon settlers in Alberta were conscious of being in a different country and made efforts to embrace their new homeland. Card and other Church leaders encour- ◀ C Troop of the North- aged the Saints to take out Canadian citi- West Mounted Police at Fort zenship.5 Church leaders also made efforts Macleod, 1879. The North- to demonstrate loyalty to their new home- West Mounted Police was estab- land, initiating elaborate Dominion Day Adapting to the Canadian Climate lished in 1873 and had estab- celebrations at Lee Creek on 1 July 1887, a The first party of settlers who crossed into lished a fort at Fort Macleod few weeks after their arrival, complete with Canada on 1 June 1887 woke up to four by 1874. Hence, they were a picnic, speeches, singing, foot and horse inches of snow the next morning.11 This well established in southern racing, jumping, and a parade. Nearby was a forceful reminder that they were Alberta before the arrival of the Blood Tribe members, local ranchers, and not in Utah anymore and that the Cana- first Mormon settlers in 1887. NWMP were invited to attend.6 In later dian climate would pose new challenges (Glenbow Archives NA-98-18) years, similar celebrations were extended for the Saints. Nonetheless, as Card noted, 148 CANADIAN MORMONS they planted wheat, oats, and alfalfa in the experiments with irrigation shortly ▶ This map shows the town first year. The seeds “came up in a luxu- after founding Cardston.18 This laid the of Magrath one-mile square riant manner” and the “soil [was] quick groundwork for an unprecedented eco- divided into ten-acre blocks and productive.”12 Most years, crops nomic agreement between Elliott Galt and with eight 1.25-acre lots per were grown successfully, and Mormons Charles A. Magrath and the Mormons (see block. Central blocks were set were important in establishing new agri- chapter 3), which led to the building of an aside for schools, a church, cultural practices in southern Alberta. irrigation canal from Kimball to Stirling, and businesses. Lots were big They were instrumental in proving that with a branch line to Lethbridge.19 The enough that families could wheat, including spring wheat, could building of this canal led to a large influx plant trees and shrubs, have a be successfully grown on the prairies. of additional Mormon settlers from Utah large garden, and keep chick- They also introduced alfalfa and were to southern Alberta beginning in 1899 ens and a dairy cow or two on early proponents of sheep farming,13 as and led to the founding of the towns of their lot, but small enough that well as pioneering farm-related industry Magrath and Stirling. In 1901, the com- residents enjoyed close associ- including flour mills, sugar beet factories, munity of Raymond was built along the ations with their neighbours creameries, and cheese factories. Over the canal as well. Bringing irrigation to south- and community. Though not years, experimentation by Mormons, as ern Alberta must number among one of identical, most Mormon set- well as government-owned experimental the most important Mormon contribu- tlements in southern Alberta and model farms, led to improved farming tions to Canada. were designed in a similar techniques and greater yields. Sugar beets, way. (Magrath Museum) introduced into southern Alberta thanks Plat of Zion and Agricultural to the investment of LDS businessman Villages and philanthropist Jesse Knight in 1901, One of the key goals of early Mormon pio- were a unique LDS innovation.14 neers in Alberta was to recreate the sense With regard to climate, as one scholar of community they had enjoyed in inter- on Alberta settlement patterns has mountain settlements in the United States.