REP O RT O F THE RO Y AL CO MMISSIO N APP NTED BY DE R - I N - C U N C L O F DATE M AY 2 0 1 9 1 9 O I OR O I , 3 m m A . TO INVESTIG TE THE PO SS IB ILITIES O F THE REINDEERAND MUSK- OX INDUSTRIES I N THE ARCTIC AND SU B - ARCTIC REGIO NS O F CANADA F O HN G NIO N R THER RD . J U U O , C M G . JAM ES STANLEY M cLEAN JAMES BE RNARD HARK IN c$ P 8 1 0 1923 1x OTTAWA F A. A LAND . C P RI NTER TO THE K I NG’ S MO ST EX CELLENT MA$ESTY 1922 42627—1 LIST O F ILLU STRATIO NS — Frontispiece ( M u sk - ox Horn a d ay) M u sk - ox C a lves u k- ox a M s wool , c rded u - ox wool oversocks t a a B 1909 M sk , knit ed by M d me ernier , u —ox l a 1920 M sk woo sock (Stef nsson , ) M u sk - ox c a lf W . T . a Herschel Isl a nd N. ( Rolling Pr irie) . u Herschel Isl a nd N . W . T S mmer a W T . a Herschel Isl nd , N , Veget tion Herschel Isl a nd a a u a a n d a Herschel I sl nd , N t r l Shelter Veget tion B a a u u a ern rd H rbo r , S mmer Veget tion u a l a a E rope n Reindeer , Teller , A sk u a . Reindeer , $ st rrived u are a Reindeer , The yo ng very h rdy a a Reindeer , Origin l Grenfell herd , imported from Norw y “ ” a a B Reindeer M e t , shipped Ve l dressed (with hides on ) , est method when properly z fro en . a a a M ethod of P cking Reindeer , Al sk Cross between Reindeer a n d C a ribo u u a a a E rope n Reindeer , Teller , Al sk a Bu a la a A Winter C orr l on the ckl nd River , A sk M odern Al aska n Reindeer Corra ls for m a rking Reindeer a a a Reindeer on the Tr il , Al sk Grenfell Herd Reindeer Ba Govern ment Reindeer Herd , Lobster y a u a a a . C ribo ne r C rey L ke , N W T C a ribo u C a ribo u C a ribo u u a S mmer M igr tion , Copper Eskimo ( Coppermine River) l Reindeer , Horns in the Ve vet . E I I o a e ort o the Committee o the P riv Cou ncil C RT F ED CO PY f R p f f y , approved by His Ex cellen cy the Govern or General 2 t 1 1 9 . P . on 0 h Ma 9 C. y, ( P C Th e Commi ttee of the rivy ounci l h ave h ad before them a report , d ated 9 19 19 : M ay , , from the M inister of the Interior , stating as follows Special atten tion has recently been di rected to th e potentialities of th e - Arctic and su b Arctic regions of Canad a as a grazing coun try . I t is represented th at in these regions there is an abundan t growth of vegetation in the summer , wh ich forms nu tritious food for grazing an imals i n win ter as well a s summer . I t is estimated that there are at least a million squ are miles of such grazing f t oo ground s in Northern Canada . The winter climate o these areas is severe for - ox an d ord inary domestic cattle , bu t musk reindeer can graze there in the open al l the year round . The d imension s o f the reindeer indu stry in Lapland o f and in Siberia , and the great d evelopmen t the reindeer herd s of Alaska suggest that correspond ing developmen t can reasonably be an ticipated with is o u t respect to Northern Canada . In this connection it pointed that herd s of barren land caribou , aggregating , i t i s estimated , twenty or thi rty million C animals , frequent Northern anad a and that biologically , these animal s are practically iden tical with reindeer . - ox Vilhj almu r Stefansson , the Arctic explorer , i s convinced that the musk can be read ily domesticated and h as u rged that steps be taken in that con i n ect on . , with the obj ect of d eveloping herd s for commercial purposes The d evelopment of large reindeer and mu sk - ox herds in Northern Canad a wi ll represent a very important add ition to the meat production o f the Dominion . The developmen t of mu sk - ox herd s will represen t not only an add ition to th e meat production bu t also to the wool produ ction . The value and att ractiveness - ox of reind eer flesh for food p u rposes i s well establish ed . I n regard to musk meat , M r . Stefansson clai ms it is p ractically indistinguish able from beef . o f In all parts of the world , there is a constan t redu ction grazing areas u th rough the d evelopment of su ch areas for field crops , and , i n conseq ence , the meat and wool p roblems are every year becoming more acu te . — Th e Arctic and sub Arctic regions o f Canad a lie too far North to be included o f in the land su itable for the profitable cultivation cereals , and therefore may be regarded as permanen t grazing areas . In view of the foregoing , the M inister considers that there are good ground s for believing that the C anadian North may become a great permanent meat C and wool producing area , and that a ommission shou ld be appoin ted for the pu rpose o f making a thorough investigation into the subj ect from a bu siness and national standpoint , and to report thei r finding . The M inister therefore recommend s : P o f Th at , under the provisions of art I the I nqui ries Act , Ch apter C C o f : Revised Statu tes of anada , a ommission consisting u n ion J ohn G Rutherford , of O ttawa , Rai lway Commiss ioner ; McLean o f J ames Stanley , Toron to - M anager , H arris Abattoi r Co . ; J ames B ernard Harkin , of Ottawa , Comm i ss ioner of Dom in ion Parks ' Vilhj almu r Stefan sson ; ion f . Gu n o wh ich M r John Ru therford shal l be Chairman , be appoin ted for the pu rpose men tioned ; That the Commission be withou t remuneration except expen ses and be o f C au thorized to employ , with the approval the Governor in oun cil , su ch assistan ce as the members may determine ; C That the du ration of the ommission be du rin g pleasu re , and that i t report with the least possible delay u pon the feasibility of the proposition s men tioned “ togeth er with recommendations in regard to the best method s to follow to brin g abou t efficien t d evelopmen t in case i t i s found cond ition s warran t action on the part o f the Govern men t . The Commi ttee concu r in the above recommendations and submit the same r fo approval . P (Sgd . ) ROD OL H E B OUD REAU , l h P ou n l C erk of t e rivy C ci . To His Ex cellency the Govern or in Cou ncil : C i The Report Of the Royal ommission , appointed to enqu re in to and concern ing the possibilities of the Canad ian Arctic and sub - Arctic for the establishmen t of reind eer and mu sk - ox herds : MAY Ir PLEASE YO U R EX C ELLENC Y : C We , the commissioners appointed by O rder in ouncil Of date M ay 2 0 19 19 o f C n , , to i nqui re in to and concerning the possibilities the anad ia Arctic and sub - Arctic for the establishmen t of reindeer and musk - ox herds , have the honou r to present ou r report to You r Excellency “ You r commissioners , after several con ferences , at which the qu estions above referred to were fu lly d iscu ssed , decided that it would be advisable to hold a number of public hearings for the pu rpose O f secu ring and placing on record the evidence of persons having a knowledge of the variou s matters coming within the scope of the inqui ry . : Fou r hearings were accord ingly held at O ttawa , as follows 1 2 4 1 2 ( ) J anuary , 9 0 . 2 4 5 1920 . ( ) February and , 3 2 9 1 2 30 9 . ( ) April and , 0 4 12 1 2 9 0 . ( ) M ay , a s The evidence , taken at these hearings (Volumes I and I I ) , together with the several su bmission s , docu ments and other information Obtained du ring the cou rse of the inqu i ry , is submitted herewith . Following is a list of the witnesses who gave evidence at the hearings , in the order of thei r appearance : 1 C C f ( ) Captain George omer , ommander o wh aling and other ships in the Arctic for over fifty years .