26 April 1814, 1816
by Elizabeth Campbell“…the plains are all on fire North side the Pembina- sent men burn round Heneys Fort- Our two Express men who went on the route to Brandon Ho. returned this evening- could not find their way on account of the smoke to one of them, the only guide we have who Knows the way is quite Knocked up- I am quite perplexed what to do.” -Miles Macdonell Journal 1814
“…where the fire ran in the plains [22 April] it is entirely covered with young grass, what a fine country and what an astonishing vegetation.” – Colin Robertson Journal 1816
Prairie fire was a constant threat to the colony. Occasionally farms and livestock were lost. If the fire came just before the snow, the bison disappeared to other areas where they could find grass through the winter. This meant that fresh meat would be challenging to find through the winter, and the colonists often went hungry as a result.
But as Colin Robertson’s entry shows, there were also positive aspects to the fires. If the fires occured in spring, the fresh growth made excellent pasturage almost immediately afterward. And the fires kept the country open and grassy for the buffalo herds. The resultant relatively tree-free landscape made turning the land to crop fields easier, too, in that there were far fewer stumps to be removed than in other areas like Upper Canada.
(references: pages 16894-5, 17513 and 17511 of the Selkirk Papers, M186, Manitoba Archives)
Tags: agriculture, Colin Robertson, Colin Robertson's Journal, food supply, Miles Macdonell, Miles Macdonell's Journal, Prairie fires
