According to the terms of a royal charter issued in 1670, the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) enjoyed exclusive commercial and settlement rights over Rupert’s Land, a vast territory that included the Red River region. The idea of establishing a community there was discussed by the company’s authorities in 1810, and the plan gained support. Then, in 1811, Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk, along with two partners, acquired large interests in the HBC.
Selkirk undertook to establish an agricultural settlement while respecting certain conditions. For instance, retired HBC agents and their First Nations or Métis wives would obtain a piece of land in the colony.
The settlement was able, with great difficulty, to take root and grow until it became part of Canada. In 1870, after a turbulent transition, the colony became Manitoba, the fifth Canadian province.
