North West Mounted Police Trail

In 1957, in addition to being the first president of the SHFS, Everett Baker, also acted as the convener of Historic Sites and Trails. In this latter role, Baker sought to mark the trail used by the North West Mounted Police (NWMP) in conducting their business between two of their main Western posts, Wood Mountain and Fort Walsh. Members of the NWMP traversed this route on horseback from 1875 until 1912. The trail allowed easy transportation of supplies, troops and dispatches between Fort Walsh and its outpost at Wood Mountain.

Fort Walsh was established by the NWMP in 1875 to maintain peace in the Cypress Hills region and to express Canada’s sovereignty over its newly acquired North West Territory. Following the Battle of The Little Bighorn in Montana Territory, in 1876, Sitting Bull and approximately 5,000 Lakota sought refuge in Canada’s Wood Mountain region. As a result, Fort Walsh was made headquarters of the NWMP, and a former Boundary Commission depot at Wood Mountain became an important outpost of Fort Walsh. Superintendent James Morrow Walsh and the NWMP at Fort Walsh and Wood Mountain were charged with maintaining peaceful relations with the Lakota people.

In 1959, SHFS marked the route along the path originally used by the Assiniboine, Cree, Gros Ventres, and Blackfoot, and later by the Métis fur traders, commemorating NWMP’s patrols. In 1961, Baker sought to determine the exact location of the trail, garner donations and finally erect 260 white concrete posts. Each post is topped with a metal marker that pointed to the direction of the trail in both directions. The first post was erected at the edge of the parade grounds at Fort Walsh National Heritage Site, and the last post stands at the current picnic area of the Wood Mountain Post Provincial Park. The trail was completed in 1964.

The most time-consuming portion of the project was researching the main routes travelled and checking these maps against old-timers’ memories. Some of the prime researchers were Rube Freel, Freddy Parsonage, Boyd Anderson and Russell Flynn.Baker was able to collect $10,000 from individuals, Wheat Pool communities, community clubs, Rural Municipalities, villages and the Province, to fund the project.

Over the years the markers have deteriorated, although some local residents have quite admirably maintained the posts located on their properties.The Board of Directors of SHFS determined refurbish the trails markers. To this end, SHFS established the “Friends of the Trail” program, which allows an individual, with a donation of $100, to have a post refurbished in their name.

“Friends of the Trail” are acknowledged with an engraved replica plaque. This plaque lists the donor’s name and community and is attached to the post. In addition, donors receive an photograph of their plaque, along with the post’s GPS location.

Become a Friend of the Trail
Click here to complete the application form online.
or
Click here for a printable application form.

Additional funding for this project was received from the Culture Initiatives Fund, Saskatchewan Culture Youth and Recreation.