The history of The Living Prairie Museum is defined by the historical interpretation of the Tall Grass
Prairie of the Winnipeg region. Very briefly it includes early First Nations
Peoples, voyageurs, trappers, Metis and European settlers.
Museum History
The Assiniboin were First Nations people who played an intricate part in the ecology of the tall
grass prairie region in Manitoba before European settlement. They were hunters, depending on the bison
(commonly known as buffalo) for food and clothing.
In 1763, The explorer La
Verendrye was one of the first Europeans to see the tall grass prairie in Manitoba.
The only interest most Europeans had in the region was the fur trade. Between 1830 and 1852
the Hudson's Bay Company
built Lower Fort Garry
to handle the fur trade business.
During this same time a large Metis community developed as many trappers took First Nations wives. Many
Metis
were also trappers but most made their living from the buffalo hunt from which they sold meat to
Lower Fort Garry.
From as early as 1812 an agricultural
Red
River settlement was trying to become established. As this
was contrary to the wishes of the two great fur trade companies -
The North West Company
and the Hudson's
Bay Company, this agricultural settlement was doomed to struggle many years before its success.
The site of the Red River Settlement was chosen because of "the advantage of wood, water and open land
fit for immediate cultivation." (Bulger, March 31, 1823)
The 40 acres, where The Living Prairie Museum exists today, are an
undisturbed remnant of 840 acres extending two miles north of the Assiniboine River.
It originally belonged to Andrew McDermot who came with the second group of Selkirk
colonists in 1812 as a clerk with the
Hudson's Bay Company.
In 1825 he severed his connection with the company and became an independent fur trader and one of the
first, if not the first, independent traders with the First Nations people. He became the wealthiest
trader in Fort Garry.
As the story goes it's believed that Andrew McDermot leased out this land to a Polish immigrant who
used the land for grazing, not cultivation. It's believed he saved the land for his eight daughters
to live on, as they were still living overseas. Early tax records state that the land
was leased for hay. Up-to-date it has been determined that the
32 acres we call the "Living Prairie Museum"
has never been ploughed.
In 1968 the International
Biological Program (an international organization dedicated to the
identification and preservation of rare biological communities) sent researchers around Manitoba looking
for good examples of Tall Grass Prairie.
Of the 64 sites examined, four were chosen for closer scrutiny. Of these four The Living Prairie Museum
site was one of the best examples of Tall Grass Prairie in this province. Local naturalists and environmentalists
including Mr. Bob Nero, Dr, Jennifer Shay, Dr. Karen Johnson and many more spent a great deal of time and
energy campaigning in order to have this prairie preserved at this site. However, further development was
on hold due to reorganization and amalgamation of City Council.
It wasn't until April 21, 1971 that Council made a decision to set aside land for the Museum thankfully to
87 year old Mr. Pete DeWet, who convinced the council to vote in favour of preserving the Living Prairie site
by one vote! In 1975 the sod was turned for a new Interpretive Centre on approximately three acres of the preserve immediately
adjacent to Ness Avenue and was officially opened on June 23, 1976 employing its first City Naturalist,
Mr. Norm Harburn.
The Living Prairie Museum, its uniqueness finally recognized and preserved, has substantial potential to visitors of all
ages. It could be incorporated into many levels of school curricula when dealing with such aspects as the
identification and enjoyment of native prairie plants and animals. It can also help increase awareness of the
historical settlement and cultivation of the prairie. As an outdoor research site, it may also serve as a control
for evaluating the effects of development on similar habitats.
The benefits to be reaped from The Living Prairie Museum by this and future generations are immeasurable,
and for this reason great effort should be made to protect, preserve and learn from it. As has been stated
before, emphasis is on the Living Prairie and the Interpretive Centre is only a complementary unit.
