In 1885 Orillia’s militia unit went to war.
An uprising in Saskatchewan of the Métis under Louis Riel had erupted and 12 government men, including three North-West Mounted Police men, had been killed in the first battle. Now the government was hurriedly raising an army to send west to restore order, and 16 men of Orillia’s militia unit volunteered. With less than a day’s notice (during a snowstorm) they were on the train speeding west on the yet-to-be-finished Canadian Pacific Railway.
There were passionate emotions raised over the rebellion: the French in Quebec sympathizing with the Métis; the English in Ontario rabid to squelch the insurrection and hang Riel. The two Orillia newspapers reflected those feelings, each taking a different position. But the town as a whole patriotically rallied behind their troops, doing all they could to support them during their hardships.
The above was written by David Town.
Join local historian David Town at the Orillia Public Library on Wednesday, May 8 at 6 p.m. as he tells the story of Orillia’s part in the Riel rebellion in 1885, both in the northwest and at home in support of the troops. The campaign came at a time Orillia was just embarking on its golden age, the ‘Orillia Spirit’ era, when anything seemed possible. Helping maintain Canada’s sovereignty in the far West evoked a natural, enthusiastic response here, and the campaign became another event in the town’s storied past, a role lobbied for and avidly taken up.
Everyone welcome. Please register. Email the library at [email protected] or call 705-325-2556 for more information.
