The charter of 1870 created the North-West Territories consisting of what is now the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, northern Manitoba, northern Ontario, northern Quebec and the current Northwest Territories to provide more local government in the area. In 1876 the District of Keewatin was created from the northern Ontario and northern Manitoba. In 1881 the province of Manitoba was enlarged. In 1882 the District of Athabasca was formed above what is now the Province of Alberta and was later enlarged to include most of the area above what is now the Province of Saskatchewan. The Province of Ontario was enlarged north-westward in 1882. Quebec was also extended northwards in 1898. In 1905 the District of Athabasca was absorbed into the current Provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. By 1925 the Northwest Territories included the Arctic and was its current size.
Between 1876 and 1883, Battleford (in the District of Saskatchewan) was the territorial capital of the North-West Territories. The territorial capital was moved to Regina, located in Assiniboia, in 1883.
Carrying the mail in the 1870s
The earliest mails were carried by the Hudson Bay Company{HBC} fur brigades with mail delivery being erratic. During this period there were only 7 post offices in current Alberta and Saskatchewan all primarily at North West Mounted Police{NWMP} forts or HBC trading post with several post offices in Northern Manitoba in HBC trading posts.
Settlement within the North-West Territories continued and by 1874 North West Mounted Police arrived at Fort MacLeod. Mail was forced to be sent 240 miles south by wagon train to Fort Benton, Montana where it entered the American mail service. In 1871 the North West Territories were brought into the Canadian postal system with the first post office in the Manitoba-Sask-Alberta area in Fort Garry(Winnipeg), Manitoba in January 1, 1871 which provided the springboard for others in the west.
A letter from Fort Garry, later Winnipeg; to St Paul, Minnesota in 1872.
Since there was no route across northern Ontario all mail from the territories had to travel south into the United States to connect with the US Postal Service. Mail was carried by horse until December 3, 1878 when a rail line was completed between Winnipeg and Pembina in the Dakota territory.
During this period there were only 7 post offices in current Alberta and Saskatchewan all primarily at NWMP forts or HBC trading post with several post offices in Northern Manitoba in HBC trading posts. Between 1876 and 1883, Battleford (in the District of Saskatchewan) was the territorial capital of the North-West Territories. The territorial capital was moved to Regina, located in Assiniboia, in 1883, and on the formation of the province of Saskatchewan in 1905, Regina became the capital of the province.
