Land Bonus for CEF Volunteers?

[Neil Burns]

Hi All,

This is yet another question for my Canadian friends:

It has always been the story in my family that my Great-Uncle was given some land when he enlisted in the CEF. The terms of the Grant were that the land needed to be settled within a certain period of time after returning from the war otherwise it reverted back to the state. My Great-Uncle returned to the US after the war and did not settle in Canada.

I've been unable to find any mention of any type of Land Bonus in my research so I thought I would, once again, impose upon my friends North of the Border.

Thanks in advance for your help,

Neil

[Terry_Reeves]

Neil

I can't answer the Land Bonus connection directly, but my maternal grand parents emigrated to Canada in 1920 because the Canadian government was giving away parcels of land for settlement. In their case it was at Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Terry Reeves

[Paul K]

Neil

This is very true. My grandfather was given the same deal on some land outside of Winnipeg Manitoba after WW2. He received the land (100 acres) for free, however he had to clear so many acres of land per year or it would be turned back over to the Province. It was an attempt by the Province to boost the farming industry after the war. Eventually, it was turned back over to the Province and he moved back into the city. I guess rural life wasn’t for him. I know that this was not unique to Manitoba and many other Provinces had the same sort of deal.

I hope this answers you question. If you need any references, I will try to help you out.

Paul

[Neil Burns]

Paul & Terry,

Thanks for your help. I had discounted this story because you know how inaccurate collective family memory can be!

It makes sense that it would be a provincial offer and that's why I was unable to locate any reference to it.

Thanks again,

Neil

[Terry_Reeves]

Paul K

That is exactly what happened to my grand parents. They moved off the prairie after a few years into Winnipeg where my my grandfather took a job with Canadian Pacific.

Sorry about the digression folks.

Terry Reeves

[Paul K]

Terry

My grandfather took a job with Canada Post in Winnipeg; hence that’s where I grew up. I pretty sure that you can still do this in northern British Columbia, at least as of the late 80's you could. I guess they wanted the Northern part of that Province to be more populated. That’s a little too far north for me though.

Paul

[mordac]

Hi All:

The granting of land to WWI veterans, after the war, was done by some of the provinces of Canada in an effort to increase their population. To my knowledge, this was done in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. Veterans were offered selected parcels of land which had to be cleared, maintained and lived on for a set period of time. Each province passed their own piece of legislation which granted the land and laid out the conditions of ownership.

After WWII, the Canadian government passed the Veterans' Land Act which offered various forms of assistance to veterans who wanted to purchase land.

Garth

[jhill]

1. As posters here are pointing out, this process of land grants was common at this time, and not just for returning servicemen. The couple of decades or so before 1914 had seen massive numbers of immigrants into Canada from the UK and other places attracted by this “homesteading” policy. For those unfamiliar with it, it usually worked something like this: For a $10 registration fee one was granted 160 acres of vacant Crown land on condition that the homesteader personally lived on the land and put it under cultivation. After a number of years of meeting all conditions, the homesteader was granted freehold. Often a second chunk of 160 acres was available later.

2. The problem was that by 1914 most of the “good” land had been taken. I do not think there was any special programme for returning veterans, certainly not at first. However, there quickly developed a public clamor for land for veterans, which undoubtedly resulted in implied (and possibly explicit) promises. There was special treatment for returning servicemen after the war, usually in terms of moving veterans to the top of the queue for available land and perhaps opening up hitherto reserved Crown lands.

3. I see in old newspapers that late in 1917, the Great War Veterans' Association (one of the forerunners of the Royal Canadian Legion) petitioned the government to open up all Indian Reservations and other Crown lands (presumably including such things as National Parks) for settlement by servicemen.

4. Yes, I believe one can still be granted homesteads in Canada. However, the lands available are not thought to be capable of successful cultivation, so there are few takers.

At least, this is the impression I am under.

[Broznitsky]

My Great-Uncle was given some land when he enlisted in the CEF.

Well, lads, I agree with your answers, but what I am interested in now is whether the land was promised/talked about at time of ENLISTMENT, and not after being demobbed. I don't have access to my ref books, but I have a vague recollection of a unit promising land to those who signed up.

(I really must convert all my books into .PDFs so I can take them on the road!!

Peter (still away)

(Neil, is that what you meant to type?)

[Neil Burns]

Hi All,

Good eye Peter!

The way the story goes was that it was an enlistment bonus which reverted back to the government when he either did not occupy the land or failed to pay taxes on the land.

My great-Uncle enlisted in Cardston Alberta if that helps.

Keep in mind that this comes down by word of mouth and it could very easily have been given to him after service. He did, again according to Family lore, return to NYC after the war which leads me to believe it was promised at his enlistment.

There is very little doubt in my mind that this land is currently prime real estate in downtown Winnipeg Calgary or Vancouver and I should contact my attorney!

Thanks again to everyone,

Neil

[Guest stevebec]

This must have been a Commonweath thing as it was also done for the AIF.

We called it Soldier Settlement .

Those who wanted to could take up a land grant by the Goverment in a particular area of Australia. These were in a number a areas but on the whole the land offered was very poor.

The soldiers had to clear the land and make a living from it in a certin time frame.

Many found this imposible and so gave up while some of those who stayed did well. But these were the lucky ones as many soldiers were still suffering from the effects of the war, the poor land, cost to families and the weather all played havoc on these men.

S.B

[christine liava'a]

And in NZ and Fiji

The Bridge to Nowhere

The text of a sign by the Bridge To Nowhere:

Started in January 1935 and completed in June 1936, this bridge was built by the Raetihi firm of Sandford and Brown, for the Public Works Department. It is 130 feet long, and 125 feet above the stream. The cost of labour was 598 pounds 11 shillings 7 pence, and cartage of all materials (via the Mangapurua Valley road) cost 419 pounds 14 shillings. Unfortunately the cost of materials was not recorded. Aggregate for the concrete is said to have been transported from the Rangitikei River. The completion of the bridge was delayed considerably due to floods, slips, and the consequent delay in the supply of materials.

The bridge was built to facilitate vehicular access to the Wanganui River, to link the settlers of the valley with the riverboat service.

In 1917 the Government opened up the valley for settlement by soldiers returning from the Great War. Virgin forest was cleared, and a total of 35 holdings developed. A school was opened, and for some years the valley prospered. However economic hardship, and problems associated with the remoteness and difficulty of access, resulted in many families abandoning their farms. By 1942 there were only 3 families left. After a major flood in January 1942 the Government declined to make further funds available for road maintenance, and it officially closed the valley in May 1942. The disappearing roadline, old fencelines, stands of exotic trees, occasional brick chimneys, and this bridge serve as reminders of the ill fated settlement of the Mangapurua valley.

Bridge to Nowhere

You can see how difficult the land was. It is now regenerated native forest