How the braroes collectively bargained against the HBC in 1853
JD Kelly painting
“Leve! Leve! Et puis…hurrah!”! (Get up!, Get up! And then…hurrah!)
This was the call that roused the Hudson’s Bay Company’s Saskatchewan Brigade from their brief slumber, usually around 3am. It was another grueling day of pulling oars and carrying bales for the Badgers, or “Braroes” (for so the Saskatchewan Brigade called themselves), over portage. The Braroes were essentially tasked with rowing down the rivers of the Bay to trade furs at Forts, such as Edmonton.
Usually when the Braroes heard the morning cry, they had few choices but to comply. The non-natives among them were far from home. If a voyageur were in debt to the Company, which many were, their passage out of Rupert’s Land was thought by the Company to be negotiable.
Although “Leve! Leve!” was the call that roused the Métis, Orkadians, and Canadiens in the brigade to work, one can imagine it also rousing them to a consciousness of their power. A call to realize that the Company’s concern for profits would rarely, if ever, coincide with a concern for them and their wellbeing. Not unless they “got up” and demanded it.
In 1853, the Braroes, shipping furs from Fort Edmonton, combined their voices to argue with their superiors. This event was called a “combination”. A combination was not quite a strike or a mutiny, but very much a show of strength and unity. On one side there was the Braroes and on the other, the Company Officers, including famous Edmontonian John Rowand. The main issues in question were whether a labourer in debt to the Company was permitted to back out of his contract, and whether labourers had to pay to rent horses they used to do Company work.
We know of this morning cry only because it was recorded in the journals of Father Albert Lacombe. Surviving records from the 1850s are overwhelmingly from the Company’s point of view, but few accounts from non-Company sources survive, such as those from voyageurs, Métis country-wives, and First Nations trappers. https://citymuseumedmonton.ca/2025/01/28/the-company-and-the-combination-collective-bargaining-at-the-rivers-edge/
Paths for People proposes a bold vision for 76 ave
Paths for People, an active transportation advocacy group, wants the City of Edmonton to consider what it calls a “bold idea” for where 76 Avenue crosses the Mill Creek Ravine between the Ritchie and King Edward Park neighbourhoods. They are proposing to close this portion of 76 Avenue to vehicles and renaturalize the area.
Vice-chair, Cheryl Villetard, says the idea started when Paths for People and Connect76 hosted a Jane’s Walk in May 2024 that explored the area. Currently, 76 Avenue crosses the ravine atop a culvert. A walk participant suggested the section of roadway could be demolished once it is scheduled for renewal in a few years. The idea was that the culvert could be removed, returning the natural flow of the creek, and that active transportation could be prioritized.
The Edmonton River Valley Conservation Coalition wrote a letter of support for this proposal because it would help “daylight the creek”. Portions of the creek were diverted underground in the 1970s to enable vehicle traffic. Daylighting would reroute the creek back to ground level.
Folks can provide support to the proposed changes here https://edmonton.taproot.news/news/2025/01/23/bold-vision-for-76-ave-calls-for-rerouting-vehicle-traffic
Join the EALT in protecting Edmonton’s nature as a volunteer today
Graeme McCrady photo
Are you looking for ways to get involved with conservation? The Edmonton and Area Land Trust (EALT) protects nature through land conservation while engaging communities in stewardship. Throughout the year, but especially in spring and summer, EALT offers opportunities to connect to the land and give back to nature through hands-on stewardship on their conservation lands.
The first opportunity is the stewardship events that EALT hosts at their conservation lands. For a more in-depth volunteer experience, they also offer 3 main programs for volunteers to get involved on a consistent basis: citizen science, conservation land stewards, and conservation outreach volunteers. EALT also accommodates corporate and group volunteering requests.
On Wednesday February 26 at 12pm, you can attend their online info session and learn more about volunteering options, how to apply, and ask questions. Register here https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/77bbd1e3-2c94-4611-b64e-3ec3c84c79df@4c3a838b-56ec-4937-a8e2-8ac96cfc790d
EPS dismantling Fulton Creek encampment
Robin shares “I want to caution people who cover the dismantling of encampments to refrain from framing unhoused folks as criminals. It is dehumanizing and fails to take into consideration the bigger picture. The truth is that the government does not take housing seriously, there is not enough housing to safely house the incredible number of unhoused people in Edmonton right now. We see encampments like this because people are taking matters into their own hands, and addressing their need for immediate housing. They are quite literally keeping themselves safe and housed when the city and the province will not do it. If people don't want to see encampments in their neighbourhoods, they should be pressuring the government to build affordable and short-term housing. It is also deeply inappropriate for EPS to be filming the dismantling of these encampments and using the footage as a social media/promotional tool, and at the expense of taxpayers. As Edmontonians, we should not be proud of the fact that we are clearing encampments without having a better alternative available. Emergency shelters are notoriously unsafe, and are not a long term solution. Without housing, encampments will continue to grow. I encourage all Edmontonians to have more compassion and think about how we keep ALL community members safe. And that includes our unhoused neighbours.”
Tri by John Tam & Rob Hora, University of Alberta LRT Station https://www.edmontonarts.ca/public-art/tri
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