Role of the Canada Company

In the latter part of October in the year 1839 - sixty years ago. Mr. McDonald, Provincial Land Surveyor, returned from the west to the Canada Company's office in Toronto, with the plans and field notes of the township of Blanshard. He has been engaged during the summer in makng the survey of what, by common consent of all who are acquainted with that section of Canada, is considered as being amongst the best, if not the very best, of all the municipalities ceded to the Company by King George. The Canada Company was organized in the year 1824 by a number of English gentlemen, with its headquarters in London, England, and was incorporated by an Act of the British parliament in 1826. John Galt, the Ayrshire novelist, was one of the great promoters of the enterprise, and he, with Dr.Dunlop and others, was sent to Upper Canada for the purpose of carrying out the schemes and intentions of the Company regarding the great estate recently ceded to it by the Crown. It may be proper to state here, however, that the settlement of the Huron tract formed no part of the great enterprise which the Company had in view; neither did it relate in any way to the agreement made in the charter recently granted to it by the Government of Great Britain. Since the vast territory known as British North America has been acquired by the British people it has been the policy of that Government to maintain the union of Church and State as then existing in England. For the furtherance of their policy, and the better to render the Church in a greater degree independent of the fast growing democratic element, which was strongly pervading the minds of the masses of that particular period, large grants of public lands had been made to it by the Government. Those land grants were known as Clergy Reserves, and were located in several sections of the Province where surveys had been made. The Canada Company was organized to dispose of these lands and open them for settlement. Matters had proceeded so far amicably between all parties when a complete change of policy was effected. Without reverting to what may be called that unhappy period of Canadian history, which culminated in the rebellion of 1837, we may say that a new power had arisen in Canadian politics. This power was represented and ably manipulated by a Scotchman who was then at the head of the Anglican Church in Canada. He protested against the arrangements made with the Canada Company. Those lands which has been set apart and granted to the Church for her support ought to be controlled and disposed of by the Church. Of the granting of these lands to this body there could be no doubt; and such being the case, there could be as little doubt that the Church shows control them. Through the influence of the Church, therefore, the operations of the Canada Company were abruptly terminated.

At the period of which we write, the whole territory of the Huron tract was comparatively unknown. Unless some adventurous hunter, no white man had ever ventured into the darkness of that unexplored region. Its vast solitudes were a mystery. The story of the white man's life among its leafy halls was untold. This great section of country the Canada Company was asked to accept in lieu of the Clergy Reserves, which, as matters now stood, the Government appeared to be determined to resume for the purpose for which they were originally designed.

To this arrangement the Company was unwilling to accede. The agreement regarding the Clergy Reserves was ratified by those concerned, and should not now be violated. A bargain which had been consummated on fair and honorable lines ought to be held sacred by both the contracting parties. But apart from this, the Huron tract was unknown. Fertile it might be, or barren it might be - that was a matter futurity only could determine. The burden of the chance should not therefore fall on the shoulders of the Company. As far as their agents had entered the territory from the east, it was not encouraging. Dismal marshes seemed to prevail. Around where the city of Stratford now stands, and stretching away to the north through Elma and Ellice, the country appeared to be one great swamp. It was hopeless to think that such land could ever be made available for agriculture. The Company therefore declined to make any exchange, until matters reached a climax. They then made a virtue of necessity and, much against their inclination became the proprietors of the Huron tract.

Mr. Galt and other of his associates located themselves at Guelph, which was then a place of a few houses. From this point they directed the operations of the great institution they represented. They made surveys, opened roads, and made such other improvements as would tend to the early settlement of the territory so recently acquired from the Crown. The whole district of the Huron tract was then, and for many years after, known as Huron County. Beginning in the east, adjoining the County of Waterloo, the road known as the Huron road was opened through what is now the city of Stratford, extending in a straight line westward to Lake Huron, where is now the town of Goderich. Surveys were at once proceeded with along both sides of this road, from the Easthopes in the east to the lake in the west. The manner of making these surveys was certainly indicative of a strong want of confidence on the part of the Company, in the early settlement of its large estate. On both sides of this great road, which pass through in its entire length, one of the most fertile districts in Canada, the townships were survived one concession at a time. Thus, after the first concession has been settled another one to the rear was surveyed and thrown open; and so on backwards from what was called the front.

As each of those townships was surveyed it was named after, and in honor of, one of the gentlemen who composed the Board of Directors of the Company. For example, we find such names amongst those representatives as Robert Downie, Esq., John Fullarton, Esq., John Biddulph, Esq., Henry Usborne, Esq., Richard Blanshard, Esq., and so on; and we have accordingly the municipalities of Biddulph, Fullerton, Downie, Usborne, and Blanshard. The name Blanshard was therefore given to this municipality in honor of Richard Blanshard, Esq. This township was the last to be surveyed in the Huron tract. The long period of fifteen years has elapsed since the organization of the Company before a stake had been planted to mark its boundaries. This arose from its isolated position. The various leading roads opened by the Company were located far away. The Huron road and the Goderich road, from London to Clinton, were each ten or twelve miles distant, rendering this section difficult of access.

During those years, however, from the termination of the war of 1812, and particularly after the close of the Peninsular War, Upper Canada was rapidly taken up for settlement. From Hamilton westward to London, along what is known as the Governor's road, prosperous communities had sprung up. The townships of East and West Nissouri were settled along that great highway, and pioneers were gradually creeping north toward the still wild and unknown township of Blanshard. From the north, settlements were being made every year farther south, down through Fullerton and westward through Downie; and from the Goderich road, land was being rapidly taken up, back to the rear of the township of Usborne. Blanshard was therefore the last township in the south part of the Huron tract to receive within her bounds the hardy and adventurous pioneer. At what time the land hunter (as those looking for a location were called) first entered into the township it would be impossible to say. Very few of the old pioneers are now left to tell the tale of their first experiences. Nearly all are gone. The few that are still remaining can no longer tell with precision the occurrences of sixty years ago. There are events, however, that have impressed themselves deeply on their minds, a recital of which as to the main facts would be reliable. Still, like all traditions, they are generally equivocal, or contradictory in detail.