Show THE WINNING OF THE CANADIAN WEST discovery of oil in northwest canada toward the arctic circle has increased the importance of the western estern canadian provinces ne near ar the united states border which will be the doorway for the new oil treasury the prairie provinces of canada manitoba saskatchewan and alberta were not without their bids to fame before this discovery for example the last of the wild buffalo herds heras of america survivors of the millions ot of animals which roamed the plains and woodlands of the continent now ranges through northwestern alberta this province alone Is estimated to contain 13 15 per cent of the worlds known coal supply the myriad of wild ducks geese and other migratory fowl teat that 11 fly n northward ort hward each spring aro are for the in most os t part bound for th the e northern parts of uie the three prairie provinces where here they build their nests a and nd rear their young the three provinces provinces are naturally considered at once for among them they cover all ot of canada which Is in process of being settled west of the older great lakes province of ontario and east cast of the rocky hocky mountains this Is canadas west where restless pioneer spirits from all lands are carving out an empire as kindred spirits a generation or so ago wrought the wilderness of the missouri valley and the great american desert into the rich states of today the canadian pioneers have advantages over those who won the american west in that they have better rall railroad road methods and equipment telephones and wireless but they have a relentless new enemy in the bitter cold of the northern regions of the provinces for though the southern portions jort lons are separated from the united states by only an imaginary line hue and are similar to the northern reaches of minnesota north dakota and montana of which they are geographically a part to the north the three provinces sweep to w within athin miles of the arctic circle the predominant part 0 of f the population and development ot of the three provinces Js Is in their southern halves in tills this region winnipeg capital of manitoba with its population close to Is canadas chicago of a generation or so ago 1190 while edmonton Eil monton capital of alberta Is the st paul of a similar period the northern portion of tile the provinces Is a region crossed by many rivers and dotted with numberless takes lakes a region divided between woodlands and Imus muskets muskegs mus kegs or swampy flats there the trapper still reigns supreme and life Is primitive |