The Battle of Loon Lake, also known as the Battle of Steele Narrows, concluded the North-West Rebellion on June 3, 1885, and was the last battle fought on

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

soil. It was fought in what was then the

District of Saskatchewan The District of Saskatchewan was a regional administrative district of Canada's North-West Territories. It was formed in 1882 was later enlarged then abolished with the creation of the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta in 1905. Much of the a ...

of the North-West Territories, at what is now known as Steele Narrows at

Makwa Lake Makwa Lake, which is Cree for ''Loon'' Lake, is a lake in the west-central region of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan in the transition zone between parkland and boreal forest. The Battle of Loon Lake, which was last battle of the North- ...

, in Saskatchewan's

Steele Narrows Provincial Park Steele Narrows Provincial Park is an historical provincial park in the west-central region of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan in the transition zone between parkland and boreal forest. It is located on Makwa Lake at Steele Narrows – ...

. Steele Narrows is a channel that separates Sanderson Bay from Makwa Lake. Led by Major

Sam Steele Major General Sir Samuel Benfield Steele (5 January 1848 – 30 January 1919) was a distinguished Canadian soldier and police official. He was an officer of the North-West Mounted Police, most famously as head of the Yukon detachment during th ...

, a force of North-West Mounted Police, Alberta Mounted Rifles and Steele's Scouts (a body of mounted militia raised by Steele himself) caught up with and dispersed a band of Plains Cree warriors and their white and Métis hostages. Cree scouts made a determined stand with what was left of their ammunition, but the body of the Cree column, realizing the hopelessness of their situation, released their prisoners and fled. The Cree casualties were four dead and dozens wounded. Wandering Spirit, the war chief leading the Cree military campaign, surrendered to authorities at Fort Pitt. Big Bear, the aging peacetime chief of this band of Cree, eluded capture until July 2.

Maps

Military map of Loon LakeMilitary map of Loon Lake FordMilitary map of Loon Lake Island and Muskeg

Legacy

The site of the battle was designated as a

National Historic Site of Canada National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being ...

in 1950. In the spring of 2008, Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Christine Tell proclaimed in Duck Lake, that "the 125th commemoration, in 2010, of the 1885 Northwest Resistance is an excellent opportunity to tell the story of the prairie Métis and First Nations peoples' struggle with Government forces and how it has shaped Canada today." The Battle of Loon Lake is commemorated today by interpretive signs placed by the

Government of Saskatchewan The Government of Saskatchewan (french: Gouvernement de la Saskatchewan) refers to the provincial government of the province of Saskatchewan. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867. In modern Canadian use, the term "g ...

and a plaque placed by the

Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as bein ...

. The area of the battlefield was designated a

provincial park Ischigualasto Provincial Park A provincial park (or territorial park) is a park administered by one of the provinces of a country, as opposed to a national park. They are similar to state parks in other countries. They are typically open to t ...

in 1986. Steele Narrows Provincial Historic Park is an park that conserves the lookout point of a Cree burial ground, has interpretive plaques, and a recreation area.

References

Conflicts in 1885 Battles of the North-West Rebellion June 1885 events {{canada-hist-stub

Maps

Legacy

See also

References