Prince Albert NWMP Post
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Prince Albert NWMP Post (1878-1931) - A North West Mounted Police (NWMP) post first established in 1878 in present day Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Abandoned in 1931.
History of Prince Albert NWMP PostThe North West Mounted Police (NWMP) presence at Prince Albert from 1878 to 1885 was a small detachment from E Division at Fort Battleford occupying rented quarters. E Division was ordered to Prince Albert during the 1885 North West Rebellion and in 1888 the Prince Albert NWMP post became the headquarters of the division. The Battle of Duck Lake on 26 Mar 1885 saw NWMP Superintendent Leif Crozier with 56 NWMP men and 43 Prince Albert Volunteers engage the Metis rebels under Gabriel Dumont. Superintendant Crosier was forced to withdraw to Fort Carlton after three NWMP men and nine of the volunteers were killed. Reinforcements were sent to Prince Albert and the rebels were finally defeated at Batoche. In the aftermath of the battle, nearby Fort Carlton was abandoned and destroyed. Prince Albert then became the area focal point for the NWMP. The division was initially housed in tents but by June 1888 the permanent quarters were completed including barracks, offices, stables and a guard room/jail. The garrison consisted of 3 officers, 85 enlisted men and 64 horses. In the years following the rebellion the division policed the Northern half of the province including sub arctic regions. In 1931 the whole of Saskatchewan was placed under a single division headquartered in Regina. The Prince Albert post became a sub-division, abandoned the original post and moved into the post office building in downtown Prince Albert. Current StatusA single building, the guardhouse/jail remains, repurposed as The Rotary Museum of Police and Corrections in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
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Visited: 27 Jul 2014
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