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Description
Irrigation.
Series · 1890 - 1927
Part of William Pearce Fonds

William Pearce began promoting irrigation development in 1885, when he first commented on its potential value in his annual report to the Deputy Minister of the Interior. This series of files documents his interest in irrigation between the years 1890 and 1927. It is probable that material prior to 1890 no longer exists. The surviving files offer evidence on the drafting of the Northwest Irrigation Act, the early development of significant irrigation projects, and the activities of related special interest groups. The series contains records concerning the Canadian Pacific Railway's irrigation project; the Pearce's Calgary Irrigation Company (1893); and his scheme to divert the North Saskatchewan to water land in eastern Alberta and western Saskatchewan. Mr. Pearce was an active supporter of the Western Canada Irrigation Association and left considerable correspondence concerning its activities.

The series title is based on the contents of records.

Letterbooks.
Series · 1882 - 1884
Part of William Pearce Fonds

The series consists of six leatherbound books. Each letterbook numbers over 600 pages of handwritten correspondence. Correspondence represents copies of incoming and outgoing commmunication relating predomiantly to Pearce's professional work as a surveyor for the Department of the Interior. The hand copied letters are in chronological order and each letterbook has a subject index.

The series title is based on the contents of records.

Settlement.
Series · 1880 - 1927
Part of William Pearce Fonds

Between 1882 and 1884, Pearce's duties as the Inspector of Dominion Lands Agencies made him the field agent for the Dominion Lands Board, based in Winnipeg. The Board's most important function was to rule on uncertain claims and on schemes not covered by normal routine. William Pearce's involvement began with the land claims of the Metis and white settlers who had settled along the North Saskatchewan River prior to the Institution of surveys. Pearce was subsequently called on to deal with similar problems at such diverse localities as Morley, Pincher Creek, Lee's Creek (Cardston), Lac la Biche, and Lac Ste. Anne.

Pearce's interest in settlement extended beyond his land claims work. As statistician for the Canadian Pacific Railway, he served as an advisor to the Natural Resources Department of the company. In fulfilling that role, Pearce collected extensive material on the twin questions of settlement and immigration, particularly after his work with the Economic and Development Commission in 1916.

The series title is based on the contents of records.

Surveys.
Series · 1878 - 1928
Part of William Pearce Fonds

William Pearce began his education in engineering in 1869 at the University of Toronto. After one semester he abandoned his studies at the University of Toronto to take a three-year surveying apprenticeship with Wadsworth and Unwing, a Toronto land surveying firm. During his apprenticeship Pearce worked on surveying assignments in the woods of northern Ontario. His apprenticeship inspired his life-long interest in natural resource and wilderness development, confirmed his professional surveyor's career, and brought him to Western Canada.

In 1873 Colonel J.S. Denis, Canada's Surveyor General, approached Pearce with an offer to join his staff in the newly-created Dominion Department of the Interior as it began to absorb the vast North American regions of Rupert's Land and the North-West Territories. Pearce began his surveying position in the Department of the Interior in Winnipeg, in May 1874. He was responsible to progress with surveys addressing what commonly known as the Outer Two-Mile claims. Under the Manitoba Act (33 Victoria, c.3, Canada, 1870) Metis land grants along the Red and Assiniboine Rivers included undetermined and pre-survey settlement claims. The Manitoba Act gave Metis settlers access to hay two miles beyond their defined holdings to feed their livestock. In the shifting settlements, squatting, and rampant land speculation, Pearce attempted to stake out these claims. The outer two miles question was not settled until 1877, and claims were not staked until 1881 (Dept. of the Interior Annual Report, Canada Sessional Papers, 1882). Following the outer two miles assignment, in 1878 Pearce moved on to locating township grids, surveying meridians in Manitoba, and determining the International Boundary in the Turtle Mountain area. In October 1881, Pearce accepted his recommendation as Inspector of Dominion Lands Agencies in the Dominion Lands Board. He moved into the position of Superintendent of Mines in 1884. He returned to a full-time surveying position when Clifford Sifton appointed him Chief Inspector of Surveys in 1901.

In 1904 Pearce left government service to join the Natural Resources Department of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The series therefore includes his reports on the placement of railway branch lines and his study of the possibilities for settlement of the Peace river and Athabasca River districts. His recommendations on both matters were based on the trained surveyor's detailed observations of the topography and prospective resources of the areas in question. He assisted in the establishment of professional standards for surveyors and served on the Examining Board for the Province.

The series includes 91 maps, most Mr. Pearce collected as working documents, with notes and observations. They include a track survey, drawn in the winter of 1878 using an upturned toboggan as a table; a sketch map of the Peace River district drawn for Mr. Pearce on two sheets of Hudson's Bay Company stationery; and the 3-mile and 6-mile sectional maps of the Department of the Interior. Two sheets of G.M. Dawson's maps are also in the diaries for 1915. These maps cover an inspection of Canadian Pacific Railway land grants.

The series title is based on the contents of records.