Fish Creek, Saskatchewan
Encyclopedia
Fish Creek is a tributary
of the South Saskatchewan River
in Saskatchewan
, Canada
, northeast of Saskatoon
.
It is most famous as the site of the Battle of Fish Creek
during the Northwest Rebellion of 1885 between General Frederick Middleton of the Canadian Militia and Gabriel Dumont, adjutant general of the Metis
Provisional Government of Saskatchewan
. It also gives its name to the surrounding rural municipality
. The area is part of the aspen parkland
biome.
Fish Creek was the southern border of the Southbranch Settlement
of French
Métis who settled in the Saskatchewan Valley
region in the mid to late 19th Century. They knew it as Tourond's Coulee. Dumont chose to fight the battle at this natural border region as a defensive action with his outnumbered forces as the Canadian troops drove north. Dumont had less than sixty Métis, and this small force held off the Canadian troops for a day. The fighting took place on April 24.
The battle proved to be a success for the Métis forces in that bloodied Middleton's nose and stalled the Canadian advance on Batoche, Saskatchewan; capital of Louis Riel
's provisional government, for another two weeks.
Fish Creek also gives its name to a Saskatchewan rural municipality
, Fish Creek No. 402
which encompasses the area today.
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the South Saskatchewan River
South Saskatchewan River
The South Saskatchewan River is a major river in Canada that flows through the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan....
in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, northeast of Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
.
It is most famous as the site of the Battle of Fish Creek
Battle of Fish Creek
The Battle of Fish Creek , fought April 24, 1885 at Fish Creek, Saskatchewan, was a major Métis victory over the Dominion forces attempting to quell Louis Riel's North-West Rebellion...
during the Northwest Rebellion of 1885 between General Frederick Middleton of the Canadian Militia and Gabriel Dumont, adjutant general of the Metis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
Provisional Government of Saskatchewan
Provisional Government of Saskatchewan
The Provisional Government of Saskatchewan was the name given by Louis Riel to the independent state he declared during the Northwest Rebellion of 1885 in what is today the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Although Riel initially hoped to rally the Countryborn, Cree and European settlers of the...
. It also gives its name to the surrounding rural municipality
Rural municipality
A rural municipality, often abbreviated RM, is a form of municipality in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, perhaps best comparable to counties or townships in the western United States...
. The area is part of the aspen parkland
Aspen parkland
Aspen parkland refers to a very large area of transitional biome between prairie and boreal forest in two sections; the Peace River Country of northwestern Alberta crossing the border into British Columbia, and a much larger area stretching from central Alberta, all across central Saskatchewan to...
biome.
Fish Creek was the southern border of the Southbranch Settlement
Southbranch Settlement
Southbranch Settlement was the name ascribed to a series of French Métis settlements on the Canadian prairies in the 19th Century, in what is today the province of Saskatchewan...
of French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
Métis who settled in the Saskatchewan Valley
Saskatchewan Valley
The name of a geographic area in Saskatchewan, Canada encompassing generally a triangle from North Battleford, to Saskatoon, north to the Saskatchewan River Forks east of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan...
region in the mid to late 19th Century. They knew it as Tourond's Coulee. Dumont chose to fight the battle at this natural border region as a defensive action with his outnumbered forces as the Canadian troops drove north. Dumont had less than sixty Métis, and this small force held off the Canadian troops for a day. The fighting took place on April 24.
The battle proved to be a success for the Métis forces in that bloodied Middleton's nose and stalled the Canadian advance on Batoche, Saskatchewan; capital of Louis Riel
Louis Riel
Louis David Riel was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political and spiritual leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government and its first post-Confederation Prime Minister, Sir John A....
's provisional government, for another two weeks.
Fish Creek also gives its name to a Saskatchewan rural municipality
Rural municipality
A rural municipality, often abbreviated RM, is a form of municipality in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, perhaps best comparable to counties or townships in the western United States...
, Fish Creek No. 402
Fish Creek No. 402, Saskatchewan
Fish Creek No. 402 is a rural municipality in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, located in the Census Division 15. The seat of the municipality is located in the Town of Wakaw.-Demographics:...
which encompasses the area today.