Fritt Land

The Point of the Posters

Politicians such as Sifton and Laurier greatly encouraged settlement in the Canadian Prairies. The depression was coming to an end and Laurier was of the firm belief that what Canada needed was "more money" and "more people". The end of the depression began a growing demand for wheat in many countries. In addition, the USA stopped offering free homestead lands. The Canadian Government attracted settlers by offering free homesteads of 160 acres. All these factors added up to a very appealing Canada West, and many thousands of immigrants settled there.

Analysis of the Poster

Colours- The poster pictured above definitely portrays Canada West as a very appealing place to settle. The colours red and white show that it is Canadian. The rest of the picture is likely black and white because it was less costly to print. However, the significance of the picture still stands- Canada West looks like a great place to live.

Symbols- The symbols on the picture, such as the flowers in the red design on the sides, all point to prosperity and beauty. The flowers are tall and healthy looking in full bloom. The word 'Canada' is in white block letters edged in black, and contained in a solid red box, also edged in black. This is likely made to make Canada look like a solid, strong, reliable Country to live in.

Images- The picture was cleverly planned to include many pull factors toward Canada West. In the foreground is a stout woman. Men who knew the climate of Canada West knew that a strong woman was much more useful than a pretty one. Since the words are in Swedish, this poster was clearly designed to attract settlers from Sweden. Sweden is a country with a similar climate to that of parts of Western Canada, and Swedish men would want a wife who could work hard and withstand the harsh winters. The sheave of wheat the woman is holding is large and looks strong and healthy, as well as the wheat in the background of the picture. There is also a winding stream and a small village in the picture. Water is an absolute necessity to sustain all forms of life, and the village shows prosperity, as well as neighbours to help out.

Slogans/Textual Information- There is not much textual information on this poster. Aside from some scrawly, somewhat illegible writing on the top, some of which is likely a signature, there is the slogan '160 Acres fritt land till hvarje Nybyggare'. Translated from Swedish to English, this reads '160 Acres of free land for every Settler'. It may be simple, but it conveys its message well. The word 'free' is enough to draw the attention of almost any person.

Truth in Advertising

Advertising for Canada West was very extensive. In the United States alone they put advertisemtents in over 7000 newspapers! In addition, they distributed millions of pamphlets, and gave free transportation to people that would promote settlement. However, what most immigrants didn't know was that the advertisements were very exaggerated. Any mention of cold and winter in the advertisements was forbidden. The posters always depicted summer or fall scenes, and showed abundant wheat or thriving towns. In reality, winters were very harsh, the nearest neighbours usually lived miles away, and towns were very few and far between. Advertisement for Canada West exaggerated the good parts of Western Canada and completely ignored every aspect that was less than satisfactory, just as most companies do today. Advertisement will never be completely honest.