Manitoba - Fabulous Western Canada: Capture the Excitement of the Great West! - page 212

of responsible government for the territory. What little they had
was slowly being taken away, leading them to set up their own pro-
visional government. The outrage over the trial and execution of
Ontarian Orangeman Thomas Scott for defying the authority of this
government forced Riel into exile in the United States. He did return
to Canada, to Saskatchewan this time, to continue his fi ght and lead
the Northwest Rebellion. Riel, the man who might have been the
fi rst premier of Manitoba, was executed for “treason” in 1885 and
has been seen as a martyr by many ever since.

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Flax, a major Manitoba crop, with its blue fl owers. © iStockphoto.com / Jostein Hauge