A Block settlement is particular type of land distribution which allows settlers with the same ethnicity to form small colonies. Settlers are people who have travelled of their own choice, from the land of their birth to live in new lands or colonies. ... This article or section should be merged with ethnic group Ethnicity is the cultural characteristics that connect a particular group or groups of people to each other. ... This article refers to a colony in politics and history. ...

This settlement type was used throughout western Canada between the late 1800s and and early 1900s. Some were planned and other were sponteneous created by the settlers themselves. Western Canada is a geographic region of Canada, also known as simply the West, generally considered to be west of the province of Ontario. ...

The policy was of planned blocks was perused primarily by Clifford Sifton during this time as Interior Minister. It was essentially a compromise position. Some politicians wanted all ethnic groups to be scattered evenly though the new lands to ensure they would quickly assimilate to Anglo-Canadian culture, while others did not want to live near "foreign" immigrants (as opposed to British immigrants who were not considered foreign) and demanded that they be segregated. At the time Canada was receiving large amounts of non-British, non-French, immigrants for the first time, especially Italians, Germans, Scandinavians, and Ukrainians. The newcomers themselves wanted to settle as close as possible to people with a familiar language and similar customs. The government did not want to west to be balkanised into a few large homogenous ethnic blocks, however. So several smaller colonies were set up where particular ethnic groups could settle, but these were spaced across the country. Sir Clifford Sifton (March 10, 1861 – April 17, 1929) was a Canadian politician best known for being Minister of the Interior under Sir Wilfrid Laurier. ... The Interior Minister is a member of a Cabinet in a Government. ... Scandinavia is the cultural and historic region of the Scandinavian Peninsula. ...

Examples of ethnic block settlements in western Canada

With approximate date of founding

Ukrainian

1. Edna-Star, Alberta (1892) (now called Kaylina Country)
2. Rabbit Hills, Alberta
3. Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
4. Battleford, Saskatchewan
5. Stuartburn, Manitoba (August 1896)
6. Dauphin, Manitoba (September 1896)
7. Interlake, Manitoba (June 1897)
8. Yorkton, Saskatchewan
9. Fish Creek, Saskatchewan (June 1898)
10. Shoal Lake, Manitoba (April 1899)
11. Whitemouth, Manitoba

Downtown Prince Albert Prince Albert is the third-largest city (after Saskatoon and Regina) with a population of just over 41 000 as of 2001, in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. ... Battleford is a town located just across the river from North Battleford, Saskatchewan. ... For the rural municipality, see Dauphin, Manitoba (rural municipality) Dauphin is a city in Manitoba of approximately 8085 people. ... Yorkton is a city in the south-east of Saskatchewan, Canada, near the Manitoba border. ... In Saskatchewan, Canada, a small body of water flowing into the South Saskatchewan River northeast of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. ...

French

• Sturgeon County, Alberta
• Bonnyville, Alberta

Sturgeon County (or M.D. #24, as it is officially known) is a Municipal district in central Alberta, Canada. ... Bonnyville Bonnyville, Alberta is a town of 5700 situated in North-Eastern Alberta between the larger municipalities of St. ...

Icelanders

• Gimli, Manitoba

Gimli is a rural municipality in south-central Manitoba, Canada. ...

Germans

• around Regina, Saskatchewan

Motto: Nickname: The Queen City Motto: Floreat Regina (Let Regina Flourish) Established: 1882 Area: 118. ...

External Links

• http://www.rootsweb.com/~cansk/maps/ethnic-bloc.html
• http://www.abheritage.ca/albertans/continuity/ww1_blocksettlement.html