Manitoba Act
The Manitoba Act (French: Loi sur le Manitoba), is an act of the Parliament of Canada that is defined by the Constitution Act, 1982 as forming a part of the Constitution of Canada. The act, which received the royal assent on May 12, 1870, created the province of Manitoba and continued in force An Act for the Temporary Government of Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territories when united with Canada upon the absorption of the British territories of Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory into Canada on July 15, 1870.
The act was adopted by Parliament in response to the Métis' concerns of the provisional government led by Louis Riel. Riel was a major influence on the Manitoba Act since it was based on his list of rights. The Red River colony and its surroundings would become the province of Manitoba, which was a tiny area around the Red River Colony. Unlike other provinces, however, Manitoba would have its land and other resources initially controlled by Ottawa. In a victory for the Métis, the act guaranteed that they would receive title for the lands they already farmed and 1,400,000 acres (5,700 km2) of farmland for the use of their children. The act also set aside land for the Métis, with each family receiving scrip, a certificate, saying they owned 96 hectares of land, amount to a total of about 560,000 hectares (5,600 km2). In order to receive scrip for children living or deceased, proof of birth in Manitoba prior to 1871 was required, such as a baptismal or death certificate from the church or a letter from an employer such as the Hudson's Bay Company. The 1.4 million acres was not enough for the number of applications and the government gave money, the equivalent value of $1. per acre which was current land value at that time; for example the head of a household would receive $160. in lieu of a quarter section.
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