Red Coat Trail

The Red Coat Trail roughly follows an approximately 1300 km journey taken by the North West Mounted Police to bring the law and order to the Canadian West.

From Fort Dufferin, Manitoba to the Old Man River in southwestern Alberta where they established Fort Macleod, this was the Great March West.

This is a depiction of the Great March West by Vancouver artist Robert Banks, from the 1973 centennial calendar, commissioned by the Regina Chamber of Commerce, celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Force. From all accounts by those who participated, the March West was not as grand and glorious as this painting may depict!

I first saw the sign that covers the Red Coat Trail while attending the annual Memorial Parade for Fallen Members held at “Depot”. The Sgt. Major of the day, Roger Tardif, had one in his office. Checking the rear of the sign I found the name of the company that manufactured them. Upon returning home I ordered a few to placed in my detachment and the sub-offices. When ordering them the manger of the firm started laughing.   He explained that a large part of his business was in sign replacement it seems that many of the highway signs disappeared over the course of a year.   I wonder who could be taking them?   There are probably a few man caves that have a Red Coat Trail sign hanging on the walls.

Image of the Red Coat Trail sign.

Redvers is a town in southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada. The town, along the Red Coat Trail, is named after General Sir Redvers Henry Buller VC GCB GCMG.  It is the first town one passes through travelling west from Manitoba on the Red Coat Trail, once a thoroughfare of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and now modern Highway 13.  A statue of a Mountie on a horse can be seen just west of the intersection of Highway 13 and Highway 8.  It is the first town one passes through travelling west from Manitoba on the Red Coat Trail, once a thoroughfare of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and now modern Highway 13.  A statue of a Mountie on a horse can be seen just west of the intersection of Highway 13 and Highway 8.

Photo courtesy of Veteran Bob Fenske (Reg # 22367) showing his grandkids in training for the most enviable of jobs in the Force….Right Markers…in front of the Mountie statue at Redvers, Manitoba.

If you have Force related photographs you would like to include in a forthcoming Photo Corner, please email Ric at rshall69@shaw.ca