The Life of King Edward VII
a Western welcome. The streets were gaily decorated and many cheers
followed the Duke and Duchess as they proceeded to Victoria Park, where
a review of 240 Mounted Police was held, medals presented to the South
African veterans and Major Belcher decorated with his C.M.G. At another
point near the city the Duke then met a large party of Indians and
received from them an address which recited their past privations and
present progress and expressed the hope that when His Royal Highness
should accede to the Throne it would be "to long reign over us, our
children, and the other many peoples of the British Empire in peaceful
security and abundant happiness."
Speeches were made by a number of the Chiefs and the Duke replied in
most picturesque terms. "The Indian is a live man, his words are true
words and he never breaks faith. And he knows that it is the same with
the Great King, my father, and with those whom he sends to carry out his
wishes. His promises last as long as the sun shall shine and the waters
flow. And care will ever be taken that nothing shall come between the
Great King and you, his faithful children." Indian children then sang
the National Anthem, and, after witnessing an extraordinary spectacle of
broncho busting and cow-boy riding, the journey was resumed to the
Rockies towering up on the horizon. Sunday was spent in traversing the
marvellous panorama of nature which spreads out through the Rockies and
Selkirks, the mighty glaciers, rushing rivers, lightning changes of
colour and varied splendours of scene. A stop was made at Banff and at
Laggan and Field, the stations were tastefully decorated with evergreens
and flags. Revelstoke was passed, the lower levels of the mountains
traversed, the plains reached, and on the morning of September 30th the
Royal train drew into Vancouver.
Mounted Police and blue-jackets from the fleet were there and as the
procession left for the Court House, where addresses were to be
received, the deep-mouthed guns of the fleet in the harbour, the ringing
bells of the city churches and the cheers of the people sounded a
combined welcome. Through several arches and gay decorations--the
Japanese and Chinese arches being noteworthy--the parade proceeded, with
the Premier of Canada in a carriage at its head. At the pavilion, in
front of the Court House, the Royal visitors were received by Mayor
Townley, an address was presented and a bouquet given to the Duchess as
well as a handsome portfolio of British Columbia views from the Local
Council of women. The Duke was very brief in his reply. The next thing
on the programme was the opening of the new Drill-Hall and the
presentation of South African medals. The Boy's Brigade was also
inspected. After luncheon a visit was paid to the Hastings Saw-Mill, and
a drive taken through the splendid trees and vistas of Stanley Park. At
Brockton Point a drill of school children was held in sight of some
seven thousand persons and a grand stand full of children looking on.
Here the Duke presented a silken banner to the school which had won the
prize for drilling and was given an enthusiastic reception. As the C. P.
R. steamer, _Empress of India_, with the Royal party on board, passed in
the evening across the Bay of Victoria the waters were illuminated with
multitudes of lighted craft and the city was a vision of golden light
with a background of surrounding blackness.
Accompanied by five warships, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall arrived
at Victoria on the morning of October 1st and were greeted by
Lieut.-Governor Sir Henri Joly de Lotbiniere as they landed. The drive
through the decorated streets to the Parliament Buildings was the scene
of much cheering and at the destination Their Royal Highnesses were
received by the officials of the Province and an immense surrounding
crowd. Mayor Hayward presented the Civic address and various deputations
followed him. In his reply the Duke made no allusion to the
international relations mentioned in one of the addresses but declared
that Canadian sacrifices in South Africa had "forged another link in the
golden chain which binds together the brotherhood of the Empire." Medals
were distributed and the school children inspected. A drive followed
through the gay streets of the city out to Esquimalt, where a barge was
taken to the Admiral's flagship and luncheon served, with Real-Admiral
Bickford as the host.
In the afternoon the Agricultural Exhibition at Victoria was opened and
in the evening the city and Parliament Buildings were brilliantly
lighted up by electricity and fireworks. After a state dinner at the
Lieutenant-Governor's residence a Reception was held at the Parliament
Buildings. The following day was a very quiet one. Her Royal Highness
called on Mrs. Dunsmuir, wife of the Prime Minister, to express sympathy
over a terrible disaster which had occurred at the Extension Mines and,
after luncheon, the Duke and Duchess visited the Royal Jubilee Hospital.
During the day the latter was presented by the miners of Atlin with a
bracelet of gold nuggets. Late in the afternoon farewells were made and
the voyage back to Vancouver commenced. From Vancouver they departed in
the morning, the Duchess going to Banff where she stayed for a couple of
days and the Duke going on to Poplar Point, Manitoba, forty miles from
Winnipeg, where he enjoyed a couple of days' shooting with Senator
Kirchhoffer. Winnipeg was reached on October 8th. They were cordially
welcomed again and a visit was paid to Oglivie's Mill--said to be the
largest in the Empire--and the direct journey for Toronto was then
commenced. From North Bay, through the Muskoka region and on to the
capital of Ontario, there were cheering crowds at every station.
Huntsville, Bracebridge, and Gravenhurst were marked in this respect. At
Orillia, Barrie and Newmarket short stops were made and, amidst gay
decorations, singing children and cheering throngs, the Duke and Duchess
appeared on the platform, received a few presentations and in the case
of Her Royal Highness accepted bouquets of flowers.
MEMORABLE RECEPTION AT TORONTO
The occurrences at Toronto during the Royal visit were of a character to
make history. The morning of October 10th, when the Duke and Duchess
arrived was gloomy and later on the rain poured with steady and
depressive persistence. But it did not seem to affect the patience of
the waiting crowds or dampen the enthusiasm of the reception. A special
and beautiful station had been erected at the head of St. George Street
and here, amid the patriotic songs of 6000 children, the Royal visitors
were received by the Hon. G. W. Ross, Premier of Ontario and a number of
his Ministers. The Vice-regal party and Sir Wilfrid Laurier had, as
usual, arrived first. The procession followed through miles of decorated
streets and throngs of cheering people until the City Hall was reached
and a scene of colour and serried masses of people witnessed such as
Toronto had never known. The streets were lined with ten thousand troops
stretching from the station to the Hall and the Alexandra Gate, erected
by the Daughters of the Empire, and the Foresters' Arch, erected by the
Independent Order of Foresters, were notable features of the welcome. At
the City Hall the Royal couple were received by Mayor O. A. Howland and
welcomed by the singing of a large trained chorus of voices. An immense
crowd was present and addresses were handed in by eleven deputations and
replied to at some length.
During the afternoon a presentation was made to the Duchess by Miss
Mowat, daughter of the Lieutenant-Governor, on behalf of the women of
Toronto. It consisted of a writing set made of Klondike gold and
Canadian amethysts and chrystal. The case was made of Canadian maple. A
state dinner was given at Government House in the evening by Sir Oliver
Mowat and the Royal couple afterwards attended a Concert at Massey Hall
where Madame Calve and others sang. The streets were filled with
enthusiastic crowds far into the night and the illuminations were
something unequalled in the history of the city and unexcelled by any
others during the Royal tour in Canada. Powerful search-lights from the
top of the City Hall tower were an unique feature of the demonstration.
On the following morning--October 12th--the Royal review took place on
the Exhibition grounds. It was unquestionably the most brilliant and
effective military spectacle ever seen in Canada. Nearly eleven thousand
men were mustered under command of Major-General O'Grady-Haly. Before
the review commenced His Royal Highness presented the South African
medals to a number of the soldiers and the V.C. to Major H. C. Z.
Cockburn. To the latter also was given a sword of honour on behalf of
the City Council. Colours were presented to the Royal Canadian Regiment
of Infantry and the Royal Canadian Dragoons in the name of the King and
as a mark of appreciation for their services in the war. The march past
then took place. There were said to be twenty-five thousand people on
the grounds and the streets and approaches were lined with many other
thousands. In the afternoon the Duke and Duchess visited the Bishop
Strachan School and the Duke planted a tree in Queen's Park and reviewed
the Fire Brigade. Then came the state visit to Toronto University, the
presentation of an address by the Chancellor, Sir William Meredith, and
the bestowal of the honorary degree of LL. D.
In the evening a Reception was held in the Parliament Buildings when
two thousand people shook hands, amid brilliant surroundings, with the
Heir to the Throne and his wife. Prior to this a very large state dinner
had been held in the halls of the same building with His Excellency the
Governor-General as host. The city was again most brilliantly
illuminated and filled with waiting throngs anxious to see and cheer the
Royal visitors. Early in the following morning they left Toronto for a
rapid trip through Western Ontario. As the Royal train rushed through
the populous centres, or quiet villages of this rich section of the
country, every railway station was crowded with cheering people anxious
for a sight of their future Sovereign and his Consort. At Brampton a
short stop was made, and a mass of beautiful roses, carried by eight
children, was presented to the Duchess from the well-known rosaries of
the town. At Guelph a platform had been erected near the station, and
here two thousand school children sang patriotic songs. At Berlin there
was another chorus and another exquisite bouquet of flowers for the
Duchess. There was a great crowd of people at this point, and the
children carried branches of maple leaves, as well as flags, which they
waved while the singing was going on and the presentations were being
made by Mayor Bowlby. The City of Stratford had a gaily decorated
station, eight thousand cheering citizens and children singing "The
Maple Leaf." An arch had been erected festooned with evergreens and
flowers. The visit to London was a matter of more formality and length.
The city was packed with people from outlying points, and the reception
to the Royal couple as they drove through decorated streets to the
Victoria Park was most enthusiastic. There an address was proffered by
Mayor Rumball. After the Duke's reply colours were presented to the 7th
Regiment and the departure took place through the same kind of cheering
throngs which had previously lined the streets.
From London the route was taken up to Niagara. Every station was
crowded with people, and in the vineyard and fruit region a brief stop
was made at Grimsby. Finally, the Royal train ran into the historic
village of Niagara-on-the-Lake, and there, at the Queen's Royal Hotel,
the visitors found elaborate preparations for their comfort during the