MANITOBA, University of. The Cana dian province of Manitoba, which was formed out of Rupert's Land in 1870, was the out growth of the Red River Settlement founded by Lord Selkirk and his immigrants under Hud son's Bay Company auspices in 1812-15. The Scottish settlers were joined from time to time by the Metis, the descendants of French-Cana dian voyageurs, who married Indian women, and also by the children of company officers and Orkney employees of the Hudson's Bay Company who had taken Indian wives. This mixed community in 1870 numbered 12,000 souls.
To the Metis came from Lower Canada Priest (afterward Bishop) Provencher, who in 1818 established a school, which grew in later times into Saint Boniface Roman Catholic Col lege. The English-speaking half-breeds belong ing to the Church of England were educated at Saint John's College, which was reorganized in 1866 by Bishop (afterward Archbishop) Machray. Just as the new province of Mani toba was forming there was established during the year 1871 in Kildonan, near Winnipeg, among the Selkirk Scottish settlers, a Presby terian college, known since as Manitoba Col lege. This last-named college was in 1874 re moved to Winnipeg. These three denomina tional colleges were all in or near the new city. In 1875 an important meeting was held in the courthouse, Winnipeg, by Manitoba College, in which a union of the three colleges under a provincial university was suggested. Governor Morris favored this plan, and in 1877 an act was passed in the legislature of Manitoba estab lishing the University of Manitoba, to which the three colleges, Saint Boniface, Saint John's and Manitoba, were affiliated. The university was at first to be only an examining body, the teaching being done entirely by the colleges.
The new university was unique. It brought together the largest religious bodies of the province and kept up the standard of education, it being the only source of degrees. Its first examinations took place in May 1878, when seven candidates presented themselves. In 1878 application was made to the Dominion govern ment for a land grant, and at length in 1885, under the °Better Terms of that, year, 150,000 acres of good agricultural wild land was given to the university. This endow ment is now valued at $1,250,000. In 1883 a native of Red River Settlement living in Eng land, Mr. A. K. Isbister, who like many others was attracted by the broad and cosmopolitan spirit of the young university, bequeathed $83, 000 as a scholarship fund to the university.
In 1882 the Manitoba Medical College was founded and became affiliated to the university. In 1888 a new member of the sisterhood of Colleges— Wesley College of the Methodist Church —was affiliated to the university; a college of pharmacy was affiliated in 1902.
In 1899 the University Act was changed to allow teaching to be done by the university in natural science, mathematics and modern languages, the affiliated colleges taking up the other departments. In 1898 a site of seven
acres in the heart of Winnipeg, valued at $120,000, was given by the Dominion govern ment to the university, and in 1900 the first building was erected.
In recent years on the erection of new government buildings, two commodious law buildings contiguous to the university grounds have been transferred to the university for its increasing needs. In 1903 the University Act was changed to permit teaching in the classics, natural science, mathematics and modern lan guages, engineering and business training, still on the denominational colleges for teaching in the other arts subjects. Degrees are now given by the university in arts, law, med icine and agriculture. The several affiliated denominational colleges have the power to be stow degrees in theology on students who have passed certain arts requirements in the uni versity. These degrees on being reported to the university become as also pharmacy and dentistry ipso-facto degrees of the university.
In the first decade of this century an agri cultural group of buildings was erected on a site contiguous to Winnipeg costing some $4,000,000. On a provincial farm this cluster is equipped under a large staff representing the many phases of agriculture. It is said that tin complete group is not surpassed by any set ci similar buildings on the continent. The Man itoba Agricultural College is affiliated to the university. A university library growing to be worthy of recognition is now established in the university.
In the last decade of its history a very large addition has been made to the work of the arts and sciences in the university, including a law school, to civil, electrical and mechanical engineering departments, and to the brandies of pharmacy, commercial education and archi tecture. There are upward of 50 instructors now on the university faculty.
Not only has this great development taken place in the of Manitoba, but it is to be remembered that in less than two decades three provincial universities of western Can ada, viz., those of Saskatchewan province at Saskatoon, of Alberta at Edmonton and of British Columbia at Vancouver, have been established and are developing greatly, thus cutting off a vast field of supply from Manitoba University. Under the new act of 1917 Mani toba University has become strongly supported by the provincial government, and still retains the support of the denominational colleges, which cling to their former affiliation. Not withstanding the great demands of the Euro pean War, the number of university students in the year 1917-18 reached 932, but during the war the enrollment fell to 500.