Volume 2 - ElectricCanadian.com

1901 TO 1914 203in the dry areas of the Canadian West, but it has also extendedto uncondemned areas in the American West. In some ofthese dry areas, lands have changed ownership in later yearsat the highest prices yet recorded in the West. The first twodecades of this century have shown that, by the use of propermethods of farming, grain can be successfully grown over theof western Canada andgreater part of the prairie regionunder favourable weather and market conditions veryprofitably.It fell to the task of the present general manager, SirJohn Aird, to seize the opportunity afforded by the fulfilmentof Sir Edmund's prophecy. Sir John Aird was at the periodmentioned manager of the Winnipeg branch, and on the firstindications of an era of new settlement in the West he beganto urge on the head office the advisability of establishingbranches in the prairie country. The policy of the directorshad always recognized both their obligation to preserve theinterests of their shareholders and depositors, and their dutyto assist in the legitimate progress of Canada. They wereunwilling to take a step in the dark, but Sir John Aird'srepresentations were so emphatic and convincing that in 1902they decided to instruct him to go over the ground in companywith a representative of the head office, Mr. Vere C. Brown,later to succeed Sir John as superintendent at Winnipeg.In September, 1902, these officers set out on a prospectingexpedition which resulted in the establishment of branches atCalgary, Edmonton, Medicine Hat and Moosomin within afew months, followed by many others during the two or threesucceeding years. They were already satisfied as to the comingimportance of the wheat sections of Manitoba and weredisposed to recommend as an initial step the establishment ofa branch at Oak Lake in that province, but on reflectionconcluded that until the more important centres were occupied,a hamlet such as Oak Lake could well afford to wait. Theresult of this delay was that another bank opened in OakLake ahead of them. Their next choice was Medicine Hat,