top of page

CPR/Nielsen House

As the initial waves of immigration slowed, the Canadian Pacific Railway undertook advertising campaigns to attract settlers to Western Canada. In 1909, ready-made farms were marketed and sold to increase the immigration to harder to sell areas. The first ready made farms were sold in Southern Alberta and came complete with a house, barn, fence, well and pump. They were between 65 and 135 hectares which sold for ten annual payments of between $1300 and $2500/year, depending on the size of the farm. These farms were grouped in colonies that were close to the railway, schools and churches. By 1919, 762 ready-made farms in 24 colonies of between 5 and 122 farms had been established.

Aksel Nielsen purchased a readymade farm near Standard, Alberta which included 160 acres of fenced an ploughed land, the house and a barn, plus a drilled well and pump house. Aksel married Marie, his Danish sweetheart and they raised seven children on their farm.

The house was donated and moved to the Museum in 2007 to be restored and opened to the public, enabling us to show what homes looked like for early immigrants.

 

a6204 (1).jpg
191184035_2977003465950167_8739265055788706880_n.jpg
14207734_10154508620994920_2897653057712039321_o.jpg
bottom of page