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Irrigated sugar beet field,
Raymond, Alberta
ca. 1904, by William Notman
and Sons
The well-known Montreal studio of William Notman and
Sons photographed this section of the first large irrigation
project undertaken in southern Alberta. It was built
in 1898 by Galt Irrigation Canals in partnership with
the Mormon Church. The Galt canals allowed the cultivation
of lands which normally would have been unsuitable for
agriculture. By 1915, Prairie governments had taken over
most irrigation projects from private industry. Provincial
government involvement eventually led to a substantial
increase in irrigated lands available for farming.
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