Alexander Begg | The Canadian Encyclopedia

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Alexander Begg

Alexander Begg, writer, historian (b at Québec City 19 July 1839; d at Victoria 6 Sept 1897).

Educated at St John's, Québec City and Aberdeen, Scotland, Begg was trading in manufactured goods at the Red River Colony in 1867. After a brief period in journalism, he worked for the Manitoba government as auditor, deputy treasurer and queen's printer from 1877 to 1884. He became immigration agent of the CPR, but later returned to journalism at Seattle in 1884 and then at Victoria as editor of the Daily British Colonist in 1892.

Drawing upon his firsthand knowledge of the events of the Red River Resistance and the creation of the province of Manitoba, Begg published historical works, including The Creation of Manitoba (1871), Ten Years in Winnipeg (1879), The Great Canadian North-West (1881) and History of the North-West (1894-95).

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