Fascinated by the unusual occurrence I hastened to the nearest tourist info booth for more information. The Moose Riders are a unique Canadian establishment, a peculiarity of a vast country filled with more bogs, wetlands and never-ending rivers than roads or train-tracks.

The first Moose Riders were formed as posses by outlying settlements to catch tax evaders and other ne'er-do-wells. The moose is well-adapted to going up-river, or across swamps, keeping its rider reasonably dry and without the need for a paddle. These early formations were disbanded as quickly as the fugitive was caught and hung, or at least forced to listen to a lengthy sermon without the benefit of a case of beer.

Later, as more settlers started, well, settling into Rupert's Land and the vastness of the Northwest Territories the government saw the need for a more permanent patrol, and the Moose Riders were officially created in 1852. With a territory that included what is now north-eastern Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, and stretching even into British Columbia and the Territories further north, the usefulness of the moose became readily apparent.

Although they were used for police work in remote areas, their prime purpose was as a cavalry, a branch of the armed forces. As such they were instrumental in the defeat of Russia at the battle of Yellowknife, the routing of Belgian forces at Saint Albert, and clearing the drunks off the streets of Winnipeg before the infamous Grey Cup riots of 1881.