A Brief History of the Great Canadian Moose Riders

The Moose Riders coat of arms.

Meese? But surely they can't be ridden?

We crouched behind a lamp-post and consulted our guide book. No mention was made within the first five pages, but there they were right in front of us, a squad of massive herbivores marching stately on their skinny legs, proudly displaying their massive horns. On their backs sat the Canadian militia in their best dress uniform swaying slightly with the rolling gait of the mooses: red serge coats (this being Canada and all, all formal jackets are red), bear-skin hats and single-shot muskets. The flags were gold and red, and bagpipers marched at the rear. It was a formidable sight!

Moose don't have hooves, so they moved quite quietly on the asphalt. And then, almost as soon as it began, it was over. The squad turned a corner and disappeared. The din of the bagpipes was drowned out by the barrage of polite car horns.

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.

Several squadrons of Canadian Moose Riders were sent to South Africa for the Boer war, with mixed results. While fearsome and undoubtedly brave, the hot dry climate proved difficult to beasts used to humid conditions.

Undoubtedly their finest hour was during World War One, when teams of Canadian War Moose were decisive in victories over the Germans in Flanders and Belgium. In WWII, machine guns were mounted to the horns of armoured moose and used in key battles in France, Italy, and Poland. The giant ungulates were better adapted to the cold weather and the endless mud than horses. Sadly, the moose riders became obsolete before the Second World War and now exist mostly as an honour guard for the Governor General and to keep trouble-makers out of the Senate Chamber.

Mostly? Although that's their visual identity, the Moose Riders are still active in smaller communities, especially in their historical territories, where raiders will still occasionally sweep out of Nunavut to pillage wolverine farms, snow refineries, and Northern ice mines.

And then there are the parades, such as the one we saw. Popular with children, there's usually a squad for a Canada Day celebration, or some civic holiday like a sidewalk sale where 40 or more massive beasts with the daunting riders remind everyone of this country's proud hinterland heritage.

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