Captain John Palliser School honours the name of an Irishman who was commissioned by the Royal Geographical Society to lead an expedition to the land that we know as Western Canada. In the years 1857-60, his task was to explore, map and report on the general state of these vast territories for possible settlement. As a scientific expedition, Palliser and his colleagues – Hector, Bourgeau, Sullivan and Blakiston – accumulated a huge wealth of knowledge and information about this new land.
Palliser determined that the southwestern prairies were an extension of the central American desert, and thus were unsuitable to agriculture. This piece of land, stretching as far east as the Manitoba border, west through southern Saskatchewan and into southern Alberta, is known as the Palliser Triangle.
As explorers traveling unknown lands by canoe, horse, Red River cart, dog sled, and on snowshoes, Captain John Palliser and his colleagues serve as strong role models for us. We are proud to bear his name as we work together to “Explore, Discover, Imagine” at Captain John Palliser School.
