The Nor’Wester – Northwest Territories (Manitoba), Buckingham & Coldwall, 1859

While James Evans had established the first press in what is now Manitoba, it was two young journalists from Toronto who founded Manitoba’s first newspaper. William Buckingham (1832–1915) and William Coldwall (1834–1907) had been working as reporters for newspapers in Toronto, but they saw the possibilities for a newspaper in Fort Garry (now Winnipeg).

They started their journey in St. Paul, Minnesota in September 1859, where they purchased a press, paper, ink and type. Loaded with food and equipment, they set out for Fort Garry, but the terrain was so rough they could average no more than fifteen to twenty miles a day. On more than one occasion they were forced to stop and retrieve various parcels that had fallen off their wagon. They finally arrived in Fort Garry on November 1, 1859. 

In December of 1859, the first edition of the Nor’Wester appeared. People in the area were reluctant to subscribe to this new upstart newspaper, claiming they knew more about local events than the paper did, and they could receive national and foreign news from papers shipped from London, Toronto, or Montréal. 

Buckingham left the Nor’Wester in 1861 and went on to have a notable career in journalism and politics. He returned to eastern Canada, where he took on editorial roles with various newspapers and served as Deputy Minister of the Interior.

Coldwell continued with the Nor’Wester, partnering with James Ross and later with Dr. John Schultz. In 1865, a fire destroyed the newspaper’s office and Coldwell’s bookstore. While the Nor’Wester resumed publication shortly thereafter, Coldwell eventually left the enterprise. He later attempted to start another newspaper, the Red River Pioneer, during the Red River Rebellion, but the project was ultimately thwarted by political unrest.

The Nor’Wester continued to be printed until it was seized by Louis Riel in 1869.