During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, various government departments and several private companies engaged in an aggressive campaign to populate and develop western Canada. The cornerstone of this campaign was its publication programme. Over 300 pamphlets and brochures were published to advertise the ‘free’ lands of the Northwest. The advertising programme promoted rural settlement, depicting an idyllic landscape strongly reminiscent of ‘home’ and appealing to a young, male Anglo-Saxon population. While the campaign was successful in attracting immigrants, the reality was not always so idyllic and many settlers left. Despite the difficulties, others stayed and built rewarding lives in ‘Canada West: the new homeland’.