| -2- 2. Problem Statement The purpose of this research is to establish and verify the location of the third mill of Louis Riel Sr. constructed on the Seine River in the 1850-1851 period of the Red River Settlement. Until now, this location has been based upon hearsay and rumored evidence. The significance of this site is relative to the importance of the Riel family and their impact on early regional development. Preservation of this and other sites, buildings, artifacts and history associated with the Riel family is critical to the preservation of our heritage and in the interests of future generations inhabiting the Red River Valley. One method of enshrining this valuable heritage lies in the creation of a park incorporating a museum and interpretive centre commemorating the deeds, occupations and lifestyles of the Riel family and other early pioneers of the settlement. This study then, is dedicated to this end and will endeavor to outline the steps to varification and the subsequent strategies to bring about realization of a heritage park plan; a nodal development in the context of a Seine River Park extending from the Red River to the Red River Floodway, a distance of some fifteen river miles. (See Maps No. 1 & 2). |