Unknown Canadian History: Sam Steele

An excerpt from Will Ferguson's Canadian History for Dummies
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Sam Steele, Lion of the Yukon

The Mounties kept a right rein during the Klondike gold rush. They confiscated handguns, checked supplies, and turned around anyone not prepared for the riours of the north. At the forefront was Sam Steele, "the Lion of the Yukon," a character who, had he not existed, we would have most certainly have had to invent. He was the classic archetypical Mountie, strong of jaw and steady of eye and his life reads like a dime store novel. His very name seems mythical.

Sam Steele was directly involved in every major event that occured in the opening of Canada's frontier; from the Great March West to the Riel Rebeillions, from the the signing of Native treaties to the building of the CRP and the Klondite stampede. Steele stared down violent rail workers, and he disarmed American desperadoes and unruly mobs. And, as befits a Canadian hero, Sam Steele was not brought down by vengeful outlaws or drunken miners, but by Canadian bureaucracy. When Steel began prosecuting corrupt Liberal-backed profiteers, he found himself up against Laurier's all powerful minister of the interior, Clifford Sifton. The Steele-Sifton fuel ended (predictably) with a Victory of polictis over law. Steel was relieved of duty and sent packing. Ottawa had effectively "de-fanged" the Lion of the Yukon.
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A couple of thoughs on this. Firstly, isn't it interesting to note similar the story of Sam Steele is to the state of the Canadian military? Did you know that after World War 2, Canada (next to the USA) was one of the richest countries in the world and that it had the fourth largest navy and the third largest airforce? Because of Trudeau's insistance that Canada become more of a peacekeeping nation, our military has dwindled to the story state that it's in now. Note that Steele and the Canadian military were both emasculated by a Liberal government. Makes you think, doesn't it?

Secondly, why hasn't anyone in Canada snagged up this story and made it a big budget action film? It would be ten times more interesting than Men With Brooms and it has more international appeal. Another pitch for my boss in the future.