The British North American Exploring Expedition, commonly called the Palliser Expedition explored and surveyed the open prairies and rugged wilderness of western Canada from 1857 to 1860. The purpose was to explore possible routes for the Canadian Pacific Railway and discover new species of plants. The expedition was led by John Palliser. The party consisted of:
- James Hector, geologist, naturalist, and surgeon
- Eugene Bourgeau, botanist
- Thomas Blakiston, magnetic observer
- John W. Sullivan, mathematician and sextant observer
After three more years of publishing the details of the expedition, Palliser presented his report to the British Parliament in 1863. A comprehensive map of the surveyed areas was published in 1865. Palliser's Triangle was first explored by this expedition and they reported back that this region was too arid for agriculture, a finding that was overruled by later officials much to the detriment of those who have tried to farm there.
