About 1850, eastern Canada emerged from the early pioneering stage of its development. At the same time, the medal was achieving a new degree of popularity in Europe, as it came increasingly under the auspices of the prosperous bourgeoisie. Canada was ready to follow this trend. Before this time, Canadians had been too preoccupied with basic practical tasks to have much thought for such cultural trappings as the medal. Now, Canada had a newly prosperous middle class, with the means and the inclination to adopt the medal and other sorts of refinements favoured by its counterpart in the Old World. The difference here was that Canada's affluent middle class remained associated with its agricultural base, whereas the rising Europeans derived their wealth more from industry. The consequence was that the medal, when it came into favour in Canada, was naturally much utilized for the promotion of agriculture.

Gold medal awarded at the Central Assiniboia Exhibition, Indian Head, Saskatchewan, 1899 (MFN-008673).