Hespeler worked for his older brother
Jacob Hespeler before becoming a partner in the firm of Hespeler and
Randall, which ran both a distillery (which later became
Seagram's) and a grain mill. He married a Canadian woman and became a naturalized British subject at some time before 1867, adopting the first name of "William". In 1870 he returned to Baden-Baden, serving briefly as a stretcher-bearer during the
Franco-Prussian War before being hired by the
Government of Canada as an immigration agent in 1871. While he was in Baden he heard that a number of
Mennonite families in
Russia were intending to immigrate to the
United States. He reported back to his superiors in Canada, who sent him to Russia to persuade the Mennonites to choose Canada instead. Despite considerable opposition both from
British and
Russian authorities, he was able to arrange for thousands of Mennonites to immigrate. Most settled in the area around Winnipeg. Impressed with his success, the Minister of Agriculture,
John Henry Pope, appointed him Dominion Immigration and Agriculture Agent for
Manitoba and the Northwest Territories. Hespeler moved to Winnipeg, residing in the suburb of
Fort Rouge for the rest of his life. He arranged for further Mennonite immigration and also encouraged
Icelandic immigrants and
Jewish refugees from Germany and elsewhere to settle in Manitoba. During this time he combined his work for the government with his private business of
grain merchant, but he also worked to ensure the welfare of new immigrants through the provision of emergency supplies and temporary shelter. He planned the town of
Niverville, Manitoba and (with his son) erected the first
grain elevator on the Canadian Prairies. == Political career ==