Vicia cracca? tufted vetch,cow vetch,bird vetch,

I'm pretty sure it wasn't a legume of any sort Sharon. The stems were hard and stiff, and none of the plant parts were fleshy/watery like legumes tend to be. The leaves were elongated heart shaped.
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The purple of the flowers was mainly a bright purple bract, with a lighter pinkish flower inside.
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Sorry the photo's not quite in focus.

Given that it is growing in pasture, my guess will be Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciaefolia) which is used for hay, silage and grazing. My book says it typically blooms in June/July, but if it was cut for hay or grazed by animals, it could be reblooming. Google has lots of photos - take a look and see if any look similar. None of the google photos really look like the photo in my book (Wildflowers Across the Prairies, p.143)

Here's a link - I couldn't get their picture gallery to work though - http://cotswoldseeds.com/sainfoin.htm

Wow check this out, it's a recent local introduction, no wonder none of us knew it! The pic I took was at Meleb. Kinda scary, I saw a LOT of it in pastures and hayfields.

(full article link below)
"Red bartsia (Odontites serotina) is a weed of hayland, pastures and roadsides which appeared in the Interlake region of Manitoba in the 1950s (Figure 2). The weed apparently was introduced into the area in crates which were shipped from West Germany into the Canadian Armed Forces Base at Gimli. The infestation started on the base and spread into surrounding farmland by way of mowed hay from red bartsia infested areas along the edges of runways.

Today the main area of infestation (Figure 1) is in the eastern Interlake particularly in the triangle formed by Gimli, Fraserwood and Meleb. New infestations have recently been found in the Souris and Carman areas. Isolated patches have also been found near Stonewall, Selkirk and Winnipeg.

Description and Life Cycle
Red bartsia germinates in late spring. At first it grows slowly and may not be noticed during early summer (Figure 3). In July, the weed begins rapid growth, reaching heights of 15 to 30 cm (6 to 12 inches). Stems are erect, branching and bear clasping narrow leaves about three cm (1.25 inches) in length. The leaves occur in pairs and taper to a point. Both the leaves and the stem are densely hairy.

Spike-like clusters of flowers develop on flower stalks which grow from the point where the leaves join the stem. Most flowers are found on the top half of the stem. The blossoms are reddish-purple in colour and resemble tiny snapdragon flowers (one cm or less than a ½ inch long). At maturity, an infestation gives a reddish tingle to hayfields, pastures or ditches. This reddish tinge is also seen in infestations of red samphire (Salicornia), a plant frequently found growing in ditches and often confused with red bartsia. The two species can be distinguished by the absence of any leaves on red samphire.

Red bartsia is prolific, producing about 1400 seeds per plant. The seed shells out in September, infesting fields for some time to come. Coarse hairs cover the seeds, enabling them to adhere to clothing and equipment. The seed is light and is easily carried along ditches and through fields by runoff water...."

Thanks for your detective work anyway gals.

Here is a link that might be useful: Red Bartsia in Manitoba

Well that's interesting. It's so pretty, much like purple loosestrife, I guess, that is invading and taking over.