GEORGE BRODER.
 


	George Broder, who is now retired from active business life and makes
his home at No.939 Victoria avenue, Regina, is one of the pioneer set-
tlers of Saskatchewan who has been intimately connected with the devel-
opment of its capital for nearly forty years. Mr. Broder is a native of
Ireland, his birth having occurred in Ballymote, in 1855, and is the fifth
of the six children born to Richard and Elizabeth (Stuart) Broder. His
parents always lived in Ireland, where the father spent his life in agri-
cultural pursuits.  His oldest brother, Richard, lives in Calgary.  He
was a school teacher in his native land but has now retired from his pro-
fessional life. His wife is a well known writer, poetess and musician,
who has twice journeyed to England in connection with her professional
interests; the second brother, Stuart, makes his home in Regina, and was
also a teacher in earlier life; the third son in the family is Henry, who
still lives on the old family homestead in Ireland; Anne, the widow of
Henry Broder, also resides in her native country; Essie, the youngest
child, was a school teacher before her marriage to John Atchinson of To-
ronto, where she now makes her home. The Broders were Anglicans in
their religious faith and the father was a Conservative in his political
affiliations.
	George Broder grew to manhood in Ireland and there lived for some
years after reaching maturity. He supplemented his common school edu-
cation by wide reading and intensive study by himself, thus developing
the scholarly trait that seems to have been part of the family inheritance,
and obtaining a liberal, if not a formal education. He had been employed
in the government service in Ireland for nine years when he determined
to come out to Canada and try his fortunes in the newer country, where
the opportunities for advancement were greater than those in his own
land. Some of his kinsmen had already emigrated, among them Andrew
Broder of lower Ontario, who was a Member of the Legislature at Toronto
for thirty years and later sat in the Federal House. It is related that one
of the battles in the War of 1812 was fought on the Broder farm. George
Broder arrived in the part of the Northwest Territories that is now known
as Saskatchewan, in April, 1883.  He found employment on a farm at
Long Lake and took up a homestead, on which he lived for three years,
proving up. During this time he had a thrilling experience in the Re-
bellion of 1885. While he was driving a government team from Swift
Current to Battleford he was captured by a party of Indians and was
held a prisoner for three weeks. Fortunately for him the Indians were
little disposed to mistreat him, fed him well and saw that he came to
no harm while in their custody.  Before many days had passed they
were defeated in a pitched battle and gladly released their captive.
	In 1886, when he had proved up on his homestead, Mr. Broder came
to the city of Regina to live. For a number of years he was engaged in
operating a dairy farm, keeping a herd of thirty head of dairy cattle.
He was so thoroughly convinced that this city would be one of the chief
centers of trade and population in the future, that he invested some of
his hard earned savings in a piece of land located near the city limits
of those early days. This he subdivided into city lots known as Broder's
Annex, and eventually sold them at a handsome profit. Today this prop-
erty lies along east Victoria avenue. The success that he made of this
venture gave Mr. Broder the capital and the incentive to embark in the
real estate business on a more extensive plan.  He purchased city lots
that were already plotted and farm property that was destined to become
residential sites with the growth of the city, improved them and resold
them at a profit. In many cases he built houses on the lots, which he sold
on time payments, enabling the man with a small regular income to buy
and own his home. In the last three or four years he has erected and dis-
posed of some forty such residences.  Recently Mr. Broder somewhat
curtailed his operations and is living a semi-retired life, enjoying the
leisure well earned by years of hard work and responsibility. His real
estate holdings, which are still rather extensive, require considerable
time and attention, but aside from this he devotes himself to his friends
and his family. One of his pieces of property is the Allan Theatre, which
was built under his direction.
	In 1886 Mr. Broder was united in marriage to Miss Helen McIntyre
Reynolds of Belfast, Ireland, and they are the parents of three children:
Elizabeth, who lives at home; Mabel (Broder) Taylor, the wife of an at-
torney of Regina; and Essie, who married Norris Radway, a lumber
dealer of this city. The family is identified with Grace church (Anglican)
of this city. Mr. Broder was one of the laymen instrumental in found-
ing the parish and gave four lots for the erection of the church edifice.
His influence, though unostentatiously exercised, has been a potent fac-
tor in the upbuilding of the city and he is very properly regarded as one
of the substantial citizens to whom Regina owes her present development
and prosperity.


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