NARRATIVES OF SASKATOON

1882-1912

Genealogy, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, Pioneer,Saskatchewan history, Temperance Colony, Temperance Colonization Society, Pioneers,John N. Lake, John Lake, Saskatoon history, Saskatoon Gen Web, Genealogy, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, Pioneer,Saskatchewan history, Temperance Colony, Temperance Colonization Society, Saskatoon history, Saskatoon Gen Web

ingly huge sum; it was getting action on with a vengeance. The lowest bid on the contract for laying sewer and water pipe was so far below the next lowest hid that the Council hesitated about awarding it. (It was less than half the next bidder.) However, the Council decided to award it the lowest bidder, but was taught by experience the folly of such a course, and of leaving out of consideration qualification and financial standing of the party bidding. After a time the contract was taken out of their hands and the city proceeded with the work by day labour. The unbounded optimism of the plans of the citizens for their city was largely due to the railway developments of the years immediately pre- ceding. In 1904 the Grand Trunk Pacific line was being 1ocated It was being run to cross the South Saskatchewan near Hanley, some forty miles to the south of Saskatoon. A mass meeting of the citizens was held, and M. Isbis- ter and James Leslie were appointed delegates to Ottawa to have the line deflected so as to run through Saskatoon. Their mission was successful, though definite news of their success did not come till August, 1905. The jubilation at their success is voiced in the Phoenix of 18th of August, l905, as follows :--"The citizens of our town are naturally very jubilant over the authentic news from Ottawa that the main line of the Grand Trunk Pacific is to pass through Saskatoon. Immediately on receipt of the news on Monday last a meeting of the Board of Trade was held, and a delegation consisting of J. A. Lamont, M.P., Thomas Copland, and F.R. Oliver was appointed to go to Montreal and Ottawa to make arrangements concerning the crossing and other matters in connection with the station. This was done at the request of Mr. Morse, of the Grand Trunk Pacific Company. It is intimated that they may come on the present bridge and that a traffic bridge will be added. Saskatoon is to be the chief divisional point between Winnipeg and Edmonton, and large shops are to be erected here and many men employed. As a divisional point for both the Canadian Pacific Rail- way and the Grand Trunk Pacific the citizens of Saskatoon have attained their highest ambition--that of being the most important town in Saskat- chewan, The prominence will naturally lead to its Selection as the Capital of the Province." Of the question of the Capital we shall speak later. As til the Grand Trunk Pacific, subsequently great activity was evidenced. Many officials were coming and going. The general manager, Morse, stated on one of his visits, that "no question of money" would influence the in considering the location of the station. But it did. I was told by an official some time afterwards that a right of way and land for the station about Twentieth Street West was offered for one hundred thousand dollars, but the offer was scouted as a hold up. There was a good skit in the Phoenix about the loca- tion that shows the excitement prevailing on this subject. "(Wireless Special )-Grand Trunk will build in Nutana. (Later) --No it won't. (Still later)-It will build in Riversdale. (Latest) No truth in last re - port. In the end they built a station on the east side and three miles south near the Exhibition Grounds and called it "Earl" (Ultimately they had to come in first over the Canadian Pacific track hut finally, as the Canadian National Railway, over the line of the former Canadian Northern.) The story of the Canadian Northern is much of the same kind. In June, 1906, the main line was completed as far as North Battleford. It ran by fourteen miles north of us, through what is now Warman, but was then called "The Diamond." "The Diamond was formed by the crossing of the Regina, Long Lake and Prince Albert line which was at this time leased hy the Canadian Pacific. Connections were of the worst. The Cana- dian Northern train was scheduled to pass "The Diamond" early in the morning. The Canadian Pacific paid no attention to this schedule. We were thereby put to the great inconvenience of driving at an unearthly hour of the morning to catch the Canadian Northern for Battleford, or taking the Canadian Pacific to "The Diamond" the night before and staying at the only "Hotel" of the place, which, by the way, was conducted by my old friend Marcotte. The fact that the trains goind north, south, east and west made no connections whatever with one another meant a large crowd Page 70

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