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

waiting to catch their trains. This and the hustle attendant mi the travel going in on the new line gave the people of the village exaggerated ideas of its position and its future at the junction of the two railways. Two more large hotels were built, and stores and lunch counters galore were started. Town lots were surveyed for a mile out, and many of them sold at high prices. A map was prepared and displayed prominently showing "The Diamond" as a great centre with Saskatoon an insignificant point fourteen miles away. Alas, their aspirations were blasted when, some two years after, the Canadian Northern bought the Prince Albert road and ran trains to suit the schedule of their main line. Passengers ceased to stop over and the would-he metropolis became a "deserted village." it even lost the name of "The Diamond" and became Warman, after a journalist, C. T. Warman, closely identified with the Canadian Northern Railway. The Canadian Pacific Railway now made haste to recover the ground lost by the transfer of the Regina-Saskatoon-Prince Albert line to the Canadian Northern. In April, 1906, it purchased right of way from their bridge across the Saskatchewan to the north of the town to the site of the present station, and made known their plans for their line (1). The success of the city in bringing three railways to it and the certainty that the facilities for distribution of people and goods over the north would made Saskatoon the chief city of the Province, led its citizens to make a strong bid for the Capital. Following the formation of the two Western Provinces, Saskatchewan and Alberta, the location of the capital for the former became a live question. The citizens of Saskatoon put the claims of their town to the front, urging its many advantages. Those among us having influence used our strongest endeavours to that end A convention of Boards of Trade, held in Regina in July, 1905, offered us our first opportunity. The Saskatoon delegates invited the whole convention to visit Saskatoon. A special train was chartered by our citizens and forty-eight delegates ac- cepted the invitation. A banquet was tendered the visitors and largely attended. Everything went off swimmingly. The only discordant note was struck by a Regina man, who, under the influence of John Barleycorn, made disparaging remarks about Saskatoon as compared with Regina. Regina had been named in the Saskatchewan Act as Provincial Capital for the time being, and the first Legislative Assembly of the Province met in that city on March 29th, 1906. With the view of inducing the Legislature to consider locating the capital in this part of the Province the city of Prince Albert joined with us in chartering a special train to convey its members from Regina to Saskatoon and Prince Albert. This was taken advantage of by them and there followed banquet upon banquet, accom- panied by abundant oratory and everything else likely to win them to one or other of the two cities. On May 23rd the matter came to the issue in the House. On the eve of the decision we compared notes and seemed to think we had a majority of members pledged to support the claim of Saska- toon. I was in Regina along with a number of others to be present when the vote would be taken. The evening before, I went to bed confidently advised that the victory was ours. The next morning it was rumoured that at a caucus held late at night the Government had made it a matter of Government policy and that its whole following must vote for Regina. What happened at the caucus I never ascertained further than that such a decision was arrived at by the Government. I went to the House to see it out. The motion that Saskatoon be selected was seconded by the member for Rosthern only in order to bring the matter before the House, and only the votes of the mover and seconder were recorded for Saskatoon. I looked around at the members whom I knew as having pledged their votes for us and thought of the slight regard for their solemn promises men in politics show. Back home we came, disappointed but not discouraged. We knew (1) The Council negotiated with the Company for a strengthening of the railway bridge to enable the city, when it might be considered advisable, to construct a traffic attachment alongside of the railway, and agreed to pay a sum of twenty-flve thousand dollars for the privilege. Page 71

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