NARRATIVES OF SASKATOON

1882-1912

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with a bakery and confectionery in Saskatoon which later grew into the business which we all know of so well. After sizing up the needs and the fact that we could only borrow 5 per cent of our assessment, which was litele better than $6,000.00, I found out that under a town charter double this amount could be borrowed. The result was that I called a meeting of the fathers of Saskatoon and brought the matter before the meeting of applying for town incorpora- tion. There were objectioners at thatmeeting who could see nothing but that we were going to increase the taxes. However, the better opinion pre- vailed and I was instructed to take a census of Saskatoon and see if we could get a sufficient number of people to qualify for a special act of in- corporation under which we had to have over 450 people. Just before the Barr Colonists arrived sometime early in April, I took a census of Saska- toon. It took less than half a day, and I took everybody in sight because I had an object in view and enumerated a number of peop1e registered at hotels who had not fully decided to become residents of Saskatoon but if things turned out as expected they would. I put them down and got the 450 people. In April 1903 we applied for our incorporation as a town which was granted on July 1st, 1903. It might be of interest for you to know who were the first mayor and council of Saskatoon. At the time of nomination there were a great number nominated: for mayor, Dr. Willoughby and myself, and a great many for council. About twelve hours after nominations had closed it was discover- ed that only Dr. Willoughby, Thomas Copland and myself could qualify as being on the taxpayers' roll. Under the circumstances we all volunteered to resign in order to allow the tax-payers list to be brought up to date and then to have a new nomination with the result these were the names select- ed: Dr. Willoughby withdrew and I was elected Mayor by acclamation. Nominations for council: Mr. T. Copland, R. McIntosh, W. R. C. Willis, Allan Bowerirnan, R. W. Dulmage, and X. Gougeou. The secretary-treas- urer was the gentleman who is now Hon. W. C. Sutherland. When we started in in July, we had no precedent to go by. There Page 89

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