Genealogy, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, Pioneer,Saskatchewan history, Temperance Colony, Temperance Colonization Society, Pioneers,John N. Lake, John Lake, 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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NARRATIVES OF SASKATOON1882-1912Genealogy, Saskatoon, Pioneer, Saskatchewan history, Temperance Colony, Temperance Colonization Society, Pioneers,John N. Lake, John Lake, Saskatoon history, Saskatoon Gen Web, Saskatoon Genealogy BY MEN OF THE CITY PREPARED BY A COMMITTEE OF THE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION OF SASKATOON PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY BOOK-STORE |
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