By ERNIE NEUFELD
A treasure destined for ignoble ends, but rescued during our
recent move to a downtown condo, was a handsome booklet published
40 years ago to commemorate our province's diamond jubilee.
It was the product of a special committee entrusted with the
many facets of our province's 60th year, with a nod to the Canadian
Centennial falling just two years later.
At 32 9x12 pages (and cover) on glossy stock, with numerous full-color
photographs, it was a most suitable memento for the people of
Saskatchewan, and a trove of history of various elements which
then, as now, are symbolic of our province, its beginning and
development, and its future.
"What's in a name?" asks writer Robert Tyre in the
heading of the opening chapter, and devotes the opening paragraph
to emphasize what we all have learned. "One special thing
that makes Saskatchewan different from and part of the world is
her name." A footnote explains it comes from the Cree "Kis-is-ska-tche-wan",
meaning "swift flowing."
It is unarguably a distinctive name. Unlike many provinces, states
and cities, it is not named after another place far away. That's
enough to encourage conjecture on whether some day a part of Mars,
Pluto or a planet in another solar system might be called "New
Saskatchewan." However, I digress.
Not surprisingly, predominant on the facing page is a picture
of a battery of six grain elevators on the flat prairie, under
a bright blue sky plausibly mottled with fluffy white clouds.
The venue is Indian Head, once the biggest inland grain delivery
point in Canada, a distinction captured eventually by Weyburn.
In 1965 few would have predicted that the typical arrays of elevators
would, by the province's Centennial year, be replaced by inland
terminals bitterly fought when they first appeared on the provincial
scene.
Just as appropriate is a view of Holy Trinity Church at Stanley
Mission on the Churchill River east of Lac la Ronge, identified
as the oldest building extant in Saskatchewan; completed in 1856.
Winter appropriately earns a dominant spot, largely for the beauty
it affords us. Some of us are grateful that the brutality of winters
is bypassed in a jubilee memorial in favour of more appealing
characteristics.
An exciting new industry at the time of our diamond jubilee was
the mining and export of potash, earning a beautiful photo of
the Belle Plaine site, and two full pages of text. In the early
1960s Premier Tommy Douglas did not hesitate to predict potash
would do for Saskatchewan what oil had accomplished in Alberta.
We're still waiting, but there is no doubting - or knocking -
the importance of this mineral.
Given the importance and popularity of hockey in this province,
it is not surprising that a full-page story and facing full-page
photo were devoted to National Hockey League superstar Gordie
Howe, born near tiny Floral. An admirer in Saskatoon called him
the Babe Ruth of Hockey.
Four pages in newspaper-size type record a history of the cattle
industry, particularly the mass movement of cattle into Saskatchewan
from the United States. Neither a paragraph nor a sentence here
would begin to do it justice. Perhaps I'll devote a column to
it some day.
The part the North West Mounted Police played in Saskatchewan
history (and vice versa) made the force an obvious choice for
a few pages with illustrations of its early uniforms. Noticeably
lacking was the worldwide admiration earned by the force, whose
early headquarters were at Fort Walsh.
Regina, being the provincial capital, obviously earned a few
pages, but Saskatoon missed a well-merited special mention.
A full-page photo of venerated Cree Chief Poundmaker was accompanied
by a praiseful page of his dignity, wisdom and goodwill. It is
hinted that his imprisonment was unfair, but 40 years ago it was
apparently not yet recognized that the whole Riel Rebellion was
a justifiable reaction to unfair treatment by the Canadian government.
The whole "insurrection" received a bare sentence of
recognition. It is a pity recorded history so often resorts to
ignoring or justifying unjust realities.
Absent a comparable provincial history produced by the provincial
government this year, it would be worthwhile to reproduce a limited
number of copies of this booklet.
Box 400, 904 East Avenue
Weyburn, SK
S4H 2K4
Phone: (306) 842-7487
Fax: (306) 842-0282
E-mail: production@weyburnreview.com
This web page and its contents are copyright of the Weyburn
Review
A Division of Boundary Publishers Ltd.
