Multimedia essays
Click on thumbnails to view video
Saskatchewan
When Saskatchewan became a province in 1905 people were encouraged to come and settle the land. Because Saskatchewan was initially settled by pioneers who moved across the land by horse and wagon or ox and cart, it was typical for towns to develop about every six to ten miles in order to service both the travelers and the settlers. It wasn't until settlers came in and began to establish the areas that the Canadian Pacific Railway then began to lay the rail lines. It was simply too costly to extend tracks across an unpopulated wilderness.
Because these towns were so close together, as progress continued and transportation became easier, many of these towns were no longer useful as travellers didn’t need to stop every 10 miles. This is one reason you will see many abandoned towns across the region. But there are other reasons as well. Reasons such as the closure of mines, the rerouting of the highways and of course, the 1930's depression known as the "dry thirties" in the prairies.
These photos essays are meant to capture and record a small but beautiful piece of Canadian history that is so quickly disappearing.