Grenfell, Saskatchewan
Encyclopedia
Grenfell is a town in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
. European settlement began in 1882 before the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
reached the site of the town; the post office was established in 1883. It is situated at the junction of Highway 47
Saskatchewan Highway 47
Highway 47 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from North Dakota Highway 40 at the Canada–United States border until Highway 49 near Preeceville...
and the Trans Canada Highway 80 miles (128.7 km) east of Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
, the provincial capital. It is 15 miles (24.1 km) south of the Qu'Appelle Valley where Crooked Lake Provincial Park and Bird's Point Resort (at Round Lake) are popular beach destinations in summer and are accessed by Highway 47
Saskatchewan Highway 47
Highway 47 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from North Dakota Highway 40 at the Canada–United States border until Highway 49 near Preeceville...
.
History
The settlement was the result of the westward expansion of the Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
and the town is named after Pasco du P. Grenfell, an early shareholder of the railway company and a prominent railwayman. Initial settlement was from eastern Canada and the British Isles, followed shortly thereafter by Germans.
The community sent men to war in both the First and Second World Wars. They are remembered at the local cenotaph.
As in many other prairie towns, Chinese railworkers from the building of the CPR
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
in the 1880s settled down and established local businesses: as late as the 1960s there were two Chinese cafés on Main Street.
Grenfell is close enough to the provincial commercial and political metropole of Regina that its residents do not feel impossibly remote and can repair there when occasion demands; it is far enough away that a lively local community persists.
Geography
Grenfell is located in the Indian Head Plain of the Aspen Parkland ecoregionFlora of Saskatchewan
The native flora of the Saskatchewan includes vascular plants, plus additional species of other plants and plant-like organisms such as algae, lichens and other fungi, and mosses...
on the parkland of the Qu'Appelle flood plain. Grenfell is within the topographical
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
area of Weed Hills. The bedrock geology belongs to that of the Mannville Group
Mannville Group
The Mannville Group is a stratigraphical unit of Cretaceous age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.It takes the name from the town of Mannville, Alberta, and was first described in the Northwest Mannville 1 well by A.W...
, a stratigraphical
Stratigraphy
Stratigraphy, a branch of geology, studies rock layers and layering . It is primarily used in the study of sedimentary and layered volcanic rocks....
unit of Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
age
Geochronology
Geochronology is the science of determining the age of rocks, fossils, and sediments, within a certain degree of uncertainty inherent to the method used. A variety of dating methods are used by geologists to achieve this, and schemes of classification and terminology have been proposed...
in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin
Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin
The Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin is a vast sedimentary basin underlying of Western Canada including southwestern Manitoba, southern Saskatchewan, Alberta, northeastern British Columbia and the southwest corner of the Northwest Territories. It consists of a massive wedge of sedimentary rock...
formed during the lower Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
period. The area is characterised by lush rolling grasslands, interspersed with poplar
Aspen
Populus section Populus, of the Populus genus, includes the aspen trees and the white poplar Populus alba. The five typical aspens are all native to cold regions with cool summers, in the north of the Northern Hemisphere, extending south at high altitudes in the mountains. The White Poplar, by...
bluffs (in prairie Canadian terminology poplar groves surrounding sloughs) and open sloughs.
Sakimay First Nation consists of 11,295.2 ha located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) northeast of Grenfell and includes 1,340 people on the Sakimay, Shesheep, Little Bone and Minoachuk reserves. Grenfell Beach is located within the Sakimay Reserve area on Crooked Lake.
Climate
Grenfell has a humid continental climateHumid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
, with extreme seasonal temperatures. It has warm summers and cold winters, with the average daily temperatures ranging from -16 C in January to 18 °C (64.4 °F) in July. Annually, temperatures exceed 30 °C (86 °F) on an average in late July Typically, summer lasts from late June until late August, and the humidity is seldom uncomfortably high. Winter lasts from November to March, and varies greatly in length and severity. Spring and autumn are both short and highly variable.
Demographics
The 2006 Statistics CanadaStatistics Canada
Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. Its headquarters is in Ottawa....
data estimates the town's population at 947 residents, continuing a slight trend of population decline in the town since the 2001 Census
Canada 2001 Census
The Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 15, 2001. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 30,007,094. This was a 4% increase over 1996 Census of 28,846,761. In...
, although unusual for prairie towns, Grenfell's population today is larger than in 1916. Of the current adult population, 43.7 per cent were male and 55.8 per cent were female. Children under five accounted for approximately 1.6 per cent of the resident population of Grenfell.
Between 2001 and 2006, Grenfell's population decreased by 11.2 percent. During the same time period, the population of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
decreased by 1.1 percent, while that of Canada grew by 5.4 percent. A recent economic boom in Saskatchewan and an atypical persistence of prosperity during the 2008 worldwide slump will have altered this trend. The population density of Grenfell averaged 3.5 /km2, compared with an average of 1.6 /km2 for the province. According to data from 2001 (although with so small a population percentages are not especially informative) more than 12.1% of the town's residents identify themselves as Catholic; 37.5% of residents are Protestant, 4.2% are Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
and 3.2% of residents do not practise a religion.
Whereas, the first settlers were from the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
and eastern Canada
Eastern Canada
Eastern Canada is generally considered to be the region of Canada east of Manitoba, consisting of the following provinces:* New Brunswick* Newfoundland and Labrador* Nova Scotia* Ontario* Prince Edward Island* Quebec...
, later immigrants from Germany would also settle here.
Government
The town of Grenfell has a mayor as the highest ranking government official. The town also elects aldermen or councillorCouncillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
s to form the municipal council. Currently the mayor is Marc Saleski, and is serving with councillors Randy Schatz, Tyler Carles, Colin Traub, Rodney Wolfe, Ken Hamnet, and Bruce Urschel. The town administrator is Leslie McGhie.
Provincially Grenfell is within the constituency of Moosomin
Moosomin
Moosomin is a word borowed from the Cree language meaning low-bush cranberry or squash berry .-Electoral districts:*Moosomin Moosomin is a word borowed from the Cree language meaning low-bush cranberry or squash berry (Viburnum edule).-Electoral districts:*Moosomin Moosomin is a word borowed from...
served by their Member of legislative assembly
Member of Legislative Assembly
A Member of Legislative Assembly, or MLA, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to the Legislature of a State in the Indian system of government...
, the honourable Don Toth
Don Toth
Donald James Toth is a Canadian provincial politician and the current Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. He has represented the constituency of Moosomin in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan since 1986. Originally elected as a member of the Progressive Conservatives, he...
.
Federally the Souris--Moose Mountain riding is represented by their Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, Ed Komarnicki
Ed Komarnicki
Edward "Ed" Komarnicki is a Canadian politician.A lawyer, Komarnicki was elected into the Canadian House of Commons in the Canadian federal election, 2004 as the Conservative Party of Canada candidate in the riding of Souris—Moose Mountain...
.
Commerce
By 1915, Grenfell hosted a flour mill company, one of 37 across the province.
The CPR
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
employed hundreds of Chinese labourers on its incremental westward growth from Ontario to British Columbia throughout the 1880s and once the railroad was complete many Chinese returned to railroad towns like Grenfell to establish cafés and groceries which persisted until the turn of the 21st century. Well into the latter part of the 20th century Grenfell was served by two such Chinese cafés and groceries which considerably contributed to the amenity of its business district. Grenfell also enjoyed the provisions of a bakeshop on Front Street well into the 1960s.
A cinema on Front Avenue opposite the railway line continued in business until the 1960s, much beyond the time when such facilities had lapsed in other, larger prairie towns which were closer to urban metropoles, in part no doubt because television transmission remained poor, Grenfell being a good 75 miles (120.7 km) east of the broadcast locus in Regina: however they might have regretted the lack of choice, community life was assuredly enhanced by first-release films being available only in the town cinema.
Infrastructure
Grenfell's hospital was first established in 1915, followed by a maternity home in 1933. The hospital in Grenfell was one of 52 hospital closures announced April 15, 1993, by Health Minister Louise Simard. Grenfell belongs to the Regina Qu' Appelle Health Region, and a hospital is within a 10 minute drive. The Grenfell Medical Centre is staffed with a doctor, emergency room, lab and x-ray department. As well Grenfell is home to the Grefell and District Pioneer Home providing health care for senior citizens of the area.Transportation
Grenfell is situated at the junction of Highway #47Saskatchewan Highway 47
Highway 47 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from North Dakota Highway 40 at the Canada–United States border until Highway 49 near Preeceville...
and Trans Canada Highway #1
Saskatchewan Highway 1
Highway 1 is the Saskatchewan section of the Trans-Canada Highway mainland route. The total distance of the Trans-Canada Highway in Saskatchewan is . The highway traverses Saskatchewan from the western border with Alberta, from Highway 1, to Manitoba where it continues as Highway 1, PTH 1. The...
80 miles (128.7 km) east of Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
, the provincial capital. By 2004, the Saskatchewan Highway 1
Saskatchewan Highway 1
Highway 1 is the Saskatchewan section of the Trans-Canada Highway mainland route. The total distance of the Trans-Canada Highway in Saskatchewan is . The highway traverses Saskatchewan from the western border with Alberta, from Highway 1, to Manitoba where it continues as Highway 1, PTH 1. The...
, the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
had been “twinned
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
” from Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
all the way eastward to Grenfell. The entire highway was divided by 2007.
The Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
came through in October 1882. Shacks and tents appeared the following spring allowing the village to incorporate on April 12, 1894 with over 100 residents. It was reorganised in 1967 becoming the Grenfell Branch of the South East Regional Library. Grenfell was located on the CPR West line between Regina and Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. The line ran through Indian Head
Indian Head, Saskatchewan
Indian Head is a town in southeast Saskatchewan, Canada, east of Regina. The town is directly north of the Trans-Canada Highway. The town is known for its federally-operated Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration experimental farm and tree nursery that produces seedlings for shelter...
, Sintaluta
Sintaluta, Saskatchewan
Sintaluta is a small town in Indian Head, SK Rural Municipality No. 156. The current population of Sintaluta is approximately 98 people Sintaluta is a small town in Indian Head, SK Rural Municipality No. 156. The current population of Sintaluta is approximately 98 people Sintaluta is a small town...
, Wolseley
Wolseley, Saskatchewan
-External links:** Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan...
, Summerberry then Grenfell and continues west through Oakshela
Oakshela, Saskatchewan
Oakshela is a hamlet in Saskatchewan, Canada. It was founded in the late 19th century by farmers and quickly became a flourishing small town. It once housed a post office, three stores, a school, a church and several families both within town and just outside of town.It also had a cemetery, which...
, Broadview
Broadview, Saskatchewan
Broadview is a community in Saskatchewan along the #1 highway, the Trans Canada Highway, east of the provincial capital city of Regina. The local economy is based mainly on agriculture.-History:...
. It is here that in 1925, the time zone changed from Central Standard Time to Mountain Standard Time
Mountain Time Zone
The Mountain Time Zone of North America keeps time by subtracting seven hours from Coordinated Universal Time, also known as Greenwich Mean Time, during the shortest days of autumn and winter , and by subtracting six hours during daylight saving time in the spring, summer, and early autumn...
.
Education
Grenfell is home to the Mechanic's Library Institute which was established in 1882 being one of the province's oldest libraries.Grenfell Elementary Community School offers pre-school to grade 6 with an enrolment near 160 pupils. Grenfell High Community School offers Grade 7 to Grade 12 to an enrolment of about 134 students. Both a part of the Prairie Valley School Division #208
Prairie Valley School Division
Prairie Valley School Division No. 208 comprises 38 schools in 30 communities. Prairie Valley SD belongs to Region 4, Regina along with Holy Trinity R.C.S.S.D No. 22, Prairie South School Division No. 210, Regina School Division No. 4, and Regina R.C.S.S.D No. 81 -Amalgamation :Aspen Grove SD ...
.
Historically several one-room school houses served Grenfell and area. Faulkner School District #53 was one of the first established in 1886 followed by Rillington #62, and Prospect #65. Grenfell #150 was located south of the town site. Le Cain #224, Tetlock #289, Brown Hill #353, Arlington #429, Sims #432, Wolf Hills #823, Gettel #1904, and Oakshela #2458 came next serving the community until the 1950s. By the 1960s only two of every former one-room schoolhouses was still in use.
Churches
The PresbyteriansPresbyterian Church in Canada
The Presbyterian Church in Canada is the name of a Protestant Christian church, of presbyterian and reformed theology and polity, serving in Canada under this name since 1875, although the United Church of Canada claimed the right to the name from 1925 to 1939...
, Methodists
Methodist Church of Canada
The Methodist Church of Canada was a united church formed in 1884 and comprising most former Methodist denominations in Canada including some that had been active along Canada's eastern coast and north of the St...
and Church of England
Anglican Church of Canada
The Anglican Church of Canada is the Province of the Anglican Communion in Canada. The official French name is l'Église Anglicane du Canada. The ACC is the third largest church in Canada after the Roman Catholic Church and the United Church of Canada, consisting of 800,000 registered members...
all held services in the CPR depot beginning in 1883 and townspeople of all denominations attended regardless of affiliation. By 1884 the Presbyterians had built the town’s first church and in 1885 the Anglicans the town’s second, St Michael and All Angels’. The Methodists built their first church in 1890 and, soon outgrowing it, a second in 1906, the first building being destroyed by fire concurrently with the opening of the new church. The second Methodist church building remains that of the United Church of Canada
United Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
congregation which came into existence as Grenfell United Church upon the unification of Canadian Presbyterians, Methodists and Congregationalists in 1925, the old Presbyterian church building being sold to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows as a lodge room.
The Lutherans
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada was a Lutheran Christian denomination active in Canada from 1966 to 1985. Prior to gaining autonomy, its congregations comprised the Canada District of the American Lutheran Church. The first presiding officer of the ELCC was the Rev. Dr Karl Holfeld...
built their first Peace Lutheran Church in 1905 and a second, larger building in 1951, the old building being sold to the Ukrainian Orthodox congregation. The Roman Catholics, originally of substantially Irish stock, built St Columbkill Church in 1903 and, with an influx of Polish and Ruthenian families found their numbers considerably increased and by 1944 moved and extended the church building; in 1979 they opened a second, completely modern church building. Protestant Austrians organised the St John’s Evangelical and Reformed congregation in 1888 and built two churches in succession in 1894 and 1903 before amalgamating with the United Church in 1964. The Baptists purchased the town’s disused first schoolhouse in 1895 for use as their church; their congregation dwindled over time and in the mid-60s the Apostolic Church purchased the building; they subsequently built a new church and the Masons acquired the old Baptist church for use as a lodge. The Grenfell Revival Centre opened in a disused Lutheran church building in 1960. The Ukrainian Catholics initially affiliated themselves with the Roman Catholics and worshipped jointly with them; in 1921 they were able to build their own church and in 1957 acquired the Lutherans’ old and now disused church building. In 1991 a re-constituted Presbyerian Church was established in Grenfell as Trinity Presbyterian Church.
Museums and other prominent points of interest
A 1904 Queen Anne revival-style home is now the Grenfell 'Adare' Museum. This home built by Mr. Edward Fitzgerald was built on a large property which has been annexed by Grenfell.Grenfell Regional Park located on the west side of Grenfell features picnic, playground area, showers, food services, and a nine hole sand greens golf course.
Military
Grenfell was home to one of the seven chapters of the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the EmpireImperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire
The Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire is a women's charitable organization based in Canada. The club was originally titled the "Federation of Daughters of the British Empire", which was founded by Margaret Clark Murray in 1900...
(IODE) established in 1909 after the Boer War
Boer War
The Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
, for women's aid to the war effore. The Royal North-west Mounted Police force detachment was established in Grenfell in 1915. Following World War II the militia was reorganised in 1961, the 10th Field Regiment consisted of several batteries including 65th Battery Grenfell.
Sports and recreation
Before 1900, Grenfell, Battleford, SaltcoatsSaltcoats, Saskatchewan
Saltcoats is a small town in East Central Saskatchewan near the Manitoba border in Canada. The town's population is around 500. The town was built in the late 19th century, and its economy was driven by the railway...
and Moosomin
Moosomin, Saskatchewan
-Climate:-Moosomin in popular culture:* The Guess Who has a song called "Runnin' Back to Saskatoon"; it also mentions Moose Jaw and Moosomin.-Notable people from Moosomin:...
all hosted soccer teams. In 1905 the Saskatchewan Soccer Association was first established in Grenfell. In the 19th century, Grenfell boasted one of the dozen or so “town bands” or “citizens’ bands” of the North-West Territories
Territorial evolution of Canada
The federation of Canada was created in 1867 when three colonies of British North America were united. One of these colonies split into two new provinces, three other colonies joined later...
. The early English settlers had a flare for sporting activities, kept hounds and horses and also established a run similar to that of fox hunting
Fox hunting
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of followers led by a master of foxhounds, who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.Fox hunting originated in its current...
runs in Britain in the 1800s. One of Canada's first polo clubs started in Grenfell. Currently, the town features an active snowmobiling club, the Grenfell Snowdrifters, and the Grenfell Spitfire Hockey club plays in the Qu'Appelle Valley Hockey League. The Flames are the recreational hockey club, and the Titans are the seniors ball club.
Prominent Grenfell natives
Sir Richard Stuart Lake
Richard Stuart Lake
Richard Stuart Lake was a long serving territorial provincial and federal level politician from Saskatchewan, Canada.-Territorial politics:...
started to homestead near Grenfell in 1883 along with his family. Lake served as a justice of the peace and vice-president of the Territorial Grain Growers Association. He was elected to the North-West Territories Assembly before becoming Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
The Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan is the viceregal representative in Saskatchewan of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the...
in 1915.
Frederick W. Johnson, taught school in Grenfell before serving in the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
before practising law for many years in Regina, being appointed to the Court of Queens Bench, serving as its Chief Justice from 1977 to 1983 and ultimately becoming the sixteenth Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
The Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan is the viceregal representative in Saskatchewan of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the...
between 1983 to 1988. Johnson was also first chancellor of the Saskatchewan Order of Merit.
Benjamin Parkyn Richardson
Benjamin Parkyn Richardson
Benjamin Parkyn Richardson was a member of the first North-West Legislative Assembly in Northwest Territories, Canada, from 20 June 1888 until 10 October 1891...
, MLA 1888-1891, as also the first president of the Grenfell Agricultural Society which was established in 1884. "In the death of Benjamin Parkyn Richardson, the district of Grenfell has lost one of its early pioneers and the town one of its most prominent and active citizens. Coming to what was then Grenfell in the spring of 1884, he at once identified himself with the interests of the West, at that time still uncertain, its future success- doubtful. The difficulties and discouragement of those early years, is still fresh and green in the memories of some who are still with us, but who, like him whose loss we now deplore, have lived to see the full dawn of a brighter day, and a truer knowledge of the land we live in." was reported in the Grenfell Sun, 1910. He was also the director of the Hospital Board, chairman of the Public School Board, and editor of the Grenfell Sun, of which he was a founder.
Dennis A. FitzGerald
Dennis A. FitzGerald
Dennis Alfred FitzGerald was a government official and professional agricultural economist whose knowledge of food distribution gave him the opportunity to serve the U.S. government in many capacities.-Early life:...
born January 1, 1903 in Grenfell and graduated Grenfell High School in 1919. FitzGerald became director of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Department of Agriculture's Office of Foreign Agricultural Relations, as chief of ECA's food division. Paul Hoffman, his superior in the division, said of him on his appointment, "He's probably the greatest authority on food procurement and distribution in the world."
John Hubbard of Grenfell became the first president of the Saskatchewan Beekeepers Association in 1923. He organised the first meeting at his at his apiary in Grenfell in 1920
R.J. Staples, born 1904 in Grenfell, was a prominent educater in the field of music. After receiving his education at the University of Saskatchewan
University of Saskatchewan
The University of Saskatchewan is a Canadian public research university, founded in 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. An "Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan" was passed by the...
he taught at several schools in Saskatchewan followed by serving as advisor on school music courses and provincial supervisor. He introduced workshops in school music methods and was instrumental in the introduction of the recorder in Canadian schools.
James Thomas Milton Anderson
James Thomas Milton Anderson
James Thomas Milton Anderson was Saskatchewan's fifth Premier and the first Conservative to hold the office....
taught at Grenfell sometime between 1906 and 1911. He married Edith Redgewick in Grenfell before moving to Yorkton
Yorkton, Saskatchewan
Yorkton is a city located in southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada, near the Manitoba border. Founded and incorporated in 1882 by a group of settlers from Ontario, it has grown to 15,038 residents as of the 2006 census. The city is bordered by the Rural Municipality of Orkney No. 244 and the Rural...
and Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
, becoming the fifth Premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
of Saskatchewan.
Dr. Cal Bricker, a Grenfell dentist, competed in the Olympics. In the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
1908 Summer Olympics
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
he gained a bronze medal in the men's long jump, and during the 1912 Summer Olympics
1912 Summer Olympics
The 1912 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 5 May and 27 July 1912. Twenty-eight nations and 2,407 competitors, including 48 women, competed in 102 events in 14 sports...
held in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
he won the silver medal, again for men's long jump. Bricker was inducted into the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, Saskatchewan and Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. Canadian athletes who excel in jumping activities are awarded the Cal D. Bricker Memorial trophy.