The Land of Plenty: Journey to the PrairiesModule 3: Susan Muir

The Western Development Museum, located in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, is a museum of “The Story of the People”. Through pictures and artifacts, the viewer is taken back to the time of immigration to the western parts of Canada, including Saskatchewan. People were coming to Western Canada from many parts of the world to begin a new and more prosperous life. Brochures made and distributed by the Government were one way to attract Immigrants to the West while promoting the land and a prosperous educational system.

Figure1. Brochures were written in many languages (this one is in German) as a part of the Governments campaign to attract settlers. [Photograph], by Susan Muir, 2014, Adapted from The Western Develop Museum: The Story of the People.

Figure 2. Many modes of transportation were needed to arrive in Saskatchewan with few worldly possessions. [Photograph], by Susan Muir, 2014, Adapted from The Western Develop Museum: The Story of the People.

During the 1800s the role of schools was to provide a basic education and

social influence, and to develop the British culture in Canadians, while

acknowledging and in some ways coping with ethnic diversity. (Module3)

The Land of Plenty: Journey to the PrairiesModule 3: Susan Muir

Canada was considered the Land of the Plenty. Between 1896 and 1914, over 2 million people immigrated to Canada. Many people that settled in the West were from various cultural backgrounds. Due to this large influx of immigrants, the province of Saskatchewan was formed in 1905. Many of the immigrants from the early 1900’s were of British decent. People traveled a long and difficult journey by ship, and further by train, to head further west with few personal items that reminded them of their family and cultural traditions that they left back home. In 1905 the Saskatchewan Government set up its own Department of Education. With the large population increase from immigrants moving west, more schools were needed to fit the demand of educating the children. Many one room wooden school houses were built every 7- 8 miles so children did not have to travel too far to school. “The students used many different means of transportation to and from their schools. In summer, they would walk, ride horseback, or drive a horse and buggy or a two-wheel cart; during the winter months, they used a cutter or a box sled” (Module 3). Some larger schools were made of stones and brick. Whether the school was one room, or located in a church, the influx of diverse cultural groups helped to develop the education system in Saskatchewan.

Figure 3. A British family settles into a home on the Prairies. [Photograph], by Susan Muir, 2014, Adapted from The Western Develop Museum: The Story of the People.

Figure 4. Mode of transportation to school during Saskatchewan’s winter months. [Photograph], by Susan Muir, 2014, Adapted from The Western Develop Museum: The Story of the People.

The Land of Plenty: Journey to the PrairiesModule 3: Susan Muir