Kayville Timeline 1900’s

The 1900s were a decade of rapid transformation for Saskatchewan, with profound changes in its demographic, economic, and social landscape that set the stage for its development throughout the 20th century.

Saskatchewan officially became a province on September 1, 1905. This transition from a district of the Northwest Territories to provincial status brought about its own governmental structures and autonomy in local governance. The establishment of Regina as the capital set the administrative tone, and new governmental institutions were developed, including the legislative assembly, which began to shape the province’s policies and regulations.

The 1900s were marked by a significant influx of settlers, drawn by the promise of cheap land and the potential for prosperity through agriculture. This population boom was supported by aggressive immigration policies of the Canadian government, aimed at settling the western prairies. Saskatchewan’s population grew rapidly, with immigrants from Britain, Eastern Europe, and the United States, among others, establishing homesteads and communities throughout the province.

Agriculture dominated Saskatchewan’s economy during the 1900s. The province quickly became known as the “breadbasket of the world” due to its vast expanses of arable land, which were ideal for grain farming, particularly wheat. The construction of railway lines facilitated not only the movement of people into the province but also the efficient transport of agricultural products to national and international markets.

With the rapid growth in population, there was a corresponding expansion in social infrastructure. New towns and villages sprang up, and with them, schools, churches, and community organizations. These institutions played a crucial role in establishing a cohesive social fabric and community identity in the newly formed province.

Despite the optimism and growth, the 1900s also presented significant challenges. Settlers often faced harsh conditions, particularly in adapting to the unfamiliar climate and landscape, which could be unforgiving. Economic vulnerabilities were apparent, particularly in reliance on wheat prices, which could fluctuate dramatically on international markets.

For Indigenous communities, the 1900s continued the trends of the late 1800s, marked by significant upheaval and hardship. The ongoing settlement process, encouraged by the government, often encroached on traditional lands and disrupted established ways of life. Government policies during this period increasingly pushed Indigenous peoples onto reserves and into treaty agreements that were frequently detrimental to their traditional economic and social structures.

Timeline (1900-1909)

1900

1901

1902

1903

1904

1905

• On September 1, 1905 Saskatchewan becomes a province with inauguration day held on September 4.¹
• Julius Martin and William “Billie” McKay arrive in the Kayville area to be ranchers.  They are possibly the first non-aboriginals to live in the Kayville area.²

1906

• June 24, 1906 the new Province of Saskatchewan was part of the the Census of Population and Agriculture of the Northwest Provinces: Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, 1906.³
  • Read more our article 1906 Census: Regina.
• First homesteads in the area surrounding Kayville are filed in the area.⁴
• Saskatchewan created a group of special constables to enforce its liquor legislation. Called “whisky spotters,” they had offices in Regina, Weyburn, Saskatoon and Prince Albert. These constables would become more active in 1916 when Saskatchewan implemented prohibition.⁵
• 1906 After much debate over the merits of the cities of Regina, Prince Albert, Moose Jaw or Saskatoon being declared the capital of Saskatchewan, the legislature votes to choose Regina on May 23, 1906.⁶

1907

• 1907 First Saint Peter and Paul Romanian Orthodox Church Parish Church council formed.⁷

1908

• 1908 Saint Peter and Paul Romanian Orthodox Church built north-east of Kayville and cemetery consecrated. The church “Saint Peter and Paul” was originally built for settlers in Max, North Dakota prior to 1906.  When most Romanian immigrants in that region migrated to the better land surrounding Kayville by about 1907 they brought all of the church contents, alters, clothes and divine items with them.  The items were placed in the new church building built on land donated by Cozma Kozack on NW-31-09-23-W2.^3,5,22 
• 1908 Work begins on the Saskatchewan Legislative Building in Regina begins.  Men from the surrounding area including Kayville join in the labour. 

1909

• 1909 On May 17, 1909 an earthquake was strongly felt in the Truax area approximately 33km north east of Kayville and must have been felt in Kayville too.  Truax area kitchens had dishes in cupboards rattling according to reports.  The earthquake was also reported on the front page of the Morning Leader newspaper in Regina the following day.  The quake caused the greatest damage in Santa Barbara, California.
• Saskatchewan government bought out Bell Telephone Company in 1909, with the government owning the long-distance lines and left local service to small companies organized at the municipal level.¹
• Saskatchewan government provided bond guarantees to railway companies for the construction of branch lines, alleviating the concerns of farmers who had trouble getting their wheat to market by wagon.¹

---

1. Wikipedia contributors. (2024, June 4). ‘Saskatchewan’. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:21, June 12, 2024, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Saskatchewan&oldid=1227153480 ↩︎
2. Ogema and District Historical Society. ‘Kayville’ by Karl R. Jackle, pages 30-33. In “Prairie Grass to Golden Grain:  RM 70 Ogema & Surrounding Areas”, (1982), ISBN 0-919-533-10-8. ↩︎
3. Statistics Canada. Census of population and agriculture of the Northwest Provinces: Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, 1906 (published 1907), Call-number 98-1906 F -2, https://archive.org/details/1906981906F21907engfra ↩︎
4. Citation needed ↩︎
5. Louis A. Knafla. (2020, August 9). ‘Law and Justice’. In The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan, Law and Justice, https://esask.uregina.ca/entry/law_and_justice.html ↩︎
6. Unattributed. ‘Saskatchewan’s Capital to Remain at Regina’. In The Leader, May 24, 1906, Page 1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/493234183/ ↩︎
7. “Related History” of Saint Peter and Paul Romanian Orthodox Church posted in Bell Tower at original cemetery ↩︎