Celebrating progress in the Border City

This year marks Lloydminster’s 120th anniversary of settlement!

From a small town and village straddling the provincial border in 1903, progress was steadily made by our early pioneers.

They persevered, cast aside setbacks and relentlessly pushed forward. Approximately 1,440 months, or the equivalent of 43,800 days will soon have passed. Life in the “good old days” as some folks call it, was wrought with many changes.

The 50th anniversary celebration took place in 1953 and the story of the early settlement was discussed on the first day of the Lloydminster Exhibition. Their story was told by James G. Gardiner, Minister of Agriculture after he officially opened the threeday fair.

This story was shared again at the Barr Colonists’ headquarters located on the fairgrounds by some of the colonists who experienced first-hand what this journey from Britain entailed.

Nearly 80 original Barr Colonists were honoured guests of the Exhibition Association according to H.C. Messum who was the secretary of the Old-Timers Association.

They were delighted when Gardiner read a telegram of congratulations and best wishes from the Prime Minister on the 50th anniversary of Lloydminster’s founding.

This telegram also mentioned the contributions, “made by the two clergymen whose settlement plan opened up an important area in western Canada.”

Matt Alsager who had served 23 years as the president of the Lloydminster Exhibition Association introduced the Minister.

“Coming to what is now Saskatchewan, a year after the Barr Colonists arrived, he had heard much of the hardships the early settlers endured and of their achievements against heavy odds. I flew over the route between breakfast and lunch today that you had trekked by ox cart from Saskatoon.”

Written on my newspaper page most likely by one of the Barr Colonists is, “We took 2 weeks.” This shows the difference progress made as a result of industrial changes during the mechanical age.

Gardiner mentioned during his visit to England for the Coronation, he had the opportunity to see firsthand the loyalty of the British people to the Crown.

Folks waited two days in line despite inclement weather to greet their new sovereign; they shared a quality which others would envy. He concluded by acknowledging the importance and significance of this loyalty and said he was proud to be a part of the opening day on the 50th anniversary of the settlement’s founding.

Of significance was the grandstand presentation of the Colorado Cup for the best oats grown on the North American continent.

It was won three times in the last five years by J.C. Hill and Sons. Mayor V. U.

Miner presented this silver cup for permanent custody to Joe Hill, son of J.C. Hill.

Many dignitaries were present during this official opening and celebration of Lloydminster’s first 50 years.

A major attraction which housed a collection of original settlement documents, early photographs, artifacts and links to their homeland was the spacious headquarters of the

Barr Colonists. It was built in the spring by the Exhibition Association as a special tribute to the original settlers.