English
History
Many of the people from England who first began to settle in Saskatchewan knew very little about farming. They had moved to Canada because of the excitement of living in a new country. A lot of these settlers came to escape the lack of jobs and the poverty that existed in England at the time.
English immigrants traveled from England to Canada.
The country of England and the surrounding countries.
Canada was advertising in British newspapers that British men could own their own farm, get free passages, good wages, and farm training.
Settlement
When the English first came to Saskatchewan, they formed colonies. One of the first was called Cannington Manor in southern Saskatchewan. A number of English businessmen and landowners settled there. The other settlers would see them hunting with horses and dogs and playing cricket. The new settlers were behaving just like they had when they were in England. The colony did not last long because when the railway went through Saskatchewan, it missed the Manor, which made getting to and from the settlement too difficult.
PHOTO CREDIT: WESTERN DEVELOPMENT MUSEUM
A Britain Family has just arrived in Canada.
Other colonies settled in Saskatoon, Yorkton, and Lloydminster. These colonies were very successful and grew quickly. They became very strong in politics, business, and the social scene. Schools insisted on students speaking only English. English traditions and churches were the most accepted in Saskatchewan.
English speaking churches were the most accepted in Saskatchewan.
Culture
Today, much of our culture still follows the English traditions. Our main language is English. We celebrate Victoria Day (which is a Canadian holiday that celebrates the birthday of Queen Victoria, who was the queen of Great Britain and the colonies from 1837 until 1901). We also eat English foods such as bacon, roast beef, pork chops, and biscuits. We drink tea. All of these traditions were adopted from England.
We have adopted many traditions from England including their love of tea and sweet and savory snacks.
Many names of Canadian towns and cities are of English origin. In this province, the capital city of Regina was named after Queen Victoria. Regina is Latin for queen and Queen Victoria was often referred to as Victoria Regina. Prince Albert was named after her husband.
We celebrate the queen of Great Britain’s birthday on Victoria Day (Queen Victoria).