Nordic
History
Nordics are people who come from Norway, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, and Denmark. Nordic immigrants immigrated to Canada for many different reasons. Some came for the adventure and promise of a better life, but many also came because of overpopulation in their home country. In Norway, only the oldest son inherited his father’s land, and the rest of the children had to find work elsewhere. Few jobs meant that many Norwegians settled in North America. The Canadian government was offering 160 acres (1/4 section) for a $10 fee, so many Nordics came to buy their own land.

Nordic immigrants are people that have travelled from Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, or Denmark to live in Canada.

The countries of Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark are shown along with the surrounding countries.

Nordic countries were overpopulated and that led to many people deciding to move.
Settlement
At first, Nordics, mostly Norwegians, settled just south of the border in the United States. Later, they moved north into Saskatchewan. They settled near Watrous and in the Birch Hills. There were also groups of settlers along the southern border and near Estevan and Weyburn.

PHOTO CREDIT: SASKATCHEWAN HISTORY ALBUM
This couple married in Norway in 1905 and then immigrated to Canada in 1906. They later had 12 children.
Getting used to the ways of a new country is never easy, but most Nordics adapted easily. Early immigrants mastered the English language and adjusted to their new lives extremely well. Unlike the shocking difference in environment for others, life in Saskatchewan was familiar to the Nordic settlers.

PHOTO CREDIT: SASKATCHEWAN HISTORY ALBUM
This service station was in Theodore, SK, which became known as ‘Little Denmark’ because so many Nordic immigrants settled there, especially people from Denmark.

Photo Credit: WESTERN DEVELOPMENT MUSEUM
This is a Swedish immigrant in her farmhouse kitchen.
Culture
There are still elements of Nordic culture alive in Saskatchewan today. There are Nordic clubs in many cities and towns around the province. The Saskatoon club meets monthly to celebrate food and culture. In the village of Weldon, there is an annual Norwegian Heritage celebration. Many Norwegians still fly flags and celebrate Norwegian Independence Day on May 17th.
This flag is flown to celebrate Norwegian Independence Day.
Nordics have made many contributions to Canada’s society. One example is in the area of health care. In Canada, everyone can get health care when they are sick; this was not true at one time. Serious illness or death was often the result if Saskatchewan people could not afford to pay a doctor. This changed because of a Norwegian who settled in Saskatchewan.

We have free healthcare in Saskatchewan thanks to a Norwegian who settled here.
Matthew Anderson was the mayor of McKillop, in southwest Saskatchewan. He had always fought for a proper health plan for the people. As mayor, he introduced a plan in his region to make sure everyone could receive the health care they needed. Soon, other regions of Saskatchewan were doing the same. When Tommy Douglas was elected Premier (provincial leader) of Saskatchewan in 1944, he used this same plan for all of Saskatchewan. Later, this system was used by the Canadian Government and has become the health care system we have today.

Matthew Anderson fought for proper health care. This idea spread to the rest of the country.