Grenfell

Town, pop 1,067, located half-way between Regina and the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border at the junction of Hwys 1 and 47. A service centre for the surrounding Farming community, Grenfell had its beginnings in 1882 as the first settlers began arriving in advance of the railroad. By the following spring, numerous shacks and tents dotted the townsite. The first settlers were mainly from the British Isles and eastern Canada; later, Germans would settle the Grenfell area. The post office was established in 1883, and the town’s name honours Pasco du Pre Grenfell, a railway company official. Grenfell was incorporated as a village in 1894 and reached town status in 1911. Grenfell has a wide range of businesses, a significant number of which service the district’s agricultural industry. The Grenfell Museum is located in a large Queen Anne revival-style house. The surrounding trading area has a population of approximately 6,000. Grenfell was the birthplace of William J. Patterson, Premier of Saskatchewan from 1935 to 1944 and Lieutenant-Governor of the province from 1951 to 1958.

David McLennan