Osler

Town, pop 823, located a 15-minute drive N of Saskatoon on Hwy 11. Named for Sir Edmund Boyd Osler, a wealthy financier and railroad contractor, Osler had its beginnings in 1890 as the Qu’Appelle, Long Lake & Saskatchewan Railway was completed, linking Saskatoon and Prince Albert. The post office was established in 1891, the same year as advance members of what would become a substantial bloc settlement of Mennonites began to arrive in the region. In 1903, Osler had a number of stores, a lumber yard, and a grain elevator. By the 1920s, three grain elevators lining the railway tracks were, along with the railroad station, the centre of Osler’s economic activity. In 1928, the Osler Mennonite Church was built. Osler remained a small agricultural trading centre until the late 1970s, which began a period of substantial change. The community became an attractive place for people who wanted to live outside of Saskatoon yet continue to work in the city. From a population of 225 in 1976, Osler grew to 594 by 1986. The community continues to grow and new residential subdivisions and business lots continue to be developed; however, town residents largely benefit from easy access to the employment opportunities, services, and amenities that Saskatoon has to offer.

David McLennan