The intriguing history behind Kamsack Gen Web Region

The Assiniboine [Assini-pwatuk in Cree] and Cree [Nahv-owuk]move in from the east during the 17th century. the 18th century sees a preponderance of Swamy Cree in the area, with Saulteaux [Naka-ininiwuk] migrating in from the east.  The Saulteaux  or Plains Ojibwa are the predominant tribal presence in the Kamsck GenWeb region today.

Treaty 4 negotiated 1874-1875 covers those indigenous peoples in the southern half of the Kamsack Gen Web region, whereas, Treaty 5 signed 1875 serves the north east of the Kamsack Gen Web area, and Treaty 6 (1876)  the north western portion of the Kamsack Gen Web region.  

1821, Fort Pelly makes its home in the Kamsack Gen Web region at the intersecton of four Red River Cart Trails;

1.  Nut Lake - Peiwei - Fort Pelly trail,
2.  Touchwood Hills - Fort Pelly Trail 
3.  Fort Qu'Appelle Fort Pelly Trail
4.  Fort Pelly-Fort Ellice Trail.

Ethnic Bloc Settlements

The Canadian government arranged for areas of odd numbered sections to be allocated to colonization companies on the terms that the companies agree to settle a pre-determined number of immigrants thereon.  The Yorkton Farmers' Colonization Company happened to be one of the most notable of these settlement companies.

Hendon and Wadena areas saw Swedish settlers, and Buchanan Norwegian immigrants.

Immigrants settling in ethnic groups shared a common language, goals, spiritual beliefs, agricultural practices, recreational, political and cultural identity.  As these migrants brought their agricultural implements and knowledge of how to work the land, they settled upon soils and physical site geography similar to their homeland.

Nut Lake is also linked to Red Deer Lake, Peiwei, Fishing Lake and Touchwood Hills by trails.

A Lithuanian Jewish colony springs up around Edenbridge (Jew's Bridge) and Booksby between 1904 -1911.  The Jewish families spread out farming at Maxwellton, Theodore, and Kamsack.

Bukovina, Preeceville, Dnipro were a few of the large Ukrainian rural settlements.

Where the Ukrainians settled rurally, the Danish came to urban centres such as Canora in the Kamsack Gen Web region.  By 1898, 6,000 Ukrainians are settled east of Rosthern. This ethnocultural group probably had the largest outstanding contribution to the Kamsack Gen Web region.

When Churchbridge, and Langenburg (eastern area of Yorkton Gen Web region) suffered droughts, a number of Icelandic settlers "moved to Lake Manitoba or Fishing, Quill and Foam Lakes in Saskatchwean, expanding into the largest Icelandic farm colony in Canada, settled between 1891 and 1909 - around Wynyard, Kandahar, Mozart, Elfros, Kristines, Mount Hecla, Leslie, Gerald, Spy HIll, Dafoe, HOlar, and Foam Lake."(Pohorecky, 1977)

Around Carrot River a number of Mennonite churches and colonies became installed, such as Bethany with 304 adults near Lost River, Petaigan and Carrot River of the Hoffnungsfeld mennonites, and again at  Carrot River of the Sommerfelder Mennonite.

Ebenezer 1897

Foam Lake received Scandinavian settlers around 1891. 

Sheho Lake 1891

Theodore 1896

The Good Spirit Lake Annex established itself in 1899.  This settlement later was known as the Devil's Lake Colony.  

That same year, 1899, the Yorkton colony was settled.

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