The first obstacle came from the government of Canada. While the government agreed to allow the TCS to apply for land in the NorthWest, the actual amount they were given was a mere 10% of what they applied for. They were assured that they would receive more as colonists "bought in", but this simply did not happen.
Combined with this, the government already had a colonization policy set aside that created further restrictions. Click Here for a comprehensive list. The following is a Land Map of the early settlements in the area:
The following map simply highlights some of the "special considerations" the TCS had to face as they sought to settle the area. Notice how all of the EVEN numbered sections of land are experiencing settlement while the ODD numbered sections are generally empty - with the exception of the village of Saskatoon.
There was also some controversy in regards to Section 29. As noted, every Section 29 was designated for schools. However after John N. Lake consulted with local Dakota Chief Whitecap it was determined that the optimum place to run a ferry crossing was on the SE quarter of Section 29. An agreement was made in regards to the school with the government and Saskatoon was established at this fortuitous crossing point.
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| Dakota Chief Whitecap and John N. Lake |
In 1890 the rail road came through. The railroad had a "right of way" on every EVEN sectioned piece of land, but in order to take advantage of the natural slope heading down to the river, the railroad jutted through Section 29 and came out on the otherside of the river on Section 28. Because it was easier for the steam engines to fill with water on the side of the river opposite to the settlement, a railroad station was built outside of the Temperance Colony (and its jurisdiction).
The social impact on the residents of Saskatoon on this railroad station decision was profound. First of all the name of 'Saskatoon' was stolen by the railroad. The railroad station took the name for itself and the original settlement had to change its name to 'Nutana' as a result. It also did not take long before Saskatoon's first bar was built on the railroad controlled side of the river (although it was quickly shut down - but new bars would soon show up). The ideal land location that John N. Lake had claimed for Saskatoon had at the same time guaranteed its future success and also helped to condemn its Temperance values to failure.
During the 1880's various troubles also came to the colony that soon led to its demise. While the Temperance colony survived drought and war, it could not survive as the Temperance Colonization Society of Toronto. From the very beginning the financial success of the colony was tied to land speculation. In most cases investors bought land having no intention of actually moving to Saskatoon. Instead they hoped to cash in on the inevitable flood of migrants looking for land out west. The problem with this was the price the TCS had to pay for their land. The TCS was only granted ODD numbered sections for settlement and charged their customers $1 per acre (at the minimum) to buy land (They were 'assured' that they would be able to invoke their Temperance values on all of the residents -but this never came to pass). The EVEN numbered sections, although administered by the TCS were sold at $10 per 160 acres (or $1 per 16 acres). This made the economics very difficult for the TCS as they waited for the 'cheap land' to sell and also produced a "Checker Board look" on the landscape. Not long after, law suits were launched.
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| This was found in the Interim Report of the TCS 1885 |
The TCS eventually removed John N. Lake as commissioner. After various court cases between TCS shareholders, an eventual settlement was made between shareholders and the Government of Canada in regards to bankruptcy. The remaining shareholders received 100,000 acres of land and the government contract with TCS was cancelled in 1891. This was the end of the Saskatoon Temperance Colony.
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