When I get together with friends over a chilled glass of Chardonnay, the discussion often turns to Canadian genealogy and some of our favourite resources and experts.
One friend, Ms. O’Leery, frequently asks, “Why don’t we hear about genealogy research in Saskatchewan?” Although she has not one single ancestor in that province, her comment makes me look for resources across Canada.
So, this blog post is for you, Ms. O’Leery.
In the Regina Public Library’s rare book collection sits a small, often overlooked book, Power’s History of Regina, by John Weston Power. What makes this 100-page book especially interesting is that it was published in 1887, five years after Regina was established. Even more remarkable, it was the first book published in Saskatchewan.
I learned about this gem on the Regina Public Library’s blog that often features genealogy resources held in the library.
Unidentified man with horse and cart beside the first house built in Regina, Saskatchewan, 1882. Source: City of Regina Archives.
Topics in Power’s book include Regina’s foundation and growth, notices of the early pioneer merchants and business men, descriptive notices of the government offices and public institutions, biographical sketches of Lieut.-Gov. Dewdney and principal officials, the Northwest Mounted Police, churches and schools.
S. Hays writes in the blog post, “In 1887, Regina was little more than a tent city situated in a bare and inhospitable environment, but Powers takes care to chronicle each significant moment in the town’s evolution with an eye to preserving these moments for posterity . . . This book charts Regina’s early course, from the establishment of the settlement at ‘Pile o’Bones’ to the trial and execution of Louis Riel.”
Power’s History of Regina is available at the Regina Public Library for in-library review by request. The library’s Prairie History Room holds a specialized collection of non-circulating community history and genealogical materials focusing on the history and peoples of the Northern Great Plains (Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan) from pre-settlement times to present day.
You can read more about this book on the Regina Public Library’s Prairie History Blog.
