Kenaston, Saskatchewan
Encyclopedia
Ethnic Roots
- Slovak and Scandinavian ethnic bloc settlements were near Kenaston.
- Croatian immigrants settled in this area around Kenaston. Croatian family backgrounds are set out in this article Kenaston, Saskatchewan’s Croatian Pioneers
Notable natives
- Lynne Yelich is the Member of Parliament representing the federal riding of Blackstrap. She was raised in Kenaston and continues to call Kenston home.
- Allan KerpanAllan KerpanAllan Edward Joseph Kerpan is a Canadian politician.Kerpan attended public school in Kenaston from 1960 to 1972, but attended St Peter's College, Muenster during 1969-70....
is a politicianPoliticianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
born in Kenaston. - A large number of CreelmanCreelmanCreelman is a surname of Scottish Lowlands and later Ulster-Scottish origin.-Origin of name:Creelman is thought to have originated from an occupational name, derived from creel, which refers to a wicker basket used for putting fish inside....
s in Saskatchewan and indeed western Canada can trace their ancestry to William Alexander Creelman of Stewiacke, who settled in Kenaston at the turn of the 19th century. - Bill Hobel was a World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
veteranVeteranA veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
and Kenaston general store owner.
History
Kith ‘n Kin History Book details the history of the area around Kenaston. This book relates that the Vice President of the Saskatchewan Valley Land Company, F.E. Kenaston, was the village's namesake.
Saskatchewan Railways and Railway Stations
(historic or current)C.N
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
currently serves Kenaston; however the line terminates at Davidson where the Last Mountain Railway Craik subdivsion
Last Mountain Railway
The Last Mountain Railway is a Canadian short line railway company and subsidiary of Mobil Grain. LMR operates on trackage between Regina and Davidson in Saskatchewan, established in 2009 . The trackage was formerly operated by Canadian National Railway, the LMR interlines with Canadian National...
begins and takes over the remainder of the line.
The settlement was first known as Bonnington Springs, Assinboia, North West Territories but usually referred to as “Bonnington”. In late 1905, when Saskatchewan became a province, the name was changed to “Kenaston”, honoring F.E. Kenaston, who was the Vice President of the Saskatchewan Valley Land Company.
The railroad reached Bonnington in late 1889, but there is no record of any permanent residents until 1902. In this year, the Saskatchewan Valley Land Company was formed, made up of wealthy men from the States. The president was Col. A.D. Davidson and one of his associates was F.E. Kenaston, who was head of the Minneapolis Threshing Machine Company.
The Saskatchewan Valley Land Company purchased 839000 acres (3,395.3 km²) of land from the railway for $1.53 an acre and another 250000 acres (1,011.7 km²) from the Dominion Government for $1.00 an acre. By adopting spectacular methods of advertising and employing dozens of land agents, the wide open spaces between Regina and Saskatoon were peopled with hundreds of settlers in the time between 1902 and 1910.
Needs of settlers created a necessity for business places and the settlement grew and was incorporated as a village in July 1910. The Kenaston School opened its doors to its first fourteen pupils in August 1905, while the town was still officially known as Bonnington. The first store was built in 1903, the post office and hotel were established in 1904, the first telephone installed in 1909, and the first of Kenaston’s grain elevator was built in 1906 by the Canadian Elevator Company. In 1910, the 40,000 gallon water tower was built by CNR in proximity to the train station and just across from the first hotel.
Area statistics
- Lat (DMS) 51° 30' 00" N
- Long (DMS) 106° 17' 00" W
- Dominion Land Survey 19-29-2-W3
Time zone (cst) UTC-6
See also
- Highway 19Saskatchewan Highway 19Highway 19 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan connecting Highway 15 northern extremity near Hawarden to Highway 18 at the southern extremity near Mankota....
- Highway 15Saskatchewan Highway 15Highway 15 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from Highway 4, 5 km south of Rosetown, to Highway 16 near Bredenbury. Highway 15 is about 444 km long. The Outlook Bridge caries Highway 15 across the South Saskatchewan River.Major communities that Highway 15 passes near...
- Highway 11Saskatchewan Highway 11Highway 11 is a major north-south highway in Saskatchewan, Canada that connects the province's three largest cities: Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert. It is a structural pavement major arterial highway which is approximately long. It is also known as the Louis Riel Trail after the 19th century...
- Corman Park No. 344, SaskatchewanCorman Park No. 344, SaskatchewanThe area's German Canadian population is much higher proportionately than the national or provincial averages: 43.4% .-Government of the RM:...