Memory Mondays – A Look Back at Winter

Summer is just starting to get into swing in Saskatchewan, but for June’s Memory Mondays we’re going to share some wintery photos, all recently digitized as part of the WDM’s partnership on the Building London with Canadian Resources: An Immersive History for Learning the Limits of the Earth’s Carrying Capacity Partnership Development Grant, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada (2021-2024).

These photos show different scenes of people in Saskatchewan coping with winter. From obtaining and preparing food to making roads passable, there were (and still are!) a lot of tasks that need completing regardless of the weather! Take a look at these various winter tasks below.

Grinding grain in winter with a horse-powered grinder. The person on the left is pouring grain into the grinder while the horses wait. No date.

A team filling the water tank for sprinkling the ice road at Prince Albert. The team behind the tank are hauling on a rope, which passes through a pulley at the top of the tank to raise the barrel. The pole pushes the barrel down again after. No date.

The next three photos are all of ice fishing on Meota Lake, likely all taken around the same time. They are all undated and though we don’t have a lot of information on them, they provide an interesting look at ice fishing in Saskatchewan in the early part of the 20th century.

Ice fishing with nets in Meota Lake. No date.

Ice fishing with nets in Meota Lake. No date.

Pile of frozen fish on Meota Lake. No date.