Memory Mondays – Types of Transportation

For this month’s Memory Mondays, we’re looking at some photos showing different types of transportation from the WDM’s photographic collections.

This undated photo shows the Carlton Ferry on the North Saskatchewan River, near Wingard. Ferries allowed people to cross rivers in relative safety and cost less to build or operate than bridges.

The first commercial ferry service in Saskatchewan started at Batoche in 1871. It was operated by Xavier Letendre, a Métis man born in St. Boniface (in present-day Manitoba). Letendre is considered to be the founder of the town of Batoche.

Canadian railways

This photo, likely from around 1900 – 1905, shows a passenger train stopped on the tracks somewhere in Saskatchewan. The Canadian Government encouraged the construction of railways to bring settlers west, and from 1896 to 1914 over 2 million people from Europe and the United States migrated to the Canadian prairies.

Prince Albert winter

This undated photo shows oxen pulling a sleigh through Prince Albert in winter. The caption on the photo is a tongue-in-cheek play on the term ‘horseless carriage,’ which was commonly used to refer to early automobiles.

Oxcarts

This undated photo shows the Howe family in an oxcart outside of a house near Lloydminster. The Howes came to Saskatchewan with the Barr Colonists.

Oxen moved more slowly than horses, but they could pull heavier loads. Oxen are also generally calmer than horses and cost less to feed, making them popular work animals for early settlers in Saskatchewan. Horses have more stamina and can work longer. Over time, horses were bred to be stronger and larger, which made them more efficient for farm work.