Saskatchewan District, Canada

Early Norwegian Settlement

The first Norwegian settlement in Saskatchewan was established at Glen Mary around the turn of the century by the brothers Christian and Ole Bøe from Solør. They came there from North Dakota in early 1901, while the main influx of Norwegian settlers followed in 1902. Among those who settled at Glen Mary were Carl C. Larsen from Hønefoss, Tollef Kjøntvedt from Nore, Numedal, and Carl Hovdeby from Kongsberg. Livestock raising was the principal source of income for the settlers. Prince Albert, about forty miles away, was their nearest marketplace.

Churches and Congregations

Norden Congregation at Glen Mary and Saskatchewan Congregation at Park were the first Norwegian congregations in the district. Both were established in 1903 by H. C. Holm, superintendent of the United Church Mission. The first Norwegian pastors to settle in the district were S. H. Njaa and Ole Hungness, both affiliated with the United Church. By 1905, there were ten Norwegian congregations in the district. Six belonged to the United Church, three to the Norwegian Synod, and one to the Lutheran Free Church.

Sources:

[Ulvestad, Martin. Nordmændene i Amerika. Utg. History Book Company's Forlag. Minneapolis, Minn. 1907.]