We will soon have a National Historic Site plaque in Montgomery Park. The marker recognizes the unique place our community has in the story of Canada after the Second World War.
After 1945 veterans returned from war; many married and started families. There was a housing shortage as young families searched for places to live. As part of soldier settlement, Veterans Land Act (VLA) offices were established across Canada to address the housing shortage. In 1944 the VLA purchased 230 acres of land (93 hectares) west of Saskatoon’s city limits from the RM of Cory.
The first homes in Montgomery Place were built in 1946. Vets plowed and planted their gardens, loved and raised their children, worked to weave a community from prairie grass and toil. Their lives and living have made a difference to us today.
“National historic sites are places of profound importance to Canada. They bear witness to this nation’s defining moments and illustrate its human creativity and cultural traditions. Each national historic site tells its own unique story, part of the greater story of Canada, contributing a sense of time, identity, and place to our understanding of Canada as a whole.”
We have been proud of our roots. In 1989, original veterans in Montgomery Place spearheaded the creation of a memorial cairn to honour the origins of the community. In 2007 signs were erected to explain the Second World War names of streets and parks. In 2013, a monument of the names of 568 veterans who had settled in Montgomery Place between 1946 and 1977 was unveiled.
Visit the plaque in Montgomery Park soon. Proudly proclaim, I live in “a national treasure.”
This home being built on Caen Street in 1956 shows a sweep of prairie grass without trees, gardens or fences. In the background are homes along the 3200 block of 11th Street West. Yourk family photo
It wasn’t long before gardens and trees were planted. This is the backyard of 3310 Caen Street in 1957. The poplar bluff in Montgomery Park is visible in the background. Yourk family photo
In 1958, John and Gwen Will “helped” in the garden at 3109 Ortona Street. Will family photo
In the years following the establishment of Montgomery Place, veterans built homes like this one at 3314 Caen Street, built in 1956. Short family photo