In 1910 Premier Walter Scott set up a provincial “secret service” to enforce ever-tightening liquor statutes, hiring Charles Augustus Mahony to recruit able bodied men to comprise the force. Secret service officers worked largely undercover, attempting to stem the growing cross- border trade in illegal liquor by policing cities and towns throughout Saskatchewan, while the Royal North West Mounted Police generally handled the majority of other law enforcement for the province.

This all changed in 1916, when Prime Minister Borden announced that the RNWMP were to be withdrawn from all civil duties, and charged only with enforcing federal law from 1917 onwards. This action compelled the western provinces into setting up their own Provincial Police forces, and Commissioner Mahony was charged with the task of expanding the scope and manpower of his existing secret service.

The newly formed Saskatchewan Provincial Police was required to hit the ground running. With only 40 officers charged with policing the entire province, the recruits had to face considerable challenges while attempting to stem the tide of burglary, bootlegging, and violent crime that was sweeping through the province in the wake of both prohibition and the influx of new settlers to the area. By 1925 the force had grown to include 145 men working out of 79 different provincial detachments on as many as 10,000 cases per year. Despite such a small force, the SPP had an amazing 83.6 success rate in solving investigations (in a time before modern forensics, this was quite a task).

Despite being considered one of the finest police forces in Canada, Premier James Gardiner chose to disband the SPP in 1927 amid growing budgetary constraints. The force was absorbed by the RCMP, who once again took over law enforcement in the province. Though largely forgotten today, the SPP made a considerable contribution to controlling law and order throughout the province during a pivotal period in its history.

Written by: Shana Hay, Reference Assistant at the Regina Public Library

Sources:
Chabun, Will. “Credit and Recognition are Due…”, Regina Leader Post, July 22, 1978.

Lin, Zhiquiu. Policing the Wild North-West: A Sociological Study of the Provincial Police in Alberta and Saskatchewan 1905-1932. Calgary: The
University of Calgary Press, 2007.

Mole, Rich. Whiskey Wars of the Canadian West: Fifty Years of Battles Against the Bottle. Toronto: Heritage House Publishing, 2012.

Stewart, Chris and Hudson, Lynn. Mahony’s Minute Men, the Saga of the Saskatchewan Provincial Police 1917-1928. Saskatchewan: Self Published, 1978.

Internet Genealogy, April/May 2013, Vol. 8, No. 1

* "Say 'Hello' to Trello!" by Lisa A. Alzo, pgs. 13-15. Note: article examines Trello, an online project management software, to help keep your genealogical project organized.

* "From Quill Pens to Pixels" by David A. Norris, pgs. 16-19. Note: article examines how to locate and utilize online Colonial American Records.

* "10 Tips for Finding Female Ancestors Online" by Gena Philibert-Ortega, pgs. 21-24.

Generations, March 2013, Vo. 38, No. 1

* "An Introduction to the Database for HBC Servants' Contracts, 1776-1926 (Part Two)" by Elizabeth Briggs, pgs. 18-21.

Revue Historique, Hiver 2013, Vol. 23, No. 2

* "Parole occultée ou parole confisquée: Voix et identité(s) parmi les émigrants bretons dans le Nord-Quest canadien au tournant du 20ͤ siècle" par Pierre-Yves Mocquais, pgs. 6-13.

* "La bête à sept têtes: Carmen Roy en Saskatchewan" par Armandine Gareau, pgs. 14-16.

* "La persistance de la littérature orale autochtone dans le regroupement Ladéroute-Perron-Marion" par Linda Reverchon, pgs. 18-26.

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Note: These issues can be borrowed for 1 week.

Not sure what to do with your old school yearbooks? Thinking of throwing them out in the trash or recycling them? Why not consider donating them to the Prairie History Room?

We are always on the lookout for old yearbooks to supplement our existing collection. We will accept any yearbook donation so long as the book is:

1. Good condition - e.g. not falling apart, smelly, moldy or appears grimy.

2. From a school in Saskatchewan - Note: yearbook can be either from an elementary, secondary/high school, or even college/university.

If you have yearbooks you wish to donate, you can drop the books off at the Prairie History reference desk or any Regina Public Library location with a note saying "For the Prairie History Room." If you have any questions regarding a potential donation, please contact us at askphr@reginalibrary.ca.

May P. Chan, Prairie History Librarian

April 9-12, 2013 will be the 96th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, which is often described as key turning point in shaping Canada as a nation. To commemorate this milestone, here is a brief list of key genealogical and historical resources for those interested in learning more about Saskatchewan’s involvement in War World I.

Vimy Ridge Memorial image attributed to etnobofin (http://www.flickr.com/photos/etnobofin/5022513982/)

Battle of Vimy Ridge

* Ted Barris. Victory at Vimy: Canada Comes of Age, April 9-12, 1917. Toronto, ON: Thomas Allen Publishers, 2007.

* Peter Barton. Vimy Ridge and Arras: the Spring 1917 Offensive in Panoramas. Toronto, ON: Dundurn Press, 2010.

* Pierre Burton. Vimy. [Toronto, ON]: Anchor Canada, 2001.

* Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Vimy: Vimy Ridge 90. Toronto, ON: Morningstar Entertainment, c2007.

* Michael Krawchuk. The Battle of Vimy Ridge: Wall of Fire. Calgary, AB: Detselig Enterprises, c2009.

Note: for more library books and DVDs pertaining to the Battle of Vimy Ridge, click on this link.

Saskatchewan's Participation in World War I

* Bill Barry, Doug Chisholm and Beth Parsons. Age Shall Not Weary Them: Saskatchewan Remember Its War Dead. Regina, SK: People Places Pub., 2005.

* James Pitsula. For All We Have and Are: Regina and the Experience of the Great War. Winnipeg, MB: University of Manitoba Press, c2008.

Genealogical Resources

* Soldiers of the First World War Database: Maintained by Library and Archives Canada, this database holds the personnel records for the 600,000 Canadians who enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) during the First World War.

* Kenneth Cox. A Call to the Colours: Tracing your Canadian Military Ancestors. Toronto, ON: Dundurn Press, c2011.

* Norman Holding. World War I Army Ancestry. Plymouth, England: Federation of Family History Societies, c1997.

* Neil Storey. Military Photographs & How to Date Them. Newbury, England: Countryside Books, 2009.

Recommended Websites

* Saskatchewan Virtual War Memorial: a website dedicated to commemorating Saskatchewan's war dead.

* Canadian War Museum's "The Battle of Vimy Ridge": site examines not only the battle but also discusses the artwork on the Vimy Ridge memorial in France.

Here is a brief summary of the new and updated databases in the library's subscription to Ancestry Library Edition database:

Canada

* Canada, City and Area Directories, 1819-1906

* Manitoba, Birth Index, 1866-1912

* Vancouver, British Columbia, Mountain View Cemetery Index, 1887-2007

Europe

* Varese, Lombardia, Italy, Indexed Marriage Records, 1876-1937 (in Italian)

International

* Lower Hutt, New Zealand, Index to Cemeteries, 1948-2012

* New Zealand, City & Area Directories, 1866-1955 (updated)

United Kingdom

* London, England, Poor Law and Board of Guardian Records, 1430-1930 (updated)

* Wiltshire, England, Marriages, 1538-1837

* Wiltshire, England, Quaker Births, 1636-1837

* Wiltshire, England, Quaker Deaths, 1542-1897

United States

* San Francisco, California, Surrendered Alien Certificates, 1906-1946

* South Carolina, Naturalization Records, 1862-1991

* Tennessee, Naturalization Records, 1907-1991

* Texas, Memorials and Petitions, 1834-1929

* U.S., Schedules of Special Census of Indians, 1880

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Note: This database is accessible in-house at all 9 branches of Regina Public Library, including the Prairie History Room at Central Library. Users simply need to have an updated library card to log onto the computer terminals.

Have you ever thought your town's or family story should be on the big screen? Well take that thought and add some homemade puppets and you get...the International Puppet Underground Film Festival (IPUFF) debuting this weekend at the Regina Public Library!

For the past couple of years, the Saskatchewan Film Pool ran a successful series of workshops that encouraged various participants to use stories found in local history books from all over Saskatchewan (note: they used the Prairie History's extensive collection!) so as to create their own puppets and then film their story. The end result is a 2 hour film called Prairie Puppet Underground, featuring 19 home-grown live-action stories for you to enjoy this Saturday, April 6, 2013 from 7 pm to 9 pm at the RPL Film Theatre, 2311-12th Avenue. In addition to the screening, there will also be a number of displays and artists' talk throughout the weekend for you to enjoy.

Click on the link for this weekend's complete itinerary as well as admission prices for the screening. For more information about the Film Pool program that started the festival, check out Chrystene Ells's website This Big World.