Norquay history

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Following are excerpts from Norquay Nostalgia history book

Many have contributed to make Norquay and this area of Saskatchewan what it is today.  

For hundreds of years the Indian people lived, traveled and traded here, later to be followed by independent explorers, and fur traders, then by the posts of the X.Y. and North West Fur Trading Companies and the Hudson's Bay Company, whose two forts at the great bend of the Assiniboine River made this area an important factor in the developing Western economy of the 1800's, long before farmers began to turn the first sods of raw land.  

Great changes came about in the late Nineteenth Century and into the early years of the Twentieth, with the arrival of ranchers, homesteaders, workers in the forests, and experienced farmers, who were followed by people who provided services needed, store and livery barn keepers, hotel operators, teachers, lawyers and doctors, to name but a few.  

Few at first, their numbers increased following the building of a line of the Canadian Pacific Railway through Yorkton in the 1890's, and the construction of the Canadian Northern Railway into Swan River in 1898, to Kamsack around 1905, and Norquay in 1911.  

Many peoples of many nationalities have come to this area, some from other parts of Canada, especially Ontario, and the British Isles in the earlier years, then from the United States and Europe and from Asiatic countries.  

Doukhobor people tracked from the railway at Yorkton to reach this part of Saskatchewan, Scandinavians from the United States and Northern Europe came in numbers around 1906 and 1908, while Ukrainian people from various Central and Eastern countries of Europe, arrived in large numbers prior to the First World War and again in the 1920s.  

The "Dirty Thirties" saw a considerable migration of people from the dried-out, wind-swept Prairies to areas, such as Parr View, North of Norquay.  

Throughout the years the schools, mostly one-room rural schools, because the language of instruction was English, the predominant language of North America, did much to enable these diverse peoples to communicate with each other, and to weld them into citizens, proud to be a part of Saskatchewan and of Canada.  

Norquay and its surrounding countryside has so much going for it, located as it is in this pleasant parkland of East-Central Saskatchewan with its forests, lakes and parks, and favored by a climate which rarely sees the destructive winter and summer storms which sometimes rage in more Southern Prairie areas, and blessed with good soil, good farmers and good people.  

Town of Norquay

The records of the Village of Norquay were destroyed in a fire in the building where the village records were kept in 1943. This listing of individuals who have been involved in the running of the community are only those from 1944 to the present. 

During the status of a village, the villagers elected three to represent them on Council. Out of these three the Council elected an Overseer. 

The Village of Norquay became the Town of Norquay on March 1, 1963. On March 27, 1963 the first Town Council met. The Town Council consists of the Mayor and six Councillors. In 2007 Council was changed to the Mayor and five Councillors, (Note: Council now consists of the Mayor and six Councillors again).

Village Overseers and Councillors 1944 to 1962  

Overseers  

• G. Gronsdal 1944 
• Ralph Challoner 1944-1950 
• M.N. Grywacheski 1944-1950 
• Alex Kukura 1945-1948 
• Lee Robinsin 1949-1958 
• George Nelson 1956-1959 
• N.F. Ochitwa 1959-1962  

Councillors

• George Huska 1947-1949 
• Paul Twerdochleb 1950-1952 
• Ozzie Anderson 1951-1954 
• John Naclia 1953-1955 
• Chester Knutson 1957- 1962 
• Zane Remenda 1962-1963 

First Town Council  

Mayor N.F. Ochitwa

 Councillors:       

• Ozzie Anderson                                  
• Earl Bernard                                  
• Andy Cherewyk                                  
• George Nelson                                  
• Zane Remenda                                  
• Tom Troff  

Town councils 1963 to present 

* indicates currently serving 

Mayors:  

• N.F.Ochitwa 1963-1968
• Don Miller 1969-1976
• Zane Remenda 1977-1979  
• Jerry Jenner 1980
• Allen Anaka 1981-1993
• Norman Johnson 1993-1997,  2003-2006
• Wilf Romanow 1997-2003                         
• *Don Tower 2006-present    

Councillors:  

• Ozzie Anderson 1963-1966
• Earl Bernard 1963
• Andy Cherewyk 1963
• George Nelson 1963-1964
• Zane Remenda 1963-1966, 1972-1976
• Tom Troff 1963-1971
• J. Greenwood 1964-1965
• Norman Robinson 1964-1988
• Clifton Knutson 1965-1968
• John Babuik 1966-1967
• Ross Clements 1968-1969
• Don Miller 1967-1968
• Carl Anderson 1968-1980
• Glen Larson 1969-1974
• Steve Kurytnik 1969-1970
• Mike Galay 1971-1974, 1981-1991
• Allen Anaka 1975-1980
• Wilf Romanow 1975-1985, 1991-1997
• Dave How 1975-1982
• Roberta McDonald 1977, 1977-1979
• William Markewich  1980-1988
• Bert Tower  1981-1985          
• Terry Galay  1982-2006
• Bonnie Danielson  1985-1986
• Dwayne Dahl  1985-1994
• Donald Kuliasa 1987
• Linda Skomorowski  1987-1994
• Bernie Marendiuk  1988-1991
• Norman Johnson  1991-1997
• Rod Bernard  1991-1994
• Purnell Lukey  1993-2000
• Sharon Tropin  1993-1996
• Mainus Tetlock  1994-2000
• Donna Toffan  1994-2000                
• Jay Prekaski  1996-2009  
• *Loretta Perrick 2000-present
• Ken Newell  2000-2002
• Larry Knutson  2000-2005
• Don Tower  2000-2003
• Ken Newell  2000-2002  
• *Richard Dahlin  2003-present                    
• Cheryl Shelenko  2003-2006  
• *Tom Grywacheski  2003-present                               
• Tammy Heskin 2006-2009
• *Trevor Altman 2009-present
• *Kevin Ebert 2009-present     

Secretary-treasurers       

• J.A Hymers  1944-1947      
• William Weber  1948-1961      
• William Campbell  1962-1965      
• Al Palmeruk  1966-1973      
• N.F. Ochitwa  1974-1976                
• Rodney C. Johnson: June 1,1977-2010      
• *Rona Seidle 2010-present