Assiniboia

History

The Dominion Land Survey's description of the area around Assiniboia is Sec.18, Twp.8, R.29, W2. It was first settled by people of English, French, Romanian, Scottish, and Scandinavian descent. From 30 March 1908 to 23 November 1912, the post office at this location was named Leeville, Saskatchewan. The settlement of Assiniboia originated on 12 October 1912, when the Canadian Pacific Railway put 980 lots up for sale at the townsite as it built a branch line through southern Saskatchewan. The community grew rapidly and on 22 December 1912, it was incorporated as a village. In 1913, the population rose from 400 to 1,400, and the community was incorporated as a town. The town's name comes from the former district of Assiniboia, in which the town is located. During the Great Depression, town officials employed out-of-work men to construct the Assiniboia sewer system. Unfortunately, the town could not afford to operate it until 1948. It was used for elementary flight school training during the World War II years of 1942-1944.