From the Archives:
Special Guest

September 4, 2009

By Patrick Hayes, U of S Archives

On Aug. 22, 1929, Winston Churchill spent some 10 hours in Saskatoon. The stop was described in the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix as a “restful visit devoid of public appearances”. F.R. MacMillan (President of the Board of Trade) played host to the group that also included Churchill’s son Randolph, brother John, nephew Jack and the newly elected Premier J.T.M. Anderson. They toured the “sights of the city and the countryside” including time at the University of Saskatchewan, where Mr. Churchill was introduced to President Murray. 

The stopover in Saskatoon was part of a larger speaking tour of North America that came after Churchill’s personal defeat in Britain’s June election.  The tour attracted a great deal of public and media attention. In his many speeches, Churchill touted the benefits of the British Empire saying “Britain is now more prosperous than ever.”

Despite having served the five previous years as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the second Baldwin government, Churchill did not see the economic crash that was just around the corner. 

From Saskatoon, the party went on to Edmonton, Calgary, the oil fields of the Turner Valley and the Prince of Wales’ ranch near High River. The tour would continue through British Columbia, ending in California. The image is from the Farmer Papers, (MG 145) University Archives and was taken from the 1965 Daily Mail publication, Churchill: A Souvenir of His Life in Pictures. The image shows Winston, Diana and Randolph Churchill at Waterloo Station prior to departure to Canada.