Gladmar, Saskatchewan

History (1909-1948)

The original village of Gladmar was founded a few miles north of its present location in 1909.*

Among the early settlers was J.E. Black who named the settlement Gladmar after his son Gladstone and his daughter Margaret.*

In 1910 the Eidness Brothers obtained a coal lease on land in the Gladmar area from the government, with an annual rent of $1.00 per acre. The first coal from Gladmar Mine was brought out in 1910, on a stone-boat pulled by oxen. The price of coal was $1.75 per ton.* The mine was later sold to the Culberts and then to Ole Ekimo and Lorentz Petterson.*

In 1911 Mrs. J. E. Black was established as the settlement's first postmaster and the first mail was brought to Gladmar by Lars Lunde on skis from a small school halfway to Radville.*

In 1912 the first General Store was built by the Eidness brothers and the first church service was conducted by Mr. Hoffman in a new 14' by 18' (4.2 x 5.5 m) building in August 1912.*

The settlement began organizing a rural municipality and school district in 1912. This resulted in the rural municipality of Surprise Valley being created with Tom Warren as Reeve, J. E Black as councilor and Tom Black as secretary.*

In 1913 Violet Hammond was the first teacher of Gladmar's first School. It was located a few miles out of town and served Gladmar and the surrounding area.* This one-room school's official name was Ryeburn Valley and it was established within School District #4264.

The first recorded burial in the community-operated Gladmar Cemetery was in 1916.

In 1922 the Gladmar Hall was built and it was then regularly used for community gatherings.*

The Canadian Pacific Railway reached Lake Alma in 1926 and Minton in 1929. Olaf Eidness loaded the first car of wheat in Gladmar. Grain elevators were built in Gladmar by Pool in 1929, and by Parish & Heimbecker in 1930. *

In 1944 a hospital was constructed to serve Gladmar and the municipalities of Surprise Valley and Lake Alma.*

In 1948 a new school was built within the town limits and the first teachers were Mrs. J. Ferguson and Mrs. John Onstad.*

Geology

The area surrounding Gladmar consists of rolling hills and valleys which flatten out into Salt lakes to the east. Gladmar is situated in the southern tip of Canada's grain belt, and due to a generally dry climate, soil erosion from strong gusting winds and rivers has long been a concern in the region. The area's natural resources include deposits of sodium sulphate and potassium sulphate, scattered oil pools, coal fields, and potash & salt resources.

Flora and fauna

The plant life surrounding Gladmar consists of shortgrass prairie species. These species grow in the driest parts of North America's grasslands and usually consist of a single plant layer made up mostly of shallow-rooted bunch grasses that grow between 12 and 18 inches (30 to 46 cm) high.

Some plant species indigenous to the area include western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii), snowberry (Symphoricarpos), and silver sage.

Animal species that can be found in the area include: golden eagle, pronghorn, prairie rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis), sage grouse (Centrocercus), prairie falcons, bobcats, and porcupines.

Local fish in the area include: lake trout, walleye, northern pike, and Arctic grayling.

Attractions

Gladmar has a two-lane bowling alley, a cooperative grocery store, and a local Citizens Club.

The Gladmar Regional High School has a gymnasium.

Military History

Citizens of Gladmar answered the call and served for their country in each of the World Wars.

The names of those who served are listed below.

Education

Gladmar Regional School which operates within the South East Cornerstone School Division is located in Gladmar. The school teaches students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 and enrollment as of September 30, 2006 was 111 students.

Farming & Ranching

The majority of work within Gladmar and the surrounding area takes place on family-owned farms and ranches.

Major crops in the area include barley, canola, durum, flax seed, oats, spring wheat, and winter wheat, with the most seeded acres dedicated to durum and spring wheat.

Local ranches raise various breeds of beef cattle.

Industry

In the town's early beginnings many of its citizens were employed by the town's coal mine.

After the coal mine was closed many people were employed at the sodium sulphate plant outside of town. It was eventually purchased by Saskatchewan Minerals in 1981 only to be closed in 1984 in response to a shift in market conditions.

At present, there is an oilfield owned and operated by Northrock Resources Ltd. to the southeast of Gladmar and a Class II Industrial Oilfield Waste Disposal Facility operated by GAP Disposal 2001 Ltd. to the South.

Some five trucking companies operate out of the Gladmar area servicing the surrounding region's agriculture and oil sectors.