Elfros

Elfros (2016 population: 90) is a village in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within the Rural Municipality of Elfros No. 307 and Census Division No. 10. It is northeast of Regina and southeast of the Quill Lakes at the junction of Highway 16 and Highway 35.

For the surrounding rural municipality, see Rural Municipality of Elfros No. 307.
Elfros
Village
Village of Elfros
Icelandic settler statue in Elfros
Location of Elfros in Saskatchewan
Elfros (Canada)
Coordinates: 51°44′30″N 103°51′50″W
Country Canada
Province Saskatchewan
RegionCentral
Census division10
Rural MunicipalityElfros No. 307
Government
 • TypeMunicipal
 • Governing bodyElfros Village Council
 • MayorArleigh Helgason
 • AdministratorTina Heistad Douglas
Area
 • Total2.52 km2 (0.97 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)
 • Total90
 • Density37.5/km2 (97/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
Postal code
S0A 0V0
Area code(s)306
Highways Hwy 16
Hwy 35
RailwaysCanadian Pacific Railway
[1][2][3]

History

Elfros was first settled by Icelandic immigrants, and many of the present inhabitants are of Icelandic descent. A post office was opened in 1909.[4] Elfros incorporated as a village on December 1, 1909.[5]

From the Icelandic Pioneer Memorial in Elfros comes the following quotation.

"There were two waves of Icelandic settlement to and within Saskatchewan. The first group came directly from Iceland, paused briefly in Winnipeg, then moved on to Saskatchewan. The second group trekked north and west from older settlements in North Dakota and Manitoba.

In June 1882, the first Icelandic families came to Fishing Lake. The magnets were hay and water. Settlements followed at Foam Lake, Kristnes, Leslie, Mt Hecla, Holar, Elfros, Mozart, Wynyard, Kandahar and Dafoe, creating the largest Icelandic settlement outside of Iceland.

Icelanders were not natural farmers. They were poets, musicians and visionaries, people who saw work as a means to an end. Icelandic communities became cultural centres with bands, choirs and libraries. Icelanders built community halls. Many schools in the Vatnabyggd area have Icelandic names.

Important celebrations included Torrablot, the First Day of Summer, and Independence Day celebrations on June 17 and August 2.

For spiritual nourishment, Icelanders relied on traveling preachers, meeting in homes and community halls.

The Icelanders who came to Saskatchewan became competent farmers but saw the land as a means to improve conditions both for themselves and for their children. Aware of the value of family and community, they left a legacy of art, literacy, music and social responsibility." Elfros at Flickriver

Demographics
Population history
(1981–2016)
YearPop.±%
1981199—    
1986221+11.1%
1991181−18.1%
1996167−7.7%
2001161−3.6%
2006110−31.7%
201196−12.7%
201690−6.2%
Source: Statistics Canada via Saskatchewan Bureau of Statistics[6][7]

In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Village of Elfros recorded a population of 90 living in 52 of its 58 total private dwellings, a -6.7% change from its 2011 population of 96. With a land area of 2.52 km2 (0.97 sq mi), it had a population density of 35.7/km2 (92.5/sq mi) in 2016.[8]

In the 2011 Census of Population, the Village of Elfros recorded a population of 96, a -12.7% change from its 2006 population of 110. With a land area of 2.52 km2 (0.97 sq mi), it had a population density of 38.1/km2 (98.7/sq mi) in 2011.[9]

See also

References
  1. National Archives, Archivia Net, Post Offices and Postmasters, archived from the original on 2006-10-06
  2. Canadian Textiles Institute. (2005), CTI Determine your provincial constituency, archived from the original on 2007-09-11
  3. Commissioner of Canada Elections, Chief Electoral Officer of Canada (2005), Elections Canada On-line, archived from the original on 2007-04-21
  4. National Archives, Archivia Net. "Post Offices and Postmasters". Archived from the original on 2006-10-06. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
  5. "Urban Municipality Incorporations". Saskatchewan Ministry of Government Relations. Archived from the original on October 15, 2014. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  6. "Saskatchewan Census Population" (PDF). Saskatchewan Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 24, 2015. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  7. "Saskatchewan Census Population". Saskatchewan Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  8. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Saskatchewan)". Statistics Canada. February 8, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  9. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses (Saskatchewan)". Statistics Canada. June 3, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
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