Garden on 4th - Estevan

Settlement of Estevan began in 1892, with the extension of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) line from Brandon to Estevan. Extension of the Soo Line railway between North Portal and Moose Jaw brought many American settlers to the area, accelerating the pace of settlement, and placing Estevan on a major North-West/South-East trade route terminating in Minneapolis. In 1899, Estevan was incorporated as a Village and became a Town in 1906, with a population of about 600. By World War I, Estevan was known as an agriculture service center, a railway divisional point and coal-mining center.

The first viable coal mine in the area was established at Roche Percee in 1891. As Estevan grew, numerous mines were established closer to it, with some shafts reaching a depth of 90 feet; many local farmers used coal-mining income to help them sustain their farming operations. Underground coal mining and the local settlements associated with it thrived- at least until the Great Depression and the advent of surface ‘strip’ mining by electric shovels in the 1930s. By 1956, a sixty-year era of underground coal mining in the region had come to an end. Today there is just one company mining coal in the Estevan area, but with several huge draglines operating. Their annual production is approximately 8 million tonnes.

In the 1920s, as a result of prohibition in the United States, a chain of liquor warehouses known as boozoriums were established in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, including two in Estevan. The proximity to the American border made Estevan an ideal location for such a warehouse. There were no laws in Saskatchewan at the time regarding exportation of liquor to the United States, so traders had no worries until they crossed the US border, at which time they were subject to theft by fellow traders and capture by law enforcement officials. The boozoriums in Estevan were in place from 1920-1922 and were mostly operated by young Americans.

In recent years, Estevan has become the oil capital of Saskatchewan. The recent exploration into the Bakken formation has drawn investment, labour and media from across the country. Estevan is known as a mining, oil and power generating city with a very strong entrepreneurial spirit. Estevan is home to a number of excellent recreational and educational facilities and great pride is taken in ensuring a positive community growth agenda, making Estevan a great place to live, work and do business.