2024 – FOAM LAKE CELEBRATES 100 YEARS AS A TOWN!!
Bob Johnson of the Foam Lake Review and lifelong resident of Foam Lake, has written a thorough history of our community in honour of our 100th Year as the Town of Foam Lake! This was shared over the weekend – and we are sharing now for all to enjoy. Thank you Bob, for this look into our rich history!
Foam Lake Celebrates 100 Years of History – BOB JOHNSON
In 1996, after the UN declared Canada the best place in the world to live (for the 5th consecutive year), a research company used the same criteria to locate the best province. It was announced that Saskatchewan won. At that time, the provincial CBC radio held a search for the best place in the province to live, and Foam Lake won hands down.
The name Foam Lake was chosen by Joshua Milligan, the first settler to the area in 1882, when he noticed the foam which formed along the shores of a shallow body of water northwest of the Town’s present site. Following the Milligans, were a group of Icelanders who settled in the area in 1892. They were looking for a steady source of water and settled in the Fishing Lake area before moving to Foam Lake in 1894. The Ukrainians were next to arrive between 1900 and 1910. They were in search of Freedom and land of their own. In 1872, Parliament passed a Dominion Lands Act, granting each immigrant a quarter section of land for ten dollars.
This image from 1914 and other historical images of Foam Lake can be found on the Prairie Towns website.
The Foam Lake Visitor Center, Museum, Library, and Town Office have access to the history book of Foam Lake and are called “They came from many lands”. Contact the Town Office for more information about this history book.