About RM# 368
The first meeting of Council of the Local Improvement District #18 was held April 10, 1908. Following this meeting, in January 1912, the Rural Municipality of Iron Spring #368 came into being and soon after the name of the municipality was changed to the Rural Municipality of Spalding #368.
The municipality is home to approximately 447 residents, according to the 2011 Federal Census. There are more than 200 farms with the main economic generators in the area being specialized agriculture, as well as mixed and organic farming.
The prairie landscape, changing from green in summer, gold in fall and white in winter, is a very peaceful place to live and raise a family. The Hamlet of St. Front is the only unincorporated settlement within the R.M. boundaries but the Village of Spalding is the social and business centre of the community.
The first meeting of Council of the Local Improvement District #18 was held April 10, 1908. Following this meeting, in January 1912, the Rural Municipality of Iron Spring #368 came into being and soon after the name of the municipality was changed to the Rural Municipality of Spalding #368.
The municipality is home to approximately 447 residents, according to the 2011 Federal Census. There are more than 200 farms with the main economic generators in the area being specialized agriculture, as well as mixed and organic farming.
The prairie landscape, changing from green in summer, gold in fall and white in winter, is a very peaceful place to live and raise a family. The Hamlet of St. Front is the only unincorporated settlement within the R.M. boundaries but the Village of Spalding is the social and business centre of the community.
History
In May of 1914, the R.M. of Spalding #368 officially became a member of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities and by 1925, the R.M. included 22 school districts. The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) track-laying machine reached Spalding on December 3, 1926; following this, a Medical Health Officer was appointed and a Municipal Doctor was hired. In 1929 the R.M. entered into an agreement with St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Humboldt for the care of all indigent patients; dental treatment for all school children in the municipality was implemented.
As the municipality entered the 1930’s, the R.M. was in the same situation as others of the droughtstricken areas and struggled to help ease the burden on the ratepayers. The minute books show pages upon pages of desperate people who were forced to apply to the municipality for relief; often the request was for only 1 bag of flour, as the people tried to hold on to what they had worked so hard for. The largest expenditures were for relief and charities, over double the amount spent on public works. Wages were drastically cut.
As the 1940’s progressed, vast changes were seen in the rural municipality. The 1950’s introduced the Grid Road System and many miles of road were constructed, and with the 1970’s came about the building 19 miles of primary grid road across the municipality. This was a major undertaking and almost put the rural municipality into bankruptcy. The R.M., however, recovered in the 1980’s and was able to continue with construction and purchased construction and gravel equipment. The 1990’s saw results of the drought throughout the province with the provincial budget cuts. During the 2000’s the rural municipality struggles with school amalgamations, wet conditions and flooding, anthrax and a decrease in population.
In May of 1914, the R.M. of Spalding #368 officially became a member of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities and by 1925, the R.M. included 22 school districts. The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) track-laying machine reached Spalding on December 3, 1926; following this, a Medical Health Officer was appointed and a Municipal Doctor was hired. In 1929 the R.M. entered into an agreement with St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Humboldt for the care of all indigent patients; dental treatment for all school children in the municipality was implemented.
As the municipality entered the 1930’s, the R.M. was in the same situation as others of the droughtstricken areas and struggled to help ease the burden on the ratepayers. The minute books show pages upon pages of desperate people who were forced to apply to the municipality for relief; often the request was for only 1 bag of flour, as the people tried to hold on to what they had worked so hard for. The largest expenditures were for relief and charities, over double the amount spent on public works. Wages were drastically cut.
As the 1940’s progressed, vast changes were seen in the rural municipality. The 1950’s introduced the Grid Road System and many miles of road were constructed, and with the 1970’s came about the building 19 miles of primary grid road across the municipality. This was a major undertaking and almost put the rural municipality into bankruptcy. The R.M., however, recovered in the 1980’s and was able to continue with construction and purchased construction and gravel equipment. The 1990’s saw results of the drought throughout the province with the provincial budget cuts. During the 2000’s the rural municipality struggles with school amalgamations, wet conditions and flooding, anthrax and a decrease in population.
