In 1926, Ku Klux Klan recruiters from Ontario came to Saskatchewan and attracted thousands of members. Premier James Gardiner became alarmed by the organization’s growth and launched a crusade against the KKK, which cumulated in a debate in 1928 between Gardiner and American KKK organizer R. H. Hawkins. Click here, for more information about the KKK in Saskatchewan including a video lecture by Dr. James Pitsula on the KKK in Saskatchewan.
On June 28, 2008, in Lemberg, Saskatchewan, over 500 people attended one of two performances of a historical re-enactment of the famous 1928 debate between James Gardiner and R. H. Hawkins. The re-enactments were part of a festival celebrating multiculturalism in Saskatchewan that attracted approximately 1000 people. The video to the right features highlights from the re-enactments. The festival was jointly organized by the Rural History and Culture Association in cooperation with community organizations in the Town of Lemberg. The picture below is one of 24 pictures from the re-enactments and the festival that can be viewed by clicking here.
R.H. Hawkins speaks to two his supporters outside the Lemberg Hall prior to the debate