“THE DREAM STILL LIVES . . . “
In the formative years of agricultural settlement from the mid-nineteenth century to the First World War, the Canadian government, along with the railways and other Prairie boosters, further developed and propagated the image of the West as the “Promised Land” and widely distributed promotional literature that was used that image to attract millions of immigrants from all corners of the world.
The West was ripe with promise for those wishing to escape religious persecution, unproductive land, or intolerable living and working conditions. Some saw the Prairies as an ideal place to create a Utopian society; others seized the chance to take control of their own destinies in a new and exciting place. Whatever the case, the image of the West as a place of unbridled prosperity and opportunity became the dominant perception of the region at the time.
The book, The Prairie West as Promised Land features a group of essays, which includes contributions from some of the best-known Prairie historians as well as some of the most promising new scholars in the field, explores this pervasive theme in western history and makes an important contribution to the historiography of the Prairie West.
One of the essays, “The Dream Still Lives: Promised Land Narratives during the Saskatchewan Golden Jubilee” by Saskatchewan historian Mike Fedyk examines how “Promised Land” narratives were adapted by the post-World War II generation to reflect their experiences and hopes.