Vidora is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

within the Rural Municipality of Reno No. 51,

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a province in western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dak ...

, Canada. The community once had a population of 200 people in 1940 and has since declined to 1 resident. It previously held village status until it was dissolved as an unincorporated community on January 1, 1952. The community is located between Robsart and

Consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throu ...

on highway 21 &

highway 13 The following roads may be referred to as Route 13 or Highway 13. For a list of roads named A13, see List of A13 roads. International * Asian Highway 13 * European route E13 * European route E013 Afghanistan *The Kabul–Behsud Highway - ...

known as the

Red Coat Trail The Red Coat Trail is a route that approximates the path taken in 1874 by the North-West Mounted Police in their March West from Fort Dufferin to Fort Whoop-Up. Route description A number of highways in southern Manitoba, Saskatchewan, an ...

. Very little remains of the former village, only one home that is also used as a post office still stands as of 2008. There are many cement foundations and sidewalks still found scattered around the town site, including the remnants of the old bank vault to the former Municipality Office that was moved to

History

left, 200px, C.P.R. station In 1910 construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway line came through Vidora. Many of the CPR's engineers and surveyors were housed at a local farm house during construction of the rail line. Living at the same house where two girls named "Vivian" and "Dorothy", the engineers and surveyors decided to use their names to name the new area, because of their great hospitality, thus giving the town its name "Vidora". After the land was named, settlers as well as

bootleggers Bootleg or bootlegging most often refers to: * Bootleg recording, an audio or video recording released unofficially * Rum-running, the illegal business of transporting and trading in alcoholic beverages, hence: ** Moonshine, or illicitly made ...

began to settle the area starting the community of Vidora. By 1917, the community was incorporated as a village, and now had its very own

town Council A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities. Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions. Republic of Ireland Town Councils in the Republic of Ireland were the second t ...

, and mayor. After becoming a village, Vidora began to grow quite fast and prosperous. By 1920, the village business districts consist of more than twenty businesses, including businesses such as a post office, cafe, pool hall, main hall, banks,

lumber yard A lumber yard is a location where lumber and wood-related products used in construction and/or home improvement projects are processed or stored. Some lumber yards offer retail sales to consumers, and some of these may also provide services suc ...

s, general stores, a hotel and a spectacular row of 5

grain elevators A grain elevator is a facility designed to stockpile or store grain. In the grain trade, the term "grain elevator" also describes a tower containing a bucket elevator or a pneumatic conveyor, which scoops up grain from a lower level and deposits ...

. Vidora even had its very own electrical power plant, powering the whole town. Prior to January 1, 1952, Vidora was incorporated as a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

, and was restructured as an unincorporated community under the jurisdiction of the

Rural municipality A rural municipality is a classification of municipality, a type of local government, found in several countries. These include: * Rural municipalities in Canada, a type of municipal status in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, ...

of Reno on that date.

Prohibition

Like most towns throughout

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

and Saskatchewan, Vidora began as a small parcel of land owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway. Like many towns of southwest Alberta and Saskatchewan such as Govenlock, Senate and

Whiskey Gap, Alberta Whiskey Gap, originally known as "Fareham", is a ghost town in Cardston County, Alberta, Canada. The former community is approximately south of the city of Lethbridge, southeast of the town of Cardston and west of Del Bonita on Highway&nbs ...

Vidora had a fair amount of

, that came into the area to smuggle

rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak barrels. Rum is produced in nearly every sugar-producing region of the world, such as the Ph ...

, alcohol, and whisky across the border during Prohibition in the United States.

The Great Depression

left, 200px, Fire of 1924 wiping out many crucial businesses. Vidora's future looked promising but due to the Great Depression years, with accompanying droughts, falling grain prices and poor crop yields, Vidora's population slowly began to decline. Beginning in 1924 a devastating fire destroyed many important businesses including Vidora's first store, post office, cafe, pool hall and main hall. Then in 1926 and 1928 more vital businesses would also be wiped out by fire. In 1936 the C.P.R. station closed and afterwards moved to Frontier. In 1961 the Vidora General Store was moved to Robsart, then in 1969 the rural municipal office was also moved to

as did the Vidora Community Hall in 1976. To mark the end of its long prosperous life, Vidora's five

closed and were torn down sometime in the 1970s or 1980s.

Notable people

Lee Morrison Lee Glen Morrison (born 6 March 1932 in Vidora, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian politician, formerly a member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1993 to 2000. He was first elected at the Swift Current—Maple Creek—Assiniboia electoral d ...

, (born 6 March 1932 in

Vidora, Saskatchewan Vidora is an unincorporated community within the Rural Municipality of Reno No. 51, Saskatchewan, Canada. The community once had a population of 200 people in 1940 and has since declined to 1 resident. It previously held village status until it ...

) was a member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1993 to 2000.

References

{{authority control Reno No. 51, Saskatchewan Former villages in Saskatchewan Unincorporated communities in Saskatchewan Populated places established in 1910 Ghost towns in Saskatchewan Division No. 4, Saskatchewan

History

Prohibition

The Great Depression

Notable people

See also

References