Hafford

Town, pop 401, located 65 km E of North Battleford, at the junction of Hwys 40 and 340. The town, situated in beautiful rolling countryside on the southern edge of the Aspen parklands, is a service centre for a predominantly agricultural district. In the early 1900s, the region was populated by one of the largest block settlements of Ukrainians in Saskatchewan (see Ukrainian Settlements). The community grew rapidly, and although much of the business district was destroyed by fire in 1950, the village was rebuilt and had a population of nearly 600 by the late 1960s. Hafford today has a wide array of businesses and services. While most of its residents are employed in agriculture, small business, health, administration, and Education, a small number commute to work in Saskatoon. Hafford’s rich Ukrainian heritage is still very much in evidence: the town’s street signs are in both Ukrainian and English, and a number of the community’s annual events have Ukrainian themes.

David McLennan