Winston Churchill spent about 10 hours in Saskatoon on Aug. 22, 1929. The StarPhoenix described the stop as a “restful visit devoid of public appearances.”
F.R. MacMillan (president of the Board of Trade) played host to the group that also included Churchill’s son Randolph, brother John, nephew Jack, and the newly elected Premier J.T.M. Anderson.
They toured the “sights of the city and the countryside” including time at the University of Saskatchewan, where Mr. Churchill was introduced to President Walter Murray.
The stopover in Saskatoon was part of a larger speaking tour of North America that came after Churchill’s personal defeat in Britain’s June election. The tour attracted a great deal of public and media attention.
In his many speeches Churchill touted the benefits of the British Empire, saying “Britain is now more prosperous than ever.”
Despite having served the five previous years as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the second Baldwin government, Churchill did not see the economic crash that was just around the corner.
The image was taken from the 1965 Daily Mail publication, “Churchill: A Souvenir of His Life in Pictures.” It shows Winston, Diana and Randolph Churchill at Waterloo Station prior to their departure to Canada.