About Us
Incorporated in 1912, the Village of Vanguard is the centre of a rural farming community in southwestern Saskatchewan. Located along No. 43 Highway, this village of 152, and its surrounding district, boast a viable business, recreation and service industry (see the business link). Vanguard & district are also serviced with cable TV, post office, volunteer fire department, library-museum, senior citizen centre, courier service, Leader Post newspaper, the R.C.M.P. Ponteix detachment, community centre and a health care centre.
During 1908-1909 a vast area of prairie south of the present Trans-Canada Highway was opened for homesteading, and settlers de-trained at Morse, Herbert, and Swift Current to make their way south to their Homesteads. Among these pioneers was Latimer Young from whom the Canadian Pacific Railway purchased the land which would become the town site of Vanguard. This transaction occurred in 1910 and was followed by the laying of steel to the fledgling settlement in 1912. The name “Vanguard” was chosen because the location was at the front or at the head of the rail line until the 1930’s when the railway was extended in a southeasterly direction to Meyronne.
Vanguard is also a proud name in the Royal Navy tradition. Lord Horatio Nelson had a Vanguard: the last dreadnought battleship (scrapped in 1960) was also called the Vanguard. Recent publications state that the inspiration for the name of the village came from the HMS Vanguard which was commissioned in 1909 and exploded in 1917, killing 843 of the 845 men aboard. Regardless of the true origin of the name, the north-south streets in Vanguard reflect the naval heritage, being named Armada, Victory, Triumph, Drake and Nelson Streets. The east-west streets are named in honor of the province (Saskatchewan Ave.), the landscape in which Vanguard is situated (Prairie Ave.), the rail heritage (Railway Ave.) and the hopeful spirit in which Vanguard was established (Progress Ave.). Vanguard is bisected by Division St. and the main street is called "Dominion".
Vanguard is situated on the east side of the RM of Whiska Creek #106 close to nearby RM of Glen Bain #105. The neighboring hamlet of Pambrun, situated 14 km west of Vanguard, is well noted for the Millar College of the Bible. This Christian post secondary educational institute offers a three year Christian leadership course, as well as a fourth year Strategic Ministries course. The Vanguard Hutterite Colony is located 10 km south of Vanguard. Other nearby communities Gravelbourg (renowned for its French heritage and cathedral), Swift Current (the regional "headquarters"), Hodgeville ("home" of the Saskatchewan flag) and Ponteix (close to Notekeu Regional Park). Vanguard is also close to Cypress Hills inter-provincial park, Grasslands National Park, the Canada-U.S. border, and Lac Pelletier regional park.
On the west side of the village is the newly renovated Vanguard Community School with classes from Kindergarten through to Grade Twelve. As well as compulsory classes, the school offers courses in Computer, French, Industrial Arts, Home Economics, and Work Experience. Non accredited classes are offered in Driver Education and the school has a Peers Helping Peers program available. Students also have access to a variety of extracurricular activities which include year book, volleyball, floor hockey, badminton, broomball, basketball, handball, drama, chess, ski trips and year end trips.
Preschool activities are offered to youngsters of ages 3 & 4 at the local playschool which runs two mornings a week.
Organized sports programs include hockey, figure skating, curling, minor ball, slow pitch, gymnastics, swimming, and volleyball. Recreational facilities include a skating rink and curling rink, both with artificial ice, an outdoor swimming pool and playground, sports grounds with four diamonds. The Dance club offers classes in contemporary and classical dance. For over 40 years the annual Music Festival offers a showcase of local talent in instrument and voice. The area around Vanguard is well known for its hunting and attracts hunters from all over North America, hunting mule and white-tailed deer, antelope, pheasant, partridge, grouse, ducks, and geese.
Author, broadcaster, and journalist James Minifie (1900-1974) called Vanguard home. He worked for the New York Herald Tribune and was the Washington correspondent for the CBC. Knowlton Nash described Mr. Minifie as: "a man passionately dedicated to improving the quality of journalism whose overwhelming desire was accuracy in reporting". Woodrow Lloyd, former premier of Saskatchewan, was a principal in Vanguard. NHL goaltender, Al Rollins, was born in Vanguard.
On July 3-4, 2000, Vanguard was deluged by 13 inches (330 mm) of rain in a seven hour "perfect storm". Under the able guidance of long-serving mayor, Dorothy Saunderson, Vanguard has recovered from the devastation of the resulting flood and remains a viable community renowned for its low cost of living, negligible crime rate, stargazing and bird watching opportunities, clean air and sunshine.
The peaceful, quiet, relaxed and friendly atmosphere of the area makes Vanguard an ideal community in which to live. Every individual in the community is important whether participating as a team or working as an individual. Vanguard has managed to stay viable through the very spirit which built rural Saskatchewan....everyone is willing to lend a hand!