Abstract

Coincidental with the opening of the Canadian prairie to European based agriculture in the late 1800s was development of commercial brickmaking to support construction of the infrastructure associated with the pioneering agriculture. The industry that arose to support this demand was borne from the same rich soil that supported agriculture, and for most of a century thrived as a small but viable activity. In Saskatchewan brick manufacture had a decidedly rural flavour, with both the early small endeavors and later, large scale operations being located near their respective clay sources in the countryside. This paper will present recent research on the history of this industry and its economic and technological impacts on rural Saskatchewan, as witnessed through archaeological and documentary examination of the brick plant sites and adjacent communities, including interviews with former plant workers.