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.In 1872, two pieces of legislation were passed by Parliament to help settle the Canadian prairies more quickly. The Dominion Lands Act was the first piece of legislation passed by Parliament. It said that a settler could take up a quarter-section homestead. Although the land was free, a ten-dollar registration fee was required; the homesteader was also required to break a certain number of acres during a three year period. A second act called the Immigration and Colonization Act, helped to attract potential homesteaders. Recruiting agents were sent to countries around the world. These agents, using propaganda generated an inflow of immigrants to the prairies. These two pieces of legislation didn't attract as many people as the Government thought they would.A Township

.Land would be divided into townships that were 6 miles square (9.6 km); each township contained thirty-six sections of 640 acres. Each section was divided into four quarters with each quarter having 160 acres. Sections eleven and twenty-nine in every township were reserved as school land, which would be sold later to homesteaders that had become established; profits were to be used for the purpose of erecting a public school.

The following table demonstrates the rapid expansion of Saskatchewan's population.

Saskatchewan's Population

Year
Total Population
British
German
French
Scandinavian
Russian and Ukrainian
Other East Europe
Native Indian
Other
    Total
%
 Total %
Total
 % Total % Total % Total % Total % Total %
1881
19,114
2,052
 10.7
21
0.1
17
10.9
17
0.1
0
0.0
--
--
14,914
78.0
31
 0.2
1885
32,079
16,208
 50.5
299
0.9
73
2.1
73
0.2
15
0.1
--
--
14,288
44.5
551
 1.7
1901
91,279
40,094
 43.9
11,743
12.9
1,452
2.9
1,452
1.6
11,675
12.8
4,791
5.2
17,734
19.4
1,156
 1.3
1911
492,432
251,010
 51.0
68,628
13.9
33,991
4.7
33,991
6.9
18,413
3.7
47,742
9.7
11,718
2.4
37,649
 7.7
1916
647,835
353,098
 54.5
77,109
11.9
49,708
4.9
49,708
7.7
33,662
5.2
68,536
10.6
10,902
1.7
22,754
 3.5
1921
757,510
400,416
 52.9
68,202
9.0
58,382
5.6
58,382
7.7
73,440
9.7
65,978
8.7
12,914
1.7
36,026
 4.7
1926
820,738
416,721
 50.8
96,498
11.8
63,370
5.7
63,370
7.7
87,682
10.7
57,682
7.0
13,001
1.6
38,754
 4.7
1931
921,785
437,836
 47.5
129,232
14.0
72,684
5.5
72,684
7.9
98,821
10.7
72,783
7.9
15,268
1.7
44,461
 4.8
1936
931,547
427,088
 45.9
165,549
17.8
72,028
5.4
72,028
7.7
98,117
10.5
60,517
6.5
21,394
2.3
36,559
 3.9
1941
895,992
397,905
 44.4
130,258
14.5
68,806
5.7
68,806
7.7
105,710
11.8
67,169
7.5
22,548
2.5
53,066
 5.9
1951
831,728
351,905
 42.3
135,584
16.3
62,439
6.2
62,439
7.5
97,852
11.8
58,298
7.0
22,253
2.7
51,510
 6.2
1961
925,181
373,482
 40.4
158,209
17.1
59,824
6.5
67,553
7.3
101,332
10.9
79,395
8.6
30,630
3.3
54,758
 5.9
1971
926,245
390,190
42.1
180,095
19.4
56,200
6.1
59,105
6.4
95,995
10.4
57,160
6.1
40,550
4.4
46,950
 5.1

Statistics from Saskatchewan A History by John H Archer.

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