Viking
 Although
the earliest Scandinavian settlers in the area had arrived in 1902, it
wasn’t until 1908 that the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway arrived
directly between the towns of Prague and a settlement near Viking,
Alberta. The new site was named Meighen, but when the settlers had
converged onto their new land, there were heated discussions about a
new town moniker. "Harland", as the son of a prominent
pioneer, was the title suggested by some of the settlers, but many of
the people who had come from Scandinavia preferred the name
"Viking". As the story goes, a certain "Wily Ben
Gray," who was of the latter opinion, convinced a group of
Norwegian ladies to cast their votes in his favour. This highly
unusual strategy proved successful, and the town was officially named
after the legendary Norwegian seamen. The first town council, attended
by four men, was held on March 12, 1909.
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