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Welcome to Seager Wheeler Farm, the historical home of Dr. Seager Wheeler and his family. We invite you to take a step back in history as you explore the restored buildings of the Farm, and enjoy the peace and beauty of the yard.
Tour offerings
How Does Your Garden Grow
Students will have the opportunity to study both the plants that grow naturally, and those that are cultivated. How are they suited to the climate zone they are in? What can we learn about the life and growth cycle? Students will have an opportunity to plant seeds in the spring, and return to harvest fruits, vegetables, and flowers later in the season.
Homesteading in the Prairies
During this tour, students will discover what drew homesteaders to begin a new life in Saskatchewan in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Most came from a much different lifestyle, culture and climate. When they arrived, there was work to be done! There was a choice between trying to continue the lifestyle they were familiar with, changing their new environment, or adapting. Seager Wheeler Farm has examples of all of these choices.
Art in Nature
Seager Wheeler Farm is full of many picturesque settings, including heritage buildings, flowers and trees, as well as a wealth of natural materials that could be used to create art projects. Students would be encouraged to tour the Farm with their sketchbooks, interpret what they observe, collect fallen natural materials, and then take time for reflection. This tour could be done as a group, or individually, depending on the age of the participants. Projects could include drawing, painting, or photography, creating dioramas, or creating natural dyes, as examples.
Seed Selection and Grain Development
Seager Wheeler is famous for his hand-selection of Marquis Wheat, to create a hardy grain that would mature in the 100-day growing season of the area. This was a job that took a great deal of patience and diligence. Students will learn about the process that Wheeler used to grow the wheat, and then select it. 4 time world wheat king champion, Wheeler’s efforts played a pivotal role in the development of agricultural practices critical to the establishment of Saskatchewan and western Canada as the breadbasket of the world. Industrial Revolution – seed cleaning plant.
The History of Settlement in Rural Saskatchewan
The opening up of the West, and the establishment of the rural farm and farm communities, was not without its challenges. Participants will explore the Farm site focusing on the characteristics of European settlement evident on the Farm, and discuss how this new agricultural landscape co-existed and clashed with the neighboring Indigenous communities. House and English garden, fortification of the yard with the hedging. Land was only available because the region, which had recently been at war with Europeans (Battle of Batoche), and had opened up.