Heritage Community Foundation Presents
Alberta Online Encyclopedia

Top Left Corner

Top Right Corner

Top Right Corner
Home Top English | Français Sitemap Search Partners Help
Home Bottom
  • Home
  • Land of Opportunity
  • Settlement
  • Rural Life
  • Links
  • Resources
  • Contact Us!
  • Heritage Community Foundation
  • Heritage Community Foundation Logo

The Heritage Trails are presented courtesy of CKUA Radio Network and Cheryl Croucher

CKUA Radio Network logo

Visit Alberta Source!

Government of Alberta

Government of Canada

 

Viking

Main street in Viking, Alberta, ca. 1900-1903. 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.

[back] [New Beginnings] [Adventurous Albertans] [First People and Settlers]

Albertasource.ca | Contact Us | Partnerships
            For more on the history of settlement in Alberta, visit Peel’s Prairie Provinces.