Elfros

{{Short description|Village in Saskatchewan, Canada}}

{{for|the surrounding rural municipality|Rural Municipality of Elfros No. 307}}

{{Use Canadian English|date=June 2024}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox settlement

|name = Elfros

|official_name = Village of Elfros

|other_name =

|native_name =

|nickname =

|settlement_type = Village

|motto =

|image_skyline = DElfrosIcelandicSettlers.JPG

|image_caption = Icelandic settler statue in Elfros

|image_flag =

|flag_size =

|image_seal =

|seal_size =

|image_shield =

|shield_size =

|image_map =

|pushpin_map = Saskatchewan#Canada

|pushpin_map_caption = Location of Elfros in Saskatchewan

|coordinates = {{coord|51|44|30|N|103|51|50|W|display=title,inline}}

|pushpin_label_position = none

|pushpin_mapsize = 200

|mapsize =

|map_caption =

|image_map1 =

|mapsize1 =

|map_caption1 =

|subdivision_type = Country

|subdivision_name = {{flag|Canada}}

|subdivision_type1 = Province

|subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Saskatchewan}}

|subdivision_type2 = Region

|subdivision_name2 = Central

|subdivision_type3 = Census division

|subdivision_name3 = 10

|subdivision_type4 = Rural Municipality

|subdivision_name4 = Elfros

|government_footnotes =

|government_type = Municipal

|leader_title = Governing body

|leader_name = [http://www.mds.gov.sk.ca/apps/Pub/MDS/muniDetails.aspx?cat=3&mun=1949 Elfros Village Council]

|leader_title1 = Mayor

|leader_name1 = Arleigh Helgason

|leader_title2 = Administrator

|leader_name2 = Tina Heistad Douglas

|leader_title3 = MLA

|leader_name3 =

|leader_title4 = MP

|leader_name4 =

|established_title = Post office Founded

|established_date =

|established_title2 = Incorporated (Village)

|established_date2 =

|established_title3 = Incorporated (Town)

|established_date3 =

|area_magnitude =

|unit_pref =

|area_footnotes =

|area_total_km2 = 2.52

|area_land_km2 =

|area_water_km2 =

|area_water_percent =

|population_as_of = 2016

|population_footnotes =

|population_note =

|population_total = 90

|population_density_km2 = 37.5

|population_blank1_title =

|population_blank1 =

|population_density_blank1_km2 =

|timezone = CST

|utc_offset = -6

|timezone_DST =

|utc_offset_DST =

|elevation_footnotes =

|elevation_m =

|elevation_ft =

|postal_code_type = Postal code

|postal_code = S0A 0V0

|area_code = 306

|blank_name = Highways

|blank_info = {{jct|state=SK|Hwy|16}}
{{jct|state=SK|Hwy|35}}

|blank1_name = Railways

|blank1_info = Canadian Pacific Railway

|website =

||footnotes = {{Citation

|last=National Archives

|first=Archivia Net

|title=Post Offices and Postmasters |url=http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/post-offices/001001-100.01-e.php

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061006045957/http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/post-offices/001001-100.01-e.php

|archive-date=2006-10-06

}}{{Citation|last=Canadian Textiles Institute.|title=CTI Determine your provincial constituency|year=2005|url=http://www.textiles.ca/eng/nonAuthProg/redirect.cfm?path=IssPolContacts§ionID=7601.cfm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911025012/http://www.textiles.ca/eng/nonAuthProg/redirect.cfm?path=IssPolContacts§ionID=7601.cfm|archive-date=2007-09-11}}{{Citation

|last=Commissioner of Canada Elections

|first=Chief Electoral Officer of Canada

|title=Elections Canada On-line

|year=2005

|url=http://www.elections.ca/home.asp

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070421084430/http://www.elections.ca/home.asp

|archive-date=2007-04-21

}}

}}

Elfros (2016 population: {{nts|90}}) is a village in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within the Rural Municipality of Elfros No. 307 and Census Division No. 10. It is northeast of Regina and southeast of the Quill Lakes at the junction of Highway 16 and Highway 35. It was the hometown of the protagonist in the 2018 Canadian horror film Archons.

History

Elfros was first settled by Icelandic immigrants, and many of the present inhabitants are of Icelandic descent. A post office was opened in 1909.{{Cite web | last=National Archives | first=Archivia Net | title=Post Offices and Postmasters | url=http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/post-offices/001001-100.01-e.php | access-date=2014-03-20 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061006045957/http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/post-offices/001001-100.01-e.php | archive-date=2006-10-06}} Elfros incorporated as a village on December 1, 1909.{{cite web | url=http://municipal.gov.sk.ca/Municipal-History/Urban-Incorporated-Dates | title=Urban Municipality Incorporations | publisher=Saskatchewan Ministry of Government Relations | access-date=June 1, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015042810/http://municipal.gov.sk.ca/Municipal-History/Urban-Incorporated-Dates | archive-date=October 15, 2014}}

From the Icelandic Pioneer Memorial in Elfros comes the following quotation.

{{quote|"There were two waves of Icelandic settlement to and within Saskatchewan. The first group came directly from Iceland, paused briefly in Winnipeg, then moved on to Saskatchewan. The second group trekked north and west from older settlements in North Dakota and Manitoba.

In June 1882, the first Icelandic families came to Fishing Lake. The magnets were hay and water. Settlements followed at Foam Lake, Kristnes, Leslie, Mt Hecla, Holar, Elfros, Mozart, Wynyard, Kandahar and Dafoe, creating the largest Icelandic settlement outside of Iceland.

Icelanders were not natural farmers. They were poets, musicians and visionaries, people who saw work as a means to an end. Icelandic communities became cultural centres with bands, choirs and libraries. Icelanders built community halls. Many schools in the Vatnabyggd area have Icelandic names.

Important celebrations included Torrablot, the First Day of Summer, and Independence Day celebrations on June 17 and August 2.

For spiritual nourishment, Icelanders relied on traveling preachers, meeting in homes and community halls.

The Icelanders who came to Saskatchewan became competent farmers but saw the land as a means to improve conditions both for themselves and for their children. Aware of the value of family and community, they left a legacy of art, literacy, music and social responsibility." [http://www.flickriver.com/places/Canada/Saskatchewan/Elfros/ Elfros at Flickriver]}}

Demographics

{{stack|

{{Historical populations

| title = Population history
(1981–2016)

| type = Canada

| align = right

| footnote = Source: Statistics Canada via Saskatchewan Bureau of Statistics{{cite web | url=http://www.stats.gov.sk.ca/stats/population/SaskCensusPopulation8106.pdf | title=Saskatchewan Census Population | publisher=Saskatchewan Bureau of Statistics | access-date=May 31, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924105944/http://www.stats.gov.sk.ca/stats/population/SaskCensusPopulation8106.pdf | archive-date=September 24, 2015 | url-status=dead}}{{cite web | url=https://publications.saskatchewan.ca/api/v1/products/86690/formats/100724/download | title=Saskatchewan Census Population | publisher=Saskatchewan Bureau of Statistics | access-date=May 31, 2020}}

|1981|199

|1986|221

|1991|181

|1996|167

|2001|161

|2006|110

|2011|96

|2016|90

}}

}}

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Elfros had a population of {{val|90|fmt=commas}} living in {{val|48|fmt=commas}} of its {{val|56|fmt=commas}} total private dwellings, a change of {{percentage|{{#expr:90-90}}|90|1}} from its 2016 population of {{val|90|fmt=commas}}. With a land area of {{convert|2.48|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, it had a population density of {{Pop density|90|2.48|km2|sqmi|prec=1}} in 2021.{{cite web | url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000203&geocode=A000247 | title=Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Saskatchewan | publisher=Statistics Canada | date=February 9, 2022 | accessdate=April 1, 2022}}

In the 2016 Census of Population, the village of Elfros recorded a population of {{nts|90}} living in {{nts|52}} of its {{nts|58}} total private dwellings, a {{percentage|{{#expr:90-96}}|90|1}} change from its 2011 population of {{nts|96}}. With a land area of {{convert|2.52|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, it had a population density of {{Pop density|90|2.52|km2|sqmi|prec=1}} in 2016.{{cite web | url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/hlt-fst/pd-pl/Table.cfm?Lang=Eng&T=302&SR=1&S=86&O=A&RPP=9999&PR=47 | title=Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Saskatchewan) | publisher=Statistics Canada | date=February 8, 2017 | access-date=May 30, 2020}}

See also

References

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|Elfros, Saskatchewan}}

{{Subdivisions of Saskatchewan|villages=yes}}

{{SKDivision10}}

Category:Villages in Saskatchewan

Category:Elfros No. 307, Saskatchewan

Category:Division No. 10, Saskatchewan

Category:Places in Canada settled by Icelanders

Category:Icelandic settlements in Saskatchewan

{{SKDivision10-geo-stub}}