General Henry Duncan Graham "Harry" Crerar CH, CB, DSO, CD, PC (1888 -1965) was a senior officer of the Canadian Army who became the country's leading field commander in World War II, where he commanded the First Canadian Army.

Clayton (Clayt) Crosby was a member of the Western Intercollegiate Championship winning team in 1933, capturing the Cairns Trophy. He competed in the broad jump and relay team.

Allan Cushon was born in Oxbow, Saskatchewan in 1950. Starting in 1978, Allan Cushon was the co-owner of Saskatoon’s most recognizable locksmithing shop, Burnett’s Key Shop. Allan was a University of Saskatchewan Alumnus and an avid collector of books, magazines, and other things with particular focus on mysteries, Sherlockian works, and anything to do with locks and keys. Allan passed away in December 2014.

Robertson William Davies, born at Thamesville, Ontario on 28 Aug 1913; died at Toronto 2 December 1995. Davies is acknowledged as an outstanding essayist and brilliant novelist. Third son of Senator William Rupert Davies, Robertson Davies participated in stage productions as a child and developed a lifelong interest in drama. He attended Upper Canada College 1926-32 and went on to Queen's University 1932-35 as a special student not working towards a degree. At Balliol College, Oxford, he received the BLit in 1938. His thesis, "Shakespeare's Boy Actors", appeared in 1939, a year in which he pursued an acting career outside London. He spent 1940 playing minor roles and doing literary work for the director at the Old Vic Repertory Company in London. That year he married Brenda Mathews, a woman he had met at Oxford, who was then working as stage manager for the theatre.

Thomas Clayton Davis was born on September 6, 1889, in Prince Albert. His father, Thomas Osborne Davis, served two terms as a member of Parliament and then several years in the Senate before his death. Davis was educated in Prince Albert before completing university at St. Johns' College in Winnipeg and law school at Osgoode Hall in Toronto. He returned to practice law in Prince Albert where he began his political career in 1916 as a city alderman, serving two terms. Davis won the mayoralty in 1921 and served until 1924. Davis won the 1925 provincial election for the Liberals in Prince Albert. When James Gardiner replaced Charles Dunning as Premier, he appointed Davis as the province's first Minister of Municipal Affairs. His contribution was mainly as Gardiner's Minister for Northern Saskatchewan. When Prime Minister W.L.M. King lost his seat in 1926 and chose to run in Prince Albert, Davis was instrumental in convincing King to establish the Prince Albert National Park. In the 1929 election, Davis narrowly fought off a challenge from a young Prince Albert lawyer, John Diefenbaker. The government fell and Davis was vocal in Opposition. In 1934, he was again re-elected and was appointed Attorney General in the new Liberal government. He remained as Attorney General in the William Patterson government. Re-elected in 1938, Davis resigned in 1939 to take an appointment on the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal. His term on the bench was short-lived as the next year he was appointed Deputy Minister of War Services with the federal government. In 1943, he received his first diplomatic appointment as Canadian High Commissioner to Australia. He would serve in several diplomatic posts in China, Japan and West Germany until his retirement in 1957. Retiring to Victoria, he died on January 21, 1960. [From Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan]

The primary author of these diaries is unknown; although evidence within the documents suggests the author was a married farmer and his wife's name was Annie. They likely lived in southeastern Saskatchewan. Although trips to town were relatively frequent, the town was never named; however, Sunday, 24 July 1927 included at trip to White Bear Lake; and the entry from 15 July 1929 states "Annie went to Virden" - presumably, Virden Manitoba. On Friday, 2 March 1934 [they] "went to Wawota to put on play" and in 1941, "went to Carlyle" (Monday, 10 November) - all of which strongly suggests a location in the SE part of the province. Also, his Saskatchewan Wheat Pool contract number (written on one of the diaries) was 63-237; other contract holders with numbers of the form 63-xxx had mailing addresses in Carlyle. Neighbours included the Georges, the Ingrams, the Badgeleys; but a quick search of the Saskatchewan Homestead Index did not produce any land descriptions. Information in the diaries also suggests the man had served in the armed forces, originally in World War One. In late 1941 they rented their farm and the man joined the Veterans Guard of Canada.

Paul Denham was a Professor of English at the University of Saskatchewan. He has a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Western Ontario and a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto.

Alfred Frederick Deverell was born on August 23, 1908 in Heather Brae, Alberta. He received both his B.A. (1939) and his B.Ed. (1946) from the University of Alberta, and went on to do graduate work at Stanford University, receiving his Ed.D. in 1950. He joined the University of Saskatchewan in 1950 as Associate Professor, and was made a Full Professor in 1964. He retired in June 1974. Deverall died in 1992 in Victoria, B.C.

John Duncan Dewar was born on 7 March 1932 in Sexsmith, Alberta. Graduating with a Bachelor of Education in Physical Education from the University of Alberta in 1955 he went on to earn a Master of Arts from the University of Ohio in 1960 and a Doctor of Education from the Florida State University in 1965. A former member of the University of Alberta Golden Bears basketball team, Dewar accepted the position of Athletic Director and Coach at the University of Saskatchewan for the 1960-61 academic year. He next moved to the University of Alberta, Calgary, where he was Assistant Professor of Physical Education, Men's Athletic Coordinator and Basketball Coach from 1961 until 1967. The next two years found him serving as Associate Professor and Director of Physical Education at St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia. In 1969 Dr. Dewar joined the faculty of Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario. Over the next eight years he held a variety of academic and administrative positions, including: Full Professor and Dean of the Division of Physical Education, Associate Dean of Professional Schools, Acting Director of the School of Social Work, Head Administor of the School of Nursing and Acting Director of the School of Commerce. In 1977 Dewar returned to the University of Saskatchewan as Professor and Dean of the College of Physical Education. He remained Dean until 1986 and continued on faculty as Full Professor until his retirement in 1996, becoming Professor Emeritus. The bulk of Dr. Dewar's scholarly work relates to the study of sports history. Research and publications include works dealing with Dr. James Naismith, the Edmonton Grads, the Olympics, Indigenous athletes and athletics and residential schools. Dewar was member of several local, national and international societies and organizations and served on the editorial board or as a reader for several Saskatchewan sports history groups.

Ralph Dill, Saskatoon's first resident photographer, was born in Huntsville, Ontario, and lived in Iowa, USA with his parents until 1884 and then in Huntsville again. He was soon orphaned and went to work as a clerk and then a photographer's apprentice. In 1896, he moved to Manitoba, and to Battleford, Saskatchewan the next year. For a number of years he worked on farms and ranches. In 1901, he clerked in a Battleford store and the next year in Saskatoon. In 1902, he opened a photography studio and from then until 1914 concentrated on commercial work documenting the economic boom in Saskatoon. Many of his photos were sold as postcards for the public and as promotional material by the city's board of trade. After the war, Ralph concentrated on studio and interior work. He had a number of assistants over the years including Len Hillyard, Vern Tomlinson and Jack Porter. The downturn in business brought on by the Depression and Ralph's poor health caused him to close the studio and retire in 1938. He married Helen Elizabeth Morgan of Regina in 1905 and they had two sons, George and Morgan.

Charles Dobie is from Ontario. He served in the Royal Canadian Navy and worked for the Toronto Star. He also worked as a photographer for Guerilla, an underground alternative newspaper based in Toronto. Charles Dobie and his partner, Peter Zorzi, were two of the founders of the Body Politic and were involved with the Toronto Area Gays organization. For more information on Dobie and Zorzi visit http://onthebookshelves.com/qcmenu.htm.

Saskatchewan’s branch of the Dominion Provincial Youth Training Program (DPYTP) was established in 1937 with the goal of training young people for gainful employment (Paul, 1948, p. 1). This program was initiated during the depression years; since government funds were scarce, the costs of the program were shared between the Dominion Department of Labour and the Provincial Department of Education. As a result, the program was given the name “Dominion Provincial” (Paul, 1948, p. 1). In general, the program offered instruction to people between the ages of 16 and 30 years, offering courses in agriculture for men and in homemaking for women. In addition to the specific courses, there was also the opportunity for young men to receive financial assistance to attend the two-year School of Agriculture Course at the University of Saskatchewan.
The DPTYP was established as a solution to a specific issue, namely, “the youth problem” that was considered to exist in Canada (Department of Labour, Youth Training Division, 1939, p. 5). The “youth problem” was characterized by high rates of unemployment among young people. Many believe that the “youth problem” began with the collapse of 1929; in reality, this issue existed prior to 1929 (Department of Labour, Youth Training Division, 1939, p. 6). Prior to the onset of the depression, Canada’s economic conditions meant that this issue was overlooked. However, the depression magnified the issue, resulting in a perceived urgency in the need for a solution. This problem was not exclusive to Canada, as all Western countries were trying to deal with the “youth problem.” However, there were certain factors that existed in Canada that made the problem different here than anywhere else. More specifically, there were 50,000 to 55,000 between the ages of 16 and 30 years in Saskatchewan who were unable to leave home to pursue training in any area of study (Federal-Provincial Youth Training for Saskatchewan Farm Boys Memo, p. 1). Many of these young men had left school at 15 or 16 years, having only completed a grade nine education. The perceived consequences of such a large number of unemployed youth were clear: “Because of little or no directional influence they are inclined to drift mentally, to allow their minds to stagnate, and due to economic conditions, to feel sorry for themselves” (Federal-Provincial Training for Saskatchewan Farm Boys Memo, p. 1). Farming skills training was considered important both economically and for general social well-being.
The DPYTP was originally implemented to restore morale, increase independence and to provide direction for the youth of Saskatchewan. It was suggested that the Agricultural Extension Department hold short courses for young males and offer financial assistance to those who may need it (Youth Employment Program, 1937, p. 1). However, as the needs of the communities changed, so did the DPYTP. As the depression years came to an end and war broke out in Europe, the needs of the communities changed. Many communities experienced a decline in population: men were called away to the war or for special labour. These smaller communities made it difficult to run courses in all communities. Despite the efforts of community members to advocate for courses, many towns could not meet the 20 person minimum registration requirement. In addition, the increasing manufacturing work in the urban areas meant that the needs of urban areas became quite different from rural areas. As a result, the University of Saskatchewan began to offer two sets of courses: urban courses and rural courses, each with programs offered for men and women. Thus, the University continued to adapt its programming based on the needs of the communities.
In short, the DPYTP provided a program that served the needs of rural communities in Saskatchewan as they changed. Since Saskatchewan was a farming province, most of the courses offered to young men and women revolved around farming. This program helped communities provide skills and education to a young workforce. However, as men went to war and the urban/rural divide widened, the programs were altered to meet the changing needs of the communities.

Born in Tilsit, Germany in 1926, Hans Siegfried Dommasch came to Canada in 1954 and became a Canadian citizen in 1961. He served as Medical Illustrator, Lecturer and Assistant Professor of Surgery and Head of Photographic Services in the College of Medicine from 1955 until 1975. Dommasch established the first photography program at the University's Department of Art and Art History in 1975. He was appointed Head of that department in 1984 and was promoted to full Professor in 1987. After serving for nine consecutive years, Dommasch stepped down as department head in 1993, retired the following year, and was named Professor Emeritus. Dommasch has won numerous photographic and film awards and has exhibited, published, and lectured extensively both nationally and internationally. He has studied the Canadian Arctic and the prairie landscape in great detail. His book, "Prairie Giants", depicting grain elevators of the prairie landscape, was published in 1986. The lecture entitled "Canada North of Sixty" has been presented in Germany, Scotland, England, the Czech Republic, the United States, and Canada. The photographic exhibition of the same name has been displayed in Canada and the Czech Republic. The touring exhibition "Posters Against War and Violence", organized by Dommasch and containing the posters by Wolfgang Janisch and Gustavo Espinosa, has been seen in Canada and Europe. Dommasch died in Saskatoon on November 20, 2017.