History 1913-1965
1913 - Ground is broken for the Sutherland Forest Nursery Station. 10 years after the opening of the first station at Indian Head.
The park road system is laid out, the pump house, packing shed, foreman's residence and the Superintendent's Residence are built.
1914 - 'The red brick house' receives its first Superintendent, James Mclean, and his family.
James McLean, Flora, Elizabeth, Nellie and Neil
Photo credit: James Mclean Family - Saskatoon Public Library, Local History Room [PH-94-98-1]
1916 - The bunk house is built. The Nursery Station distributes its first ash, poplar and willow seedlings.
1921 - 'The shelterbelts surrounding the nursery were beginning to afford the young seedlings and cuttings more protection and production went more smoothly'. Sara Williams, Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo: A Photographic History.
1930 - The Sutherland Forest Nursery Station overtakes Indian Head by shipping out three and a half million trees to Indian Head's almost three million.
Control of natural resources and public lands is transferred to the provinces and the nursery stations face closure.
1931 - After much public protest, Prime Minister Bennett transfers control of the nursery stations to the Experimental Farm Branch of the Department of Agriculture.
1935 - In combined efforts with the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA), the nurseries become heavily involved in field shelterbelt production.
1942 - William Leslie (Les) Kerr becomes the Station's second Superintendent.
1949 - The Tree Storage Shed/Auditorium is built.
1950 - The Header House and Greenhouse are built to propagate perennial and ornamental bedding plants for use on the site.
1951 - The auditorium is completed and used for community gatherings.
1963 - The Indian Head and Sutherland Forest Nursery Stations are formally transferred to the PFRA.
1965 - The Sutherland Forest Nursery Station closes and all operations are consolidated at Indian Head.
Les Kerr - 1966
Photo credit: Friends of the Forestry Farm House