WESTERN PRODUCER
A Saskatoon-based weekly newspaper founded
in 1924, the
Western Producer began publishing
in 1923 as the Progressive. Founders Harris
Turner and Pat Waldren proposed establishing
a newspaper to the Saskatchewan Grain Growers
Association (SGGA), which eventually endorsed
the venture, providing $7,000 in loans
and 5,000 subscribers. In return, the SGGA was
granted three places on the five-member editorial
board. To encourage members of the
recently created Saskatchewan Wheat Pool
(SWP) to subscribe and to avoid association
with the federal Progressive Party, the paper's
name was changed, printing its first edition
under the Western Producer banner in September
1924.
Despite the influence of the SGGA, the
Western Producer became known for its objective,
nonpartisan, high-quality reporting. Among
its many influential journalists was Violet
McNaughton, a prominent SGGA member and
woman's rights advocate.
The Great Depression created hardships for
the
Western Producer. Subscriptions began
falling, and, in order to avoid ruin, the SWP
purchased the paper in 1931, operating it as a
subsidiary. Despite the Western Producer's
problems, it retained more than 100,000 subscribers
during the Depression years. In the
1950s the Western Producer ventured into book
publishing. Its first monograph appeared in
1958 and led to the creation of Western Producer
Prairie Books. By 1983 more than 100
books on several Prairie topics had been
printed. Budgetary constraints, however, led
to the dissolution of the press in the 1990s.
The
Western Producer continues to perform
vital economic, political, and social functions.
In addition to providing agricultural news, the
paper includes sections for youth, women, and
rural society in general. The Western Producer
has had a considerable influence on Prairie
society and simultaneously embodies Prairie
farmers' independence and cooperative spirit.
See also AGRICULTURE: [Saskatchewan Wheat Pool].
Edward Badgley
National Archives of Canada