Welsh Silhouette Banner

Welsh Historical Silhouette

On a power pole in the 300 block Commercial Street.

A group of Welsh, approximately 400 people from Patagonia, South America arrived by train in Saltcoats, Assiniboia, N.W.T. in the early morning of June 28, 1902. In the late 1860s, a colony of Welsh had settled in the Chubut Valley, Patagonia (Argentina) with the promise of land, and independence from the government. Due to floods, and government restrictions limiting the use and preservation of the Welsh language, religious freedom, and exemption from military service, some of the colonists decided to immigrate to Canada.

The settlers were met at the train station by Mr. Evan Jenkins who had arranged with some friends from the Perley district to help convey these people to a place 12 miles south of Saltcoats to land adjacent to Mr. Jenkins. They pitched their tents, supplied by the government, which were to be returned after the settlers had located their farms and had erected their houses. They named their colony Llewelyn.

The banner features a woman in traditional Welsh costume, with the Welsh dragon featured on the Welsh flag, and daffodils – the national flower of Wales.