Homesteading Eligibility Requirements

There were several eligibility requirements that needed to be met before a settler could file for a claim to a “homestead.” At the time of the Shepherd family’s settlement in Canada, a settler needed to be 18 years of age, male (unless the sole head of the family) and be – or declare an intention to be –  a British subject. Once on their parcel of land, settlers had to demonstrate the required duties to their homestead, which included building a house, living within a certain radius of the property, and specific obligations concerning the breaking, preparing, cropping, and cultivating of the land.

Further reading on the particular duties for Saskatchewan homesteads can be found on the Saskatchewan Archives site.