2016 Guide to Martensville | Page 19

History of Martensville Most Saskatchewan towns began around an elevator and railway for grain handling – Martensville began around a school for the area children. In 1953, a local farmer, Dave Martens succeeded in getting permission from the Saskatchewan Government to move an unused one room school onto property donated by another local farmer, Jake Gerbrandt Sr. This property is presently the site of the Martensville Civic Centre. The school was attractive to Dave and Helen Martens people wanting to move out of Saskatoon. They began to purchase property from Mr. Martens (north of present day Main Street) and eventually, Mr. Gerbrandt (south of Main Street). By 1961, the population scattered on Mr. Martens land was sufficient to form a hamlet. With steady increases, the population grew enough to become incorporated as a village in 1966, a town in 1969 and a city in 2009. The first business in Martensville was the Avenue A Service Station. It was named this because it was situated on the old, gravelled #12 highway which was an extension of Saskatoon’s Avenue A (Idylwyld Drive). This highway is now Centennial Drive and the service road south of the city. This business began around 1938 and the original building burned down in 1958. The present day Martensville Restaurant at the north end of Centennial Drive is situated in its replacement. Jake Gerbrandt Sr and Mennonite churches were two of Martensville’s first buildings. his wife Justina In 1954, a building was moved onto Mr. Gerbrandt’s land to become the Bergthaler Mennonite Church. In 1959, Saskatoon’s old North Park one room School was moved to the hamlet to become the Martensville Mennonite Mission Church. 19