In 1919, the USA enacted Prohibition across the whole country. Saskatchewan was under Prohibition since 1915, but there were liquor manufacturers like Harry Bronfman of Yorkton, who were operating legally to supply medicinal liquor to drug stores. Harry saw the lucrative trade potential if he furnished booze to Americans, even though it was against the law for Americans to produce, import, transport, and sell liquor. Harry called in his brother Sam in Winnipeg and together they set up warehouses along the Saskatchewan boundary with North Dakota and Montana. They saw the loop holes, — no laws against selling outside the province, to Manitoba for example, and outside of the country. A rumor has persisted in Moose Jaw, (population 19,000 in 1920) that Chicago gangster Al Capone came to their city looking for liquor manufacturers as soon as the USA enacted Prohibition. So far, no concrete written proof has been found. However, a Capone descendant in the USA tells researchers she believes her great uncle did go to Moose Jaw. Capone would easily travel the railroad known as the Soo Line, — a short name for the Canadian Pacific Railway owned Minneapolis-St. Paul & Sault Ste Marie Railroad, which ran mostly in the upper USA, connected with Chicago and beyond, entered Canada at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and westward, it crossed the border into Saskatchewan at North Portal, ending in Moose Jaw. We invite people to view the full 45 minute documentary entitled FINDING AL. Use this link: http://www.cbc.ca/absolutelycanadian/docs/2016/01/02/finding-al/
Contact Terri Lefebvre Prince,
Heritage Researcher,
City of Yorkton Archives,
Box 400, 37 Third Avenue North
Yorkton, Sask. S3N 2W3
306-786-1722
[email protected]
