"Settlement of the Quill Plains"

Long before Saskatchewan became a province of the dominion of Canada in 1905, the federal government advertised homesteader land grants of 160 acres for only $10.  The Surveying of the prairies started from Winnipeg westward in the late 1800's and all of the Western provinces had been surveyed into one mile square sections before 1900, so the preparations for the final settlement of Western Canada were well underway.  Advertisements for 'Free Land' were published in newspapers and magazines throughout the British Commonwealth and in Europe. People came in earnest to become homesteaders in the area once called the North West Territories in the District of Assiniboia. Many settlers came from Eastern Canada, while others immigrated from Europe, Iceland and the USA.  Some homesteaders selected their quarter section of land on the Quill Plains, just south of the Quill Lakes in East Central Saskatchewan.

Some of the earliest pioneers who homesteaded in the Foote-Copeland district worthy of special mention were Roy Copeland, Len, Harold & Will Evans and William Foote.  Roy was memorialized in 1908 by having the Copeland School and District named in his honour because he was reported to be the first settler on the Quill Plains.  The land for the school was provided by Len Evans.  William was later honoured by having the Foote School District named after him.