14 February 2010

Sask. Community Finds Love Connection

A sign in the community tells visitors they are "now in Love".

Love Saskatchewan - The village of Love, which has a population of 55 people and is located about 260 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon, believes it has found out how it got its name.
 
For years, the village was under the impression it got its name after a young couple had a roll in the hay near the community's railway tracks.
 
However, recent findings suggest that the Love was named after the village's first railway conductor, Thomas Love.
 
Thomas Love's grandson, Tom Love, lives in Edmonton, but he and his wife, Dora, are in Love this weekend as guests of honour at the village's Valentine's Day festival.
 
"Well I've been in love for a long time," said Love. "But to be in the town of love... it's fun."
 
More than 500 people were expected to be in Love this weekend for the festivities.
 
"They've got little heart signs on each of the street corners and there are places like Lovers' Lane and Cupid's Corner," said Love. "They really make an effort to keep in the spirit of the name. I'm here to extend that concept a bit farther."
 
Love said he's just looking for a good time at the annual Valentine's festival, but the whole village has butterflies for his visit.
 
"Everybody's ecstatic here," said village administrator Valerie Rogers. "Because there's Loves that live in the district and now they're coming to see if maybe they're all related."
 
The connection to a railway person is also noted by Saskatchewan historian Bill Barry, in his book People Places:  The Historical Gazetteer of Saskatchewan. But Barry's research suggests the community is named after F.S. Love, the chief of CP's passenger bureau, in Winnipeg.