Saltcoats Tartan |
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Saltcoats Tartan – designed by Joan Farquharson,
The story of the tartan was written by Walter Farquharson.
The inspiration for this tartan comes from our deep appreciation of the Saltcoats community and the people who live here and who have lived here in years past.
The tartan has a strong grey component . The Town of Saltcoats was first named Stirling by the Scottish Settlers who arrived here in the early 1880’s. Stirling Castle, an imposing grey stone structure, dominated the area around Stirling, Scotland. A seat of royal power and government, it was difficult to conquer and proved the scene of many dramatic turns in Scottish history. Crofters from the Outer Hebrides, Scots from the Orkney Islands and many other Scottish settlers constituted one of the primary groups of early settlers who came to Stirling (later Saltcoats) NorthWest Territories, Dominion of Canada. However the grey colour stands for homespun and would honour the many settlers who came from such places as Wales, Ireland, England, Hungary, Ukraine, Germany, Iceland and the Scandinavian countries, Eastern Canada and the USA. Most were of peasant and small farmer stock, while others were fisherfolk, artisans and labourers. Most lived plainly and knew how to eke a living from a hard and often unforgiving land.
Giving accent to the tartan are vivid primary colours – red, blue and yellow. To these is added a substantial green, with further contrast provided by the white and black threads. The first nations people who welcomed the first settlers and helped many of them survive their first winters here spoke of the four directions and the four seasons. These seasons or directions are represented by the colours black , red (or sometimes green), yellow and white.
Children seem naturally drawn to these basic colours and the excitement they reflect and elicit. Early settlers arriving in spring or summer months wrote of prolific prairie meadows and sweeps of short and medium-grass prairie. Everywhere brilliant colours could be seen in the grasses themselves and in such flowers as the Western Red Lily (our provincial flower), gaillardia and coneflowers, asters, harebells, monarda, fireweed, ladyslippers, hoary puccoon, potentillas, and so many other plant species. We might also note that green, yellow and black are colours of the thousands of tiger salamander that find Anderson Lake a most hospitable habitat. Scientists tell us that these amphibians provide significant demonstration of healthful environments.
The green also represents the grasslands and trees of the place where prairie meets parkland – and the rich crops and gardens for which the area is famous .
The yellow speaks of golden grain, bright fields of canola, our town wild flower the Hoary Puccoon and the abundance of yellow lady slippers that delight young and old each spring.
The red speaks of courage , the courage of pioneers and of all community builders throughout every decade of the community’s life. It reminds us also of the sacrifice of young men and women who answered the call to military, medical and peacekeeping services in times of war and conflict. The amazing statistics of volunteers and of lives sacrificed recorded on the war memorial located centrally within the Town witness to a community’s response to the call to such service. Red also represents the red serge of the Royal North West Mounted Police and their successors the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The Town of Saltcoats was home for a RNWMP Detachment that was opened in 1888 when a sergeant and six constables were stationed in the Town. There was a residence for a Royal NorthWest Mounted Police Inspector built in 1889 and a barracks. Red may also remind us of the prairie fires, once a source of renewal and purification for the prairies but later a threat to the safety of agricultural settlers and their farms.
The light blue speaks of the seemingly endless prairie skies and their daytime and nighttime wonders. And, of course, the blue speaks of Anderson Lake – place of recreation, amazing habitat for birds, amphibians and small animals, and we could say it honours our penchant for calling ourselves The Laketown!
The dark blue speaks of loyalty and faithfulness. Our churches, Communities of Faith and faithfulness-seeking, have played a large part in the life of the community from its beginnings to the present. The long lived Agricultural Society has lived out a record setting number of years of community service and promotion of agricultural stewardship and excellence. Over the years, a variety of other organizations have played their part in community life.
The black represents the rich soils of the area.
White represents the winter snows and hoarfrost – winter being a powerful reality for prairie people. Winter sports like skating, hockey and curling brought community together. Musical entertainment, plays, a variety of socials and also many educational events tended to flourish in the winter months offering a plethora of opportunities for local citizenry. White is also the colour of the sea salt distilled in great evaporation pans, an early livelihood for many families in the sea coast town of Saltcoats, Scotland – and from which that community had indeed taken its name. The Allan Steamship Co. had its roots in Saltcoats and many of the first Scottish settlers came via the Allan Steamship Line.
This, in part, is the story of the tartan and the people and community it represents.
Tartan fabric (merino wool fabric woven in Vancouver) is available at $50.00 per metre - (60"width) . Carefully and correctly handled the wool or woolen articles proves totally washable. There are also available ties ($45.) and scarves and some novelty items featuring the Saltcoats, Sk. tartan. There are also handwoven articles such as placemats and runners (cotton) , throws (acrylic), woven by Joan Farquharson available for purchase from time to time. Cards with the history of the tartan and a sample are also available, as are cards designed by Joan Wilson and featuring the tartan as photocopied. For information, or to order, please contact Joan Farquharson 306-744-2214.
Photo: Mayor Bjarnason sporting his Saltcoats tartan shirt and tie made by Ruth Partridge and Joan Farquharson, creator of the Saltcoats tartan, with the Scottish Tartan World Register official certificate of registration. |
