ABSTRACT
In the late winter of 1951 a bearded Hutterite elder, accompanied by a non-Hutterite real-estate dealer from Alberta, arrived in Jasper town to talk to the local agricultural extension representative and a few farm equipment dealers. A quiet tour of the district west of town followed, and calls were made on a number of farmers in that area who were known to be interested in selling their land. This was the first word the community had of the impending migration of Hutterian Brethren. In March the highway north of town carried three large trucks loaded with young men, furniture, farm implements, and construction tools, heading east out of Alberta, to occupy the site bought during the winter in Jasper. Just a year later, there were more trucks and carryalls on the highway, and the women, children, and old people arrived to take up residence in the new houses. This was the start of the first colony. In eight years, five more colonies found sites in the region (see Fig. 2.2 or 2.10 for locations). Thus came the Hutterites: Jasper’s final large settlement of agrarians.
