question about old homestead claim in Saskatchewan

[grasswire]

Hello all you dear Canadians!

My great grandparents homesteaded on the prairie in Saskatchewan. They left the claim about 1921, coming to the U.S. My siblings and I were talking about this the other day and have no idea what would have happened to the title of the property and any mineral rights. We have the identifying info for it. Any idea how we could go about researching such a thing? It was near Ceylon/Lang.

Thanks in advance. The Maple Leaf Forever!

[Caradoc]

1. Provincial Titles Office....

...is usually the best place to start. Try the Province of Saskatchewan website and do a search. Chances are, though, it's long a goner for taxes etc. and mineral rights may never have been part of the deal and almost certainly have reverted back to the Crown. There is no doubt legislation addressing 'lapsed' claims in which no tax activity has been recorded for whatever length of time. Good luck.

[grasswire]

2. thank you

My sister says that the older generation often discussed the mineral rights left behind. I guess it's worth an inquiry. My father never gave up his Canadian citizenship; lived here on a green card for all the rest of his life.

[polly7]

3. Try typing his name in here :

http://www.saskhomesteads.com/search.asp

This is the SK Gov't Index search - if you come up with something, or even know the land location they were supposed to be on you can go further at this site and order the file or request help.

[achtung_circus]

4. Huge caveats

If your family had "proved" the claim they probably sold it when they left. If they had not proved the claim it reverts to the Crown who would re-issue that land to another homesteader to improve.

Homestead act claims do NOT include mineral rights. That is an entirely different process.

[HeresyLives]

5. Just saw an item in today's news

that might interest you.

Law forcing sale of 99-year-old family farm scrutinized

By THE CANADIAN PRESS


REGINA - A Saskatchewan law that may force a man to sell his family's nearly century old farm is coming under scrutiny.

Dale Kreimeyer has been given until November to sell nearly all of the 640 acres that his grandfather first settled in Midale, Sask., in 1909.

Kreimeyer inherited the land from his mother, but he's an American citizen and provincial rules limit foreign ownership to 10 acres.

The law is aimed at preventing both absentee and corporate ownership of large tracts of land.


http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2008/08/20/6517116-cp.html