Two Men (father and son ?) working on log structure, approx 1920s-30s RPPC
Back in the early 1910s, Canwood seemed more interested in rebranding the place than in building it. The post office opened in 1911 under the name “McQuan,” thanks to a typo that made the town sound more like a creative Scrabble attempt. By the time anyone noticed, letters were wandering the prairie like tumbleweeds with stamps. So the officials fixed it: “McOwan,” after a pioneer farmer. Just as folks were finally getting the hang of spelling it, the place was renamed “Forgaard” in honour of another homesteader. At this point, the only thing consistent was the confusion. In less than two years, the hamlet had cycled through more identities than a vaudeville act. Finally, in 1913, yet another name was chosen — “Canwood,” short for CANadian WOODlands. Solid. Simple. Impossible to misspell. And the weary postmaster could finally stop filling out change-of-address cards for the whole town. ~ D