At the time this article was written Gordon Barnhart was Clerk of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan)

From July 15--22, 1978, nine parliamentarians and their spouse from the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories and the House of Assembly of Newfoundland visited Saskatchewan as part of Saskatchewan's interprovincial exchange visit program. In 1972, the Saskatchewan Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association instituted a program of trying to ensure that each and every backbench Member of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly would have the opportunity of visiting another jurisdiction through a Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conference or exchange visit within the four year term of that Legislature.

A vital component of this program is to invite the Assemblies of other Canadian provinces to visit Saskatchewan. This year, Newfoundland and the Northwest Territories were invited to send delegations to Saskatchewan. Two jurisdictions were purposefully combined in one visit in order to offer the visitors an opportunity to become acquainted with Saskatchewan Members and to meet and get to know Members from another area of Canada.

The tour for the visiting delegation had a predominating theme which was the historic background shared by the Province of Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories. The delegation attended the Trial of Louis Riel, visited Batoche, the site of one of the battles of the Riel Rebellion; and Fort Battleford, the capital of the Northwest Territories from 1876--1882. The visitors toured Saskatchewan's grain, potash and steel industries. While in Saskatchewan, the delegation toured the Saskatchewan countryside, met with Saskatchewan Members of the Legislative Assembly and with many Saskatchewan citizens .

The visit was an opportunity for Members from the Northwest Territories, Newfoundland and Saskatchewan to meet, to become friends and to learn more about the various aspects of the Canadian nation.