▁S ask atch ew an ▁at ▁length ▁permitted ▁the ▁sub div ision ▁of ▁farm st ead s : ▁when ▁this ▁became ▁vi able , ▁numerous ▁lux ur ious ▁farm st ead s ▁became ▁attract ive ▁ven ues ▁for ▁town spe ople ▁to ▁set ▁up ▁summer ▁homes ▁on ▁former ▁Qu ' App elle ▁district ▁farm st ead s ▁with ▁the ▁former ▁far ms ▁cons olid ated ▁as ▁large - scale ▁commercial ▁operations ▁having ▁no ▁relationship ▁whatever ▁with ▁their ▁former ▁farm st ead s . ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁rural ▁population ▁which ▁Qu ' App elle ▁had ▁served ▁stead ily ▁decl ined ▁as ▁family ▁far ms ▁were ▁cons olid ated : ▁The ▁Domin ion ▁Land s ▁Act , ▁ 1 8 7 2 ▁had ▁provided ▁for ▁far ms ▁of ▁ ▁or ▁ ¼ ▁section , ▁a ▁section ▁being ▁one ▁square ▁mile ▁( 2 . 5   km 2 ). ▁The ▁De pression ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁made ▁it ▁clear ▁that ▁while ▁this ▁might ▁have ▁been ▁enough ▁land ▁for ▁a ▁family ▁farm ▁in ▁eastern ▁Canada , ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁nearly ▁enough ▁in ▁the ▁dry land ▁far ming ▁conditions ▁of ▁the ▁pra i ries , ▁and ▁far mers ▁stead ily ▁sold ▁up ▁or ▁bought ▁up , ▁farm ▁sizes ▁increased ▁and ▁the ▁hinter land ▁population ▁w an ed . ▁ ▁R ural ▁churches , ▁largely ▁Pres by ter ian ▁and ▁then ▁as ▁of ▁ 1 9 2 5 ▁United ▁Church , ▁served ▁by ▁minister s ▁based ▁in ▁Qu ' App elle , ▁Indian ▁Head