A beautiful bay on the east shore of Lake Diefenbaker has a new name.
June 24, the provincial government named Cooper Bay, located at 51°9’36” North Latitude 106° 45’ 5” West Longitude, in honour of Clarence Owen Cooper.
That Cooper Bay is just north of Tufts Bay near Elbow seems fitting because both bays’ namesakes were proponents of the South Saskatchewan River Project and development of the Gardiner Dam and Lake Diefenbaker.
Cooper served as vice president of the Saskatchewan River Development Association while Dr. Wm. Tufts served as the organization’s president.
“It’s an honour to have something named after him,” says Tim’s son Gerry Cooper.
He’s proud his father’s work in promoting the Saskatchewan River dam project is recognized.
Clarence Owen (Tim) Cooper was from Hawarden, where he was a former councillor and reeve of the R.M. of Rosedale from 1941 to 1958. In 1958 Cooper turned his attention to federal politics running in the Rosetown-Biggar riding as the progressive conservative candidate. Cooper defeated CCF leader M.J. Coldwell. He represented the Rosetown-Biggar constituency under John Diefenbaker from 1958 to 1965, all the while promoting the South Saskatchewan River Project.
Gerry said his dad promoted the dam project in his maiden speech in the House of Commons.
“As soon as the Diefenbaker government got in they started pushing for it,” Gerry said.
Construction of the dam began in 1959.
To read more please see the Aug. 18 print edition of The Davidson Leader.