The Government of Saskatchewan is hoping to remember that changed Canada forever by helping others to do the same.

Just in time to commemorate the beginning of World War II 80 years ago, the Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan are adding thousands of new pages of newspapers from the conflict online for the public to read.

Focusing on the period from 1939 to 1945, the hope by doing so is to convey how Canadians anticipated the outbreak, dreaded death totals, and hoped for a conclusion of WWII.

Curt Campbell, manager of the records processing unit and preservation services, said that even when reading about the harsh realities of the war, reminders of regular Saskatchewan life contrast them.

"Even on the days on which the war was declared, the headline is 'War Declared in Europe, Canada to be Involved' but at the same time it [says] 'this is the price of cattle, these are the grain prices, or such and such had a wedding last weekend.'"

"You still get that sort of a charming, life continues [feeling], in that people still have to get on with their normal day-to-day routine."

Around 500,000 pages in total will be added to online archives when the period's newspapers are fully completed. As of the beginning of September, 55,000 pages of that total will be added.

Campbell said that articles from the Swift Current Sun in that period would make their way online by winter.

The Saskatchewan Historical Newspapers Online webpage will be the host for all of the articles added.

After this latest 500,000 page project, the period between the World Wars will be archived.