Whitewood, Saskatchewan
Encyclopedia
Whitewood is a town in the Canadian
province of Saskatchewan
. It is located approximately 175 kilometres (108.7 mi) east of Regina
on the Trans-Canada Highway
Sk Hwy 1
. It is situated at the crossroads of two major highways systems – the Trans-Canada, which runs east and west, and Sk Hwy 9
, which runs north and south from the US border to Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan
. Located midway between Brandon, Manitoba
and Regina, Whitewood was and continues to be an ideal place to stop and rest and is the only community between those two cities with services available 24 hours.
Where Whitewood now stands was once grasslands, travelled only by nomadic First Nations people, white traders, trappers and buffalo hunters. Native plants and wildlife thrived in perfect balance. The people who followed the trails between the Valley of the Qu'Appelle
and the Pipestone Creek left no more permanent marks on the landscape than the tracks of their Red River carts.
Before the settlement of the west, Whitewood began as a crossing of trails between the Qu'Appelle Valley to the north and the Moose Mountains to the south. The Hudson's Bay Company
trading post was established about the fall of 1891 to approximately the spring of 1906.
With the settlement of the west and the coming of the Trans-Continental railway
, Whitewood quickly grew into a thriving community. The CPR naming was derived from the White Poplar (Populus alba), a deciduous tree with white bark, which was plentiful in the area.
By 1882, the town of Whitewood, Provisional District of Assiniboia, North-West Territories
was a major stop on the Canadian Pacific Railway
. The town grew steadily from that time and was incorporated as a town in 1892. An interesting note is that while the Town Seal has "Incorporated 1893" on it the actual incorporation took place on December 30, 1892.
. Whitewood is situated in the Melville Plain of the Aspen Parkland ecoregion
.
Burrows, Clayridge, Forest Farm, St. Luke, and St. Hubert Mission are small unincorporated areas near Whitewood. The Ochapowace (Ochapowage) Indian Reserve is nearby.
Whitewood has a humid continental climate
, with extreme seasonal temperatures. It has warm summers and cold winters, with the average daily temperatures ranging from -16.5 C in January to 18.2 °C (64.8 °F) in July. Annually, temperatures exceed 30 °C (86 °F) on an average in late July Typically, summer lasts from late June until late August, and the humidity is seldom uncomfortably high. Winter lasts from November to March, and varies greatly in length and severity. Spring and autumn are both short and highly variable. On July 5, 1937 a extreme high of 41.1 °C (106 °F) was recorded, and on January 12, 1916, a record low of -45.6 C.
data estimates the town's population at 869. residents
Settlers from many lands came to the area and the multi-national character of the community is seen in the names of the residents to this day. The first Finnish settlement in the west, New Finland
is located here, and Hungarians, Swedes, Germans, Poles, Russians, Czechs, English, Scottish and Irish, also made Whitewood their destination in the new world. To quote a prominent writer of that period, and resident of Whitewood John Hawkes, "Whitewood was in the eighties (1880s) the most cosmopolitan point in the west. It came to be a saying that one should know eleven languages to do business in Whitewood." Hawkes penned "Saskatchewan and Its People" in three volumes.
One of the most unusual and glamorous settlements was that of The French Counts of St Hubert, Saskatchewan
. Headed by the educated Dr Rudolph Meyer, this group of Belgian and French aristocrats aimed to build a life on the Canadian prairies in the style of the French nobility in Europe.
Annually the Counts booked the Whitewood Commercial Hotel for the Frenchman's Ball. "Many
pretty dresses of the style of the late eighties were in evidence, souvenirs perhaps of better days across the sea. The vivacious Frenchwomen of gentle birth and breeding in fashionable décolleté gowns and jeweled neck and arms lent an air of distinction in spite of the incongruity of the crude setting"
Remains of this settlement still exist and many residents of the community are proud of their connection to the Most Romantic Settlement in the West.
s to form the municipal council. Currently the mayor is Malcolm Green, and is serving with councillors Walter White, Martin Davenport,
Phil Phayre, Randy Miler, Dexter Samida, and Tony Saltasuk. The town administrator is Sharon Rodgers.
Provincially Whitewood is within the constituency of Moosomin
served by their Member of legislative assembly
, the honourable Don Toth
.
Federally the Souris--Moose Mountain riding is represented by their Member of Parliament
, Ed Komarnicki
.
As Whitewood has achieved town status, it has its own municipal government, however rural governments nearby are Willowdale No. 153
and Silverwood No. 123
.
, Wolseley
are all part of the Mainline Regional Economic Development Authority. REDA's stimulate economic growth in the local area as they are familiar with the inherent needs of the community and stimulate business and government investment resulting in job creation, tourism and recreational facilities.
, is located adjacent to Whitewood. Whitewood was established in the late 19th century on the Canadian Pacific Railway
Trans-Continental railway
. Currently, Whitewood is situated at the crossroads of two major highways systems – the Trans-Canada Highway
Sk Hwy 1
, which runs east and west, and Sk Hwy 9
, which runs north and south from the US border to Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan
.
is a weekly newspaper
located in southeastern Saskatchewan
in the community of Whitewood. Publishing since 1892, it is the oldest continuing weekly newspaper in Saskatchewan. John Hawkes was the editor of the Whitewood Herald from 1897 to 1900.
During Whitewood's centennial year of 1992, they collaborated on the history of the French Counts. The Merchant Bank Heritage Center soon followed which also celebrates the French Count history and displays the welcoming sign "The Most
Romantic Settlement in the West."
In the fall of 2002, economic development director Janet Blackstock along with Mayor Malcolm Green aimed to restore the homes built in the late 19th century by the French aristocrats and paint outside murals in Whitewood to re-vitalize the local history. One mural had been painted in 2000 showing the town in 1890. The area of Whitewood claims that during the late 19th century, there were more aristocrats here than anywhere else in North America.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
. It is located approximately 175 kilometres (108.7 mi) east of Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
on the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
Sk Hwy 1
Saskatchewan Highway 1
Highway 1 is the Saskatchewan section of the Trans-Canada Highway mainland route. The total distance of the Trans-Canada Highway in Saskatchewan is . The highway traverses Saskatchewan from the western border with Alberta, from Highway 1, to Manitoba where it continues as Highway 1, PTH 1. The...
. It is situated at the crossroads of two major highways systems – the Trans-Canada, which runs east and west, and Sk Hwy 9
Saskatchewan Highway 9
Highway 9, Highway 9 is a provincial paved undivided highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from North Dakota Highway 8 at the US border near Port of Northgate until it transitions into Provincial Road 283 at the Manitoba border...
, which runs north and south from the US border to Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan
Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan
-History:In 1757, a fur trading post was established in the Hudson Bay District, beside the Red Deer River. Ruins from the post have been found near the village of Erwood. In 1790, the North West Trading Co. set up a trading post at the mouth of the Etomami River...
. Located midway between Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...
and Regina, Whitewood was and continues to be an ideal place to stop and rest and is the only community between those two cities with services available 24 hours.
History
Qu'Appelle River
The Qu'Appelle River is a Canadian river that flows 430 km east from Lake Diefenbaker in southwestern Saskatchewan to join the Assiniboine River in Manitoba, just south of Lake of the Prairies, near the village of St. Lazare....
and the Pipestone Creek left no more permanent marks on the landscape than the tracks of their Red River carts.
Before the settlement of the west, Whitewood began as a crossing of trails between the Qu'Appelle Valley to the north and the Moose Mountains to the south. The Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
trading post was established about the fall of 1891 to approximately the spring of 1906.
With the settlement of the west and the coming of the Trans-Continental railway
National Transcontinental Railway
The National Transcontinental Railway was a historic Canadian railway between Winnipeg and Moncton. Much of the line is now operated by the Canadian National Railway.-The Grand Trunk partnership:...
, Whitewood quickly grew into a thriving community. The CPR naming was derived from the White Poplar (Populus alba), a deciduous tree with white bark, which was plentiful in the area.
By 1882, the town of Whitewood, Provisional District of Assiniboia, North-West Territories
Territorial evolution of Canada
The federation of Canada was created in 1867 when three colonies of British North America were united. One of these colonies split into two new provinces, three other colonies joined later...
was a major stop on the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
. The town grew steadily from that time and was incorporated as a town in 1892. An interesting note is that while the Town Seal has "Incorporated 1893" on it the actual incorporation took place on December 30, 1892.
Geography
Whitewood is located in the north eastern section of the topographical area named Wood Hills to the north of Moose Mountain and south of the Qu'Appelle RiverQu'Appelle River
The Qu'Appelle River is a Canadian river that flows 430 km east from Lake Diefenbaker in southwestern Saskatchewan to join the Assiniboine River in Manitoba, just south of Lake of the Prairies, near the village of St. Lazare....
. Whitewood is situated in the Melville Plain of the Aspen Parkland ecoregion
Flora of Saskatchewan
The native flora of the Saskatchewan includes vascular plants, plus additional species of other plants and plant-like organisms such as algae, lichens and other fungi, and mosses...
.
Burrows, Clayridge, Forest Farm, St. Luke, and St. Hubert Mission are small unincorporated areas near Whitewood. The Ochapowace (Ochapowage) Indian Reserve is nearby.
Climate
Humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
, with extreme seasonal temperatures. It has warm summers and cold winters, with the average daily temperatures ranging from -16.5 C in January to 18.2 °C (64.8 °F) in July. Annually, temperatures exceed 30 °C (86 °F) on an average in late July Typically, summer lasts from late June until late August, and the humidity is seldom uncomfortably high. Winter lasts from November to March, and varies greatly in length and severity. Spring and autumn are both short and highly variable. On July 5, 1937 a extreme high of 41.1 °C (106 °F) was recorded, and on January 12, 1916, a record low of -45.6 C.
Demographics
The 2006 Statistics CanadaStatistics Canada
Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. Its headquarters is in Ottawa....
data estimates the town's population at 869. residents
Settlers from many lands came to the area and the multi-national character of the community is seen in the names of the residents to this day. The first Finnish settlement in the west, New Finland
New Finland, Saskatchewan
New Finland or Uusi Suomi is a district in the Qu'Appelle valley, the south eastern part of the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. Uusi Suomi is Finnish for New Finland, the name adopted by this Finnish block settlement. The homesteaders found an area in Saskatchewan near Qu'Appelle River which...
is located here, and Hungarians, Swedes, Germans, Poles, Russians, Czechs, English, Scottish and Irish, also made Whitewood their destination in the new world. To quote a prominent writer of that period, and resident of Whitewood John Hawkes, "Whitewood was in the eighties (1880s) the most cosmopolitan point in the west. It came to be a saying that one should know eleven languages to do business in Whitewood." Hawkes penned "Saskatchewan and Its People" in three volumes.
The French Counts of St Hubert, Saskatchewan
The French Counts settled in St. Hubert, Saskatchewan which was located on Pipestone Creek, south west of Whitewood, Saskatchewan. The French Counts of St Hubert stayed in the area between 1884 and the early 1900s, before World War I. St...
. Headed by the educated Dr Rudolph Meyer, this group of Belgian and French aristocrats aimed to build a life on the Canadian prairies in the style of the French nobility in Europe.
Annually the Counts booked the Whitewood Commercial Hotel for the Frenchman's Ball. "Many
pretty dresses of the style of the late eighties were in evidence, souvenirs perhaps of better days across the sea. The vivacious Frenchwomen of gentle birth and breeding in fashionable décolleté gowns and jeweled neck and arms lent an air of distinction in spite of the incongruity of the crude setting"
Remains of this settlement still exist and many residents of the community are proud of their connection to the Most Romantic Settlement in the West.
Government
The town of Whitewood has a mayor as the highest ranking government official. The town also elects aldermen or councillorCouncillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
s to form the municipal council. Currently the mayor is Malcolm Green, and is serving with councillors Walter White, Martin Davenport,
Phil Phayre, Randy Miler, Dexter Samida, and Tony Saltasuk. The town administrator is Sharon Rodgers.
Provincially Whitewood is within the constituency of Moosomin
Moosomin
Moosomin is a word borowed from the Cree language meaning low-bush cranberry or squash berry .-Electoral districts:*Moosomin Moosomin is a word borowed from the Cree language meaning low-bush cranberry or squash berry (Viburnum edule).-Electoral districts:*Moosomin Moosomin is a word borowed from...
served by their Member of legislative assembly
Member of Legislative Assembly
A Member of Legislative Assembly, or MLA, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to the Legislature of a State in the Indian system of government...
, the honourable Don Toth
Don Toth
Donald James Toth is a Canadian provincial politician and the current Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. He has represented the constituency of Moosomin in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan since 1986. Originally elected as a member of the Progressive Conservatives, he...
.
Federally the Souris--Moose Mountain riding is represented by their Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, Ed Komarnicki
Ed Komarnicki
Edward "Ed" Komarnicki is a Canadian politician.A lawyer, Komarnicki was elected into the Canadian House of Commons in the Canadian federal election, 2004 as the Conservative Party of Canada candidate in the riding of Souris—Moose Mountain...
.
As Whitewood has achieved town status, it has its own municipal government, however rural governments nearby are Willowdale No. 153
Willowdale No. 153, Saskatchewan
Willowdale No. 153, Saskatchewan is a rural municipality of 333 rural residents in the southeastern part of Saskatchewan, Canada. Residents also belong to SARM Division No. 1 and Census Division No. 5, Saskatchewan. The RM was incorporated January 1, 1913. No localities in this RM. The town of...
and Silverwood No. 123
Silverwood No. 123, Saskatchewan
This article is about the rural municipality in Canada. For other places with the same name, see SilverwoodSilverwood No. 123, Saskatchewan is a rural municipality of 164 rural residents in the southeastern part of Saskatchewan, Canada. The RM was incorporated October 31, 1911. There are no...
.
Economy
Economically, Whitewood is situated in the Yorkton—Melville economic region. Whitewood along with Broadview, GrenfellGrenfell, Saskatchewan
Grenfell is a town in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. European settlement began in 1882 before the Canadian Pacific Railway reached the site of the town; the post office was established in 1883. It is situated at the junction of Highway 47 and the Trans Canada Highway east of Regina, the...
, Wolseley
Wolseley, Saskatchewan
-External links:** Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan...
are all part of the Mainline Regional Economic Development Authority. REDA's stimulate economic growth in the local area as they are familiar with the inherent needs of the community and stimulate business and government investment resulting in job creation, tourism and recreational facilities.
Transportation
Whitewood AirportWhitewood Airport
Whitewood Airport, , is located adjacent to Whitewood, Saskatchewan, Canada....
, is located adjacent to Whitewood. Whitewood was established in the late 19th century on the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
Trans-Continental railway
National Transcontinental Railway
The National Transcontinental Railway was a historic Canadian railway between Winnipeg and Moncton. Much of the line is now operated by the Canadian National Railway.-The Grand Trunk partnership:...
. Currently, Whitewood is situated at the crossroads of two major highways systems – the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
Sk Hwy 1
Saskatchewan Highway 1
Highway 1 is the Saskatchewan section of the Trans-Canada Highway mainland route. The total distance of the Trans-Canada Highway in Saskatchewan is . The highway traverses Saskatchewan from the western border with Alberta, from Highway 1, to Manitoba where it continues as Highway 1, PTH 1. The...
, which runs east and west, and Sk Hwy 9
Saskatchewan Highway 9
Highway 9, Highway 9 is a provincial paved undivided highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from North Dakota Highway 8 at the US border near Port of Northgate until it transitions into Provincial Road 283 at the Manitoba border...
, which runs north and south from the US border to Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan
Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan
-History:In 1757, a fur trading post was established in the Hudson Bay District, beside the Red Deer River. Ruins from the post have been found near the village of Erwood. In 1790, the North West Trading Co. set up a trading post at the mouth of the Etomami River...
.
Media
The Whitewood HeraldWhitewood Herald
The Whitewood Herald is a weekly newspaper located in southeastern Saskatchewan in the community of Whitewood, Saskatchewan. Publishing since 1892, it is the oldest continuing weekly newspaper in Saskatchewan....
is a weekly newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
located in southeastern Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
in the community of Whitewood. Publishing since 1892, it is the oldest continuing weekly newspaper in Saskatchewan. John Hawkes was the editor of the Whitewood Herald from 1897 to 1900.
Museums and other points of interest
The Broadview Recreation Site is within 19 kilometres (11.8 mi) of Whitewood, and Spring Fountain Recreation Site is closer at 17 kilometres (10.6 mi).During Whitewood's centennial year of 1992, they collaborated on the history of the French Counts. The Merchant Bank Heritage Center soon followed which also celebrates the French Count history and displays the welcoming sign "The Most
Romantic Settlement in the West."
In the fall of 2002, economic development director Janet Blackstock along with Mayor Malcolm Green aimed to restore the homes built in the late 19th century by the French aristocrats and paint outside murals in Whitewood to re-vitalize the local history. One mural had been painted in 2000 showing the town in 1890. The area of Whitewood claims that during the late 19th century, there were more aristocrats here than anywhere else in North America.
Location
External links
- http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/whitewood.html Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan