Blaine Lake, Saskatchewan
Encyclopedia
Blaine Lake is a town in central 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....

, Canada
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...

 and is situated 80 kilometers north of Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....

 at the junction of Saskatchewan Highway 12
Saskatchewan Highway 12
Highway 12 is a major highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It begins in Saskatoon at the intersection of Idylwyld Drive and 22nd Street, initially running north on Idylwyld concurrently with Highway 11. Just outside Saskatoon's northern city limits, Highway 11 branches off and Highway...

 and 40
Saskatchewan Highway 40
Highway 40 is a highway in the northwest portion of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan connecting Alberta to Highway 3, 4 km west of Shellbrook, Saskatchewan. Areas of this highway between the Alberta border and North Battleford are called The Poundmaker Trail. Pitikwahanapiwiyin Highway...

.
Blaine Lake is situated centrally between three Saskatchewan cities: Saskatoon, North Battleford, and Prince Albert.

Saskatoon's increasing cost of living has allowed the population of Blaine Lake to slowly grow. A possible explanation is that Blaine Lake still maintains a relatively inexpensive cost of living with the convenience of urban centers like Shellbrook
Shellbrook
Shellbrook may refer to:*Shellbrook, Leicestershire, England*Shellbrook, Saskatchewan, Canada**location of Shellbrook Airport...

, Rosthern and Saskatoon nearby. This makes Blaine Lake a viable option for quiet habitation.

Blaine Lake is a community with many amenities including an elementary and high school, curling rink, skating rink, grocery store, hardware store, bank, post office, several restaurants and two gas stations. Other businesses include a SARCAN depot, an insurance broker, a metal fabricator, a sign shop and several construction contractors.

Blaine Lake is known for being "The Gateway to the Lakes!" as many lakes, campgrounds, golf courses and tourist attractions are located within a short distance from the town of Blaine Lake.


History

Blaine Lake was incorporated in 1912, taking its name from a nearby lake.

Blaine Lake was originally the homestead of Mr. William “Scotty” Johnston. In 1910 he sold it to the CNR for use as a Townsite and on March 15, 1912 the Village of Blaine Lake was incorporated.

The area was originally populated by Anglo-Saxons, East Europeans, and Americans, it quickly grew to include many Slavic families. In 1899 the rural area near the North Saskatchewan River was settled by the Russian Doukhobors. They arrived at Petrofka (south of the present town) in August and began preparations to survive the winter by digging dugouts in hillsides and river banks. French pioneers came from Britanny in 1902 and settled on land close to where the town stands.

How Blaine Lake received its name is still somewhat of a mystery. One story tells of a surveyor named Mr. Blaine who drowned in a nearby lake, yet there are no records of a surveyor drowning in the area at the time. Another theory comes from a fellow in Alberta who wrote to the town in the 1980s claiming his great-uncle, McBlaine, had been a squatter near the lake. Apparently Mr. McBlaine drowned in the lake as well. While there are records of a squatter in the area at that time, a name could not be found. Although this theory seems a bit more credible than the other, the exact origin of Blaine Lake’s name still remains a mystery.
North: Marcelin
Marcelin, Saskatchewan
-External links:*******-Footnotes:...

West: Krydor
Krydor, Saskatchewan
-Notable people:* Mike Kostiuk is a former National Football League offensive lineman.-References:-External links:*******...

Blaine Lake East: Wingard
South: Petrofka

External links

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