Weyburn is a city in southeastern
SaskatchewanSaskatchewan 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....
,
CanadaCanada 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...
. It is located on the
Souris RiverThe Souris River or Mouse River is a river in central North America. It is about 700 km in length and drains about . It rises in the Yellow Grass Marshes north of Weyburn, Saskatchewan...
110 kilometres (68.4 mi) southeast of the provincial capital of
ReginaRegina 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...
and is 70 km (43.5 mi) north of the border with the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The name is reputedly a corruption of the Scottish "wee burn," referring to a small creek. The city is surrounded by the
Rural Municipality of Weyburn No. 67Weyburn No. 67 is a rural municipality in south-eastern Saskatchewan, Canada encompassing 811.70 square kilometers in area. The rural municipality maintains its office in Weyburn, Saskatchewan . Located within the area of the rural municipality are the communities of North Weyburn, McTaggart...
.
History
The
Canadian Pacific RailwayThe 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...
(CPR) reached the future site of Weyburn from
Brandon, ManitobaBrandon 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...
in 1892 and the
Soo LineThe Soo Line Railroad is the primary United States railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway , controlled through the Soo Line Corporation, and one of seven U.S. Class I railroads. Although it is named for the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste...
from
North Portal-External links:********-Footnotes:...
on the US border in 1893. A post office opened in 1895 and a land office in 1899 in anticipation of the land rush which soon ensued. Weyburn was legally constituted a village in 1900, a town in 1903 and as a city in 1913.
Weyburn had since become an important railroad town in Saskatchewan - the Pasqua branch or the Souris, Arcola, Weyburn, Regina CPR branch; Portal Section on the CPR / Soo Line; Moose Jaw, Weyburn, Shaunavon, Lethbridge CPR section; the Brandon, Marfield, Carlyle, Lampman, Radville, Willow Bunch section of the
Canadian National RailwayThe Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
(CNR); and the Regina, Weyburn, Radville, Estevan, Northgate CNR section have all run through Weyburn.
Weyburn was home to the
Souris Valley Mental Health HospitalSouris Valley Mental Health Hospital also called the Souris Valley Extended Care Centre was a public hospital in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. Originally called the Weyburn Mental Hospital when opened in 1921, it was the largest building in The British Commonwealth and was considered on the cutting edge...
, which was closed as a health care facility and sold in 2006, and demolished in 2009. When opened in 1921, it was the largest building in The British Commonwealth and was considered on the cutting edge of experimental treatments for people with mental disabilities. The facility had a reputation of leading the way in therapeutic programming. At its peak, the facility was home to approximately 2,500 patients. The history of the facility is explored in the documentary
Weyburn: An Archaeology of Madness.
Demographics
| Census |
Population |
| 1901 |
113 |
| 1911 |
2,210 |
| 1921 |
3,193 |
| 1931 |
5,002 |
| 1941 |
6,119 |
| 1951 |
7,148 |
| 1961 |
9,101 |
| 1971 |
8,815 |
| 1981 |
9,523 |
| 1991 |
9,673 |
| 2001 |
9,534 |
| 2006 |
9,433 |
The city had a population of 9,433 in 2006, having declined from 9,534 in 2001.
Geography and climate
Weyburn is situated near the upper delta of the 470 miles (756.4 km) long Souris River. The Souris River continues southeast through North Dakota eventually meeting the Assiniboine River in Manitoba. In the 1800s this area was known as an extension of the
Greater Yellow Grass Marsh. Extensive flood control programs have created reservoirs, parks and waterfowl centres along the Souris River. Between 1988 to 1995, the Rafferty-Alameda Project was constructed to alleviate spring flooding problems created by the Souris River.
Climate
Economy
Weyburn is the largest inland grain gathering point in Canada. Well over half a million tons of grain pass through the Weyburn terminals each and every year. Oil and gas exploration make up the other major component of the economy.
Culture
The Soo Line Historical Museum (c. 1910) is a Municipal Heritage Property on the Canadian Register of Historic Places.
Weyburn is also home to the world's first
curlingCurling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
museum, the Turner Curling Museum.
Elementary and secondary
The public school system, South East Cornerstone School Division #209, operates the following schools:
- Assiniboia Park Elementary School
- Haig School
- Queen Elizabeth School
- Souris School
- Weyburn Junior High School
- Weyburn Comprehensive High School
The
separate schoolIn Canada, separate school refers to a particular type of school that has constitutional status in three provinces and statutory status in three territories...
system, Holy Family Roman Catholic Separate School Division #140, operates the following schools:
- St. Dominic Savio School
- St. Michael's Junior High School
Post-secondary
Southeast Regional College offers technical, trade and non-degree programs, as well as distance learning from the
University of ReginaThe University of Regina is a public research university located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Founded in 1911 as a private denominational high school of the Methodist Church of Canada, it began an association with the University of Saskatchewan as a junior college in 1925, and was disaffiliated...
and
University of SaskatchewanThe University of Saskatchewan is a Canadian public research university, founded in 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. An "Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan" was passed by the...
.
Transportation
Weyburn is located at the junction of highways
13Highway 13 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from the Alberta border until it transitions into Highway 2 at the Manitoba border near Antler. Highway 13 is about 676 km long.Highway 13 passes through Shaunavon, Assiniboia, Weyburn, Redvers and Carlyle...
,
35Highway 35 is a paved undivided provincial highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from the US Border near Port of Oungre to a dead end near the north shore of Tobin Lake. Saskatchewan Highway 35 SK Hwy 35) is about long. The CanAm Highway comprises Saskatchewan Highways 35,...
and
39Highway 39 is a provincial paved undivided highway located in the southern portion of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan connecting North Portal and Moose Jaw in the north. This is a primary Saskatchewan highway maintained by the provincial and national governments providing a major trucking...
. The
Weyburn AirportWeyburn Airport, , is located northeast of Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada.During World War II the aerodrome was constructed in 1941 as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan graduated 1,055 pilots and recorded more than 180,000 hours of flight time over the before being abandoned in...
is located northeast of the city.
Utilities
Electricity is provided by
SaskPowerSince 1929, SaskPower has been the principal supplier of electricity in Saskatchewan, Canada. Today, it serves more than 473,000 customers and manages $5.3 billion in assets...
and natural gas is provided by
SaskEnergySaskEnergy is a Crown corporation of the Saskatchewan government which delivers natural gas to 92% of the province through a 67,000 kilometre distribution system to over 347,000 customers...
. The city maintains its own water treatment plant and
waste managementWaste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal,managing and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics...
system. Telephone and internet services are provided by both
SaskTelSaskatchewan Telecommunications is a provincial Crown Corporation operating under the authority of the Saskatchewan Telecommunications Act. It is the only remaining Crown Corporation in the Canadian telecommunications industry....
and
Access CommunicationsAccess Communications Co-operative Ltd. is a Canadian cable television provider, operating in Regina, Saskatchewan and several other communities in Saskatchewan...
.
Public safety
The Weyburn Police Service provides
law enforcementIn North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...
for the city.
Fire protectionFire protection is the study and practice of mitigating the unwanted effects of fires. It involves the study of the behaviour, compartmentalisation, suppression and investigation of fire and its related emergencies, as well as the research and development, production, testing and application of...
services are provided by the Weyburn Fire Department.
Sports and recreation
Weyburn is the home of the
Weyburn Red WingsThe Weyburn Red Wings are a junior ice hockey team, based in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, and currently playing in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. They play their home games at the Weyburn Colosseum which has a seating capacity of 1,950. The team colours are red and white. The team logo is the...
of the
Saskatchewan Junior Hockey LeagueThe Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is a Junior A ice hockey league under Hockey Canada, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. Open to North American-born players 20 years of age or younger, the SJHL's 12 teams play in two divisions: the Bauer and Sherwood conferences...
(SJHL). Weyburn is also home to the Beavers of the Western Major Baseball League, a collegiate summer baseball league located in the prairie provinces of Canada.
Local media
CFSL and
CKRC-FMCKRC-FM is a radio station in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada that operates at 103.5 FM branded as Magic 103.5. The station's format consists of a mixture of hot AC music, alongside other classic hit music....
radio stations are at 305 Souris Avenue. Both are owned by
Golden West BroadcastingGolden West Broadcasting is a Canadian radio broadcasting company based in Altona, Manitoba, Canada. It currently owns and operates a number of radio stations in the prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba....
.
Glacier Media Group publishes three newspapers for Weyburn and area: the Weyburn Review, Weyburn and Area Booster, and Weyburn This Week.
Noteworthy Weyburnites
Weyburn was the birthplace of Canadian writers
W. O. MitchellWilliam Ormond Mitchell, PC, OC better known as W.O. Mitchell was a Canadian writer.-Early life and career:...
,
Guy Gavriel KayGuy Gavriel Kay is a Canadian author of fantasy fiction. Many of his novels are set in fictional realms that resemble real places during real historical periods, such as Constantinople during the reign of Justinian I or Spain during the time of El Cid...
and
Mark Steven Morton-Bibliography:*Cupboard Love: A Dictionary of Culinary Curiosities .*The End: Closing Words for a Millennium . Co-authored with Gail Noble.*The Lover's Tongue: A Merry Romp Through the Language of Love and Sex ....
, and former
National Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
player
Dave "Tiger" WilliamsDavid James "Tiger" Williams is a former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League from 1974–75 to 1987–88. He is the NHL's career leader in penalty minutes.-NHL career:...
. It was also home to Canadian politician
Tommy DouglasThomas Clement "Tommy" Douglas, was a Scottish-born Baptist minister who became a prominent Canadian social democratic politician...
who is credited with the establishment of
MedicareMedicare is the unofficial name for Canada's publicly funded universal health insurance system. The formal terminology for the insurance system is provided by the Canada Health Act and the health insurance legislation of the individual provinces and territories.Under the terms of the Canada Health...
in Canada, and who, in 2004, was named “
The Greatest CanadianOfficially launched on April 5, 2004, The Greatest Canadian was a television program series by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to determine who is considered to be the greatest Canadian of all time, at least among those who watched and participated in the program...
”.
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
medical researcher Dr
Humphry OsmondHumphry Fortescue Osmond was a British psychiatrist known for inventing the word psychedelic and for using psychedelic drugs in medical research...
is also a former resident of Weyburn. It is also the birthplace of the former Premier of
Prince Edward IslandPrince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
,
Pat BinnsPatrick George Binns , is a Canadian diplomat who was named Ambassador to Ireland on August 30, 2007.Binns has a long history of public service, most notably being the 30th Premier of Prince Edward Island, holding office from 1996 to 2007, during which time he was the leader of the Prince Edward...
. PGA Tour golfer Graham DeLaet also hails from Weyburn.
External links