Moosomin () is a town in southern Saskatchewan founded in 1882. It is 20 kilometres west of the provincial boundary between Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
History
With the arrival of the
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...
in 1882, Moosomin was established as the first Saskatchewan community on "steel". Originally known as "siding No. 4" and the "Moosomin Station", businesses began to establish and by 1884 the community had grown to include five general stores, five hotels, two livery stables, two blacksmiths, a doctor, a lawyer, butcher, and one printer, among other businesses. Moosomin was incorporated as a town in November 1887. R. D. McNaughton was the first merchant to arrive in Moosomin. He founded the
R. D. McNaughton Company, a general store operation that played a vital role in early settlement.
The town was named after Chief
Moosomin, who became well known for leading his band into treaty status. He signed
Treaty 6
Treaty 6 is the sixth of the numbered treaties that were signed by the Canadian Crown and various First Nations between 1871 and 1877. It is one of a total of 11 numbered treaties signed between the Canadian Crown and First Nations. Specifica ...
at Battleford in 1880.
The first issue of the ''Moosomin Courier'' weekly newspaper was published on Thursday, October 2, 1884. The newspaper has been published weekly since 1884 and is now known as the ''
World-Spectator''. It is the oldest community newspaper in the province.
Moosomin had several military units that were associated with the community. These included the
16th Light Horse, in the early 1900s (decade);
10th Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
, 1915;
217th Battalion, CEF, and the 101st Battery of the 22nd Field Regiment which was based at ''Moosomin Armories'' (presently the Community Hall).
Moosomin also had a jail, the ''Moosomin Gaol'', which is located at the site of the present day ''Turpie Farm''. In 1905, a hospital opened, and it was the only hospital between Brandon and Indian Head. A normal school was opened.
One of Moosomin's more notables is
General Andrew McNaughton, born in Moosomin in 1887. In the Second World War, he commanded Canada's overseas army and then became Minister of Defence. In the interwar years he was Chairman of the
National Research Council National Research Council may refer to:
* National Research Council (Canada), sponsoring research and development
* National Research Council (Italy), scientific and technological research, Rome
* National Research Council (United States), part of ...
and following the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
was Chairman of the
International Joint Commission
The International Joint Commission (french: Commission mixte internationale) is a bi-national organization established by the governments of the United States and Canada under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909. Its responsibilities were expa ...
which handled questions pertaining to the international waters along the Canada-United States border.
The social life of the early settlers of the area was limited by distances and transportation methods. Sunday church services were often held in private homes. The small one room school houses became the centre of activity in most areas. Saturday nights were often the social night of the week, when groceries and supplies were purchased. There was often entertainment in the Opera House in the R.D. McNaughton Store. Summer picnics were held in the period between summerfallowing and haying. July 1 in Moosomin was the highlight of the summer for many years, there would be a parade, sports events and refreshments. With the arrival of the automobile, social life changed accordingly.
Current development
Moosomin grew significantly in the late 1960s and early 1970s with the construction of a major potash mine to the north. Moosomin is currently undergoing significant growth. According to Saskatchewan Health, which tracks population based on the number of health cards issued, there were 2,733 people living in Moosomin on June 30, 2010, up from 2,496 a year earlier, an increase of 227 people. The growth is due to several reasons. The PotashCorp
Rocanville
Rocanville is a community in Saskatchewan, Canada, and home to the largest oil can in the world. It is home of the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (PCS) potash mine which recently announced a $1.6 billion expansion. Rocanville is also th ...
potash mine just north of the community is undergoing a $2.8 billion expansion, the $60 million Red Lily Wind Farm just west of the community started producing power in February 2011, since the Trans-Canada Highway was twinned through Moosomin in November 2009 several new businesses have been established along the highway, the Southeast Integrated Care Centre has become a major health care centre for a large region of south-eastern Saskatchewan and south-western Manitoba, and there has been significant activity in the local oil patch, which is at the northern end of the
Bakken Formation
The Bakken Formation () is a rock unit from the Late Devonian to Early Mississippian age occupying about of the subsurface of the Williston Basin, underlying parts of Montana, North Dakota, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The formation was initi ...
.
Several major projects are on the drawing board in Moosomin. Land has been purchased for two major hotel developments next to the
Canalta Hotel, which opened in 2010 facing the new highway, and land has been purchased for Pipestone Villas, a major residential development. Fourteen kilometres south of Moosomin is
Moosomin Lake
Moosomin Lake, also known as Moosomin Reservoir, is a man-made lake in south-eastern part of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Created by the damming of Pipestone Creek in 1954, Moosomin Lake is located about south of the town of Mooso ...
and
Moosomin Lake Regional Park
Moosomin Lake, also known as Moosomin Reservoir, is a man-made lake in south-eastern part of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Created by the damming of Pipestone Creek in 1954, Moosomin Lake is located about south of the town of Mooso ...
.
Demographics
In the
2021 Census of Population conducted by
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultur ...
, Moosomin had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.
Climate
Moosomin in popular culture
*
The Guess Who
The Guess Who are a Canadian rock band formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1965. The band originated in 1962 and achieved an international hit single with a cover of "Shakin' All Over" in 1965 under the name Chad Allan and the Expressions. After c ...
song "
Runnin' Back to Saskatoon
"Runnin' Back to Saskatoon" is a song written by Burton Cummings and Kurt Winter.
The song was recorded by the Canadian rock group The Guess Who on May 22, 1972, for the album '' Live at the Paramount'' and is also included on their 1974 album ...
" mentions Moosomin.
Notable residents
*
Jessica Campbell
Jessica Campbell (October 30, 1982 – December 29, 2020) was an American actress and a naturopathic physician.
Her appearances included the roles of Tammy Metzler in the 1999 film ''Election'', for which she was nominated for an Independent Sp ...
(born 1992), ice hockey player
*
Brock Lesnar
Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American-Canadian professional wrestler, former mixed martial artist (MMA), amateur wrestler, and professional American football player who holds both American and Canadian citizenship. He is ...
(born 1977), professional wrestler and mixed martial artist
Colter Wall finds unexpected friendship with WWE star Brock Lesnar
''Southwest Booster''. October 27, 2015. "Wall hit the open road eastbound to visit Lesnar on his farm near Moosomin, Saskatchewan..." Retrieved November 3, 2015.
* Andrew McNaughton
Andrew is the English form of a given name common in many countries. In the 1990s, it was among the top ten most popular names given to boys in English-speaking countries. "Andrew" is frequently shortened to "Andy" or "Drew". The word is derived ...
(1887–1966), former Chief of the General Staff The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) is a post in many armed forces (militaries), the head of the military staff.
List
* Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (United States)
* Chief of the General Staff (Abkhazia)
* Chief of General Staff (Afg ...
of the Canadian Army
The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...
* John Ryerson Neff
John Ryerson Neff (December 14, 1844 – November 14, 1913) was a farmer and political figure in the Northwest Territories, Canada. He represented Moosomin in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories from 1888 to 1898.
He was b ...
, politician
* Frederick Ralph Sharp (1915–1992), former Chief of the Defence Staff of the Canadian Forces
}
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force.
...
* Dave Tippett
David G. Tippett (born August 25, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey coach and player.
Tippett played in the NHL from 1983 to 1994 as a winger for the Hartford Whalers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Cap ...
(born 1961), ice hockey player and coach
See also
* List of population centres in Saskatchewan
A population centre, in Canadian census data, is a populated place, or a cluster of interrelated populated places, which meets the demographic characteristics of an urban area, having a population of at least 1,000 people and a population density ...
* List of communities in Saskatchewan
Communities in the Province of Saskatchewan, Canada include incorporated municipalities, unincorporated communities and First Nations communities.
Types of incorporated municipalities include urban municipalities, rural municipalities and nort ...
*List of place names in Canada of Indigenous origin
This list of place names in Canada of Indigenous origin contains Canadian places whose names originate from the words of the First Nations, Métis, or Inuit, collectively referred to as Indigenous Peoples. When possible the original word or phr ...
* List of towns in Saskatchewan
A town is a type of incorporated urban municipality in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. A resort village or a village can be incorporated as a town by the Minister of Municipal Affairs via section 52 of ''The Municipalities Act'' if:
*Reques ...
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Towns in Saskatchewan
Moosomin No. 121, Saskatchewan
Division No. 5, Saskatchewan
1882 establishments in Canada