Nipawin () is a town in
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...
, Canada, on the
Saskatchewan River
The Saskatchewan River (Cree: ''kisiskāciwani-sīpiy'', "swift flowing river") is a major river in Canada. It stretches about from where it is formed by the joining together of the North Saskatchewan and South Saskatchewan Rivers to Lake Winn ...
portion of
Tobin Lake
Tobin Lake is a reservoir along the course of the Saskatchewan River in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Tobin Lake was formed by the building of the E.B. Campbell Dam on the Saskatchewan River in 1963. The dam was originally named '' ...
. The town lies between Codette Lake, created by the
Francois-Finlay Dam (built in 1986) and
Tobin Lake
Tobin Lake is a reservoir along the course of the Saskatchewan River in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Tobin Lake was formed by the building of the E.B. Campbell Dam on the Saskatchewan River in 1963. The dam was originally named '' ...
, created by the
E.B. Campbell Dam built in 1963, renamed from Squaw Rapids. The construction of Francois-Finlay Dam earned Nipawin the
nickname
A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...
the "Town of Two Lakes".
Nipawin is bordered by the
Rural Municipality of Nipawin No. 487 and the
Rural Municipality of Torch River No. 488
The Rural Municipality of Torch River No. 488 (Canada 2016 Census, 2016 population: ) is a List of rural municipalities in Saskatchewan, rural municipality (RM) in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan withi ...
(the latter across the Saskatchewan River).
Highway 35
The following highways are numbered 35:
International
* European route E35
Canada
* Alberta Highway 35
* British Columbia Highway 35
* Ontario Highway 35
* Quebec Autoroute 35
*Saskatchewan Highway 35
China
* G35 Expressway
Costa Rica
* N ...
and
Highway 55
The following highways are numbered 55:
International
* European route E55
* Arab Mashreq route M55
Argentina
* San Luis Provincial Route 55
Australia
* Carnarvon Highway
* Castlereagh Highway
* Karoonda Highway
Belgium
* N55 road (Belgiu ...
intersect in Nipawin. The
Nipawin Airport
Nipawin Airport is located south of Nipawin, Saskatchewan, Canada.
See also
* Nipawin Water Aerodrome
* List of airports in Saskatchewan
References
External linksNipawin Municipal Airporton COPA
Copa or COPA may refer to:
COPA
COPA ...
and the
Nipawin Water Aerodrome
Nipawin Water Aerodrome is located north of Nipawin, Saskatchewan, Canada.
See also
* Nipawin Airport
* List of airports in Saskatchewan
* List of defunct airports in Canada
This is an alphabetical list of abandoned airports in Canada th ...
also serve the community.
Nipawin is a
Cree
The Cree ( cr, néhinaw, script=Latn, , etc.; french: link=no, Cri) are a Indigenous peoples of the Americas, North American Indigenous people. They live primarily in Canada, where they form one of the country's largest First Nations in Canada ...
word meaning "a bed, or resting place" which referred to a low-lying area along the river now flooded by Codette Lake where
First Nations
First Nations or first peoples may refer to:
* Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area.
Indigenous groups
*First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including:
**First Natio ...
women and children would camp and wait for the men to arrive.
History
The first permanent settlement of Nipawin occurred in 1910 with the establishment of a trading post. In 1924 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 ...
passed nearby over the
Crooked Bridge
The Old Nipawin Bridge is a railway bridge that spans the Saskatchewan River just north of Nipawin, Saskatchewan. It was originally built by the Canadian Pacific Railway. The 'Old Bridge' is a double-deck bridge with the top deck carrying the Tor ...
, and the settlement was moved, building by building, to its current location to be closer to the railway.
Fur trade
There were a number of fur trading posts in the area, but they are poorly documented. In 1763
Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon. By the time of his death, 14 years later, he ...
reached the area from
York Factory
York Factory was a settlement and Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) factory (trading post) located on the southwestern shore of Hudson Bay in northeastern Manitoba, Canada, at the mouth of the Hayes River, approximately south-southeast of Churchill. Yo ...
. In 1768 James Finlay from Montreal built a post. François le Blanc, apparently the man known as "Saswe", had a post by that year or the next. In 1790 William Thorburn built here and next year moved to
Hungry Hall Hungry Hall was the name of two unrelated Canadian trading posts.
1. Saskatchewan River (NWC,1791): In 1790 William Thorburn of the North West Company built a post on the right bank of the Saskatchewan River near Nipawin, Saskatchewan to cut off th ...
. In 1795 there were two posts, one run by A. N McLeod for the
North West Company
The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what is present-day Western Canada and Northwestern Ontario. With great weal ...
and another run by James Porter working for David Grant.
Recent history
On April 18, 2008, a downtown meat shop exploded, destroying three buildings as well as damaging several more. The explosion killed two and injured five. The explosion is suspected to have been caused by a backhoe that snagged and sheared a natural gas riser from the main line. The explosion prompted the implementation of a state of emergency by the mayor. The explosion received extensive national news coverage.
[
]
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 ...
, Nipawin 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
Nipawin Experiences a Humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
(Koppen Koppen is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Dan Koppen (born 1979), American football offensive lineman
* Erwin Koppen (1929–1990), German literary scholar
* Luise Koppen (1855–1922), German author
* Wladimir Köppen (1846 ...
: Dfb) bordering on a subarctic climate
The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of an ocean, ge ...
(Dfc), with long, extremely cold winters and short, warm summers. The highest temperature ever recorded in Nipawin was on 19 July 1941. The coldest temperature ever recorded was on 8 January 1930.
Economy
Nipawin is near the Fort à la Corne Provincial Forest, location of the world's largest diamond bearing kimberlite
Kimberlite is an igneous rock and a rare variant of peridotite. It is most commonly known to be the main host matrix for diamonds. It is named after the town of Kimberley in South Africa, where the discovery of an diamond called the Star of ...
s and intensive diamond exploration activity. Other industries in the area include: agriculture, tourism, canola oil
Close-up of canola blooms
Canola flower
Rapeseed oil is one of the oldest known vegetable oils. There are both edible and industrial forms produced from rapeseed, the seed of several cultivars of the plant family Brassicaceae. Historically, i ...
processing, honey production, forestry, and commercialization of second-generation biofuels.
Attractions
This resort community has become a destination for fishing, camping, boating, golfing, hunting and outdoor recreation.
*Nipawin hosts several annual fishing events, including, the Great Northern Pike
The northern pike (''Esox lucius'') is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus '' Esox'' (the pikes). They are typical of brackish and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere (''i.e.'' holarctic in distribution). They are known simply as a ...
Festival, a summer-long event offering prizes for catching tagged fish. Other annual fishing events are the Codette Walleye tournament, Ladies Fish for Freedom tournament, Premier's Walleye Cup tournament, and the Vanity Cup Walleye tournament running the last weekend in September and the first week in October.
*The name Nipawin was also given to Nipawin Regional Park
The Rural Municipality of Nipawin No. 487 ( 2016 population: ) is a rural municipality (RM) in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within Census Division No. 14 and Division No. 4.
History
The RM of Nipawin No. 487 incorporated as a ru ...
, a large recreational area a few kilometres northwest of the town.
*Nipawin is also home to a beautifully landscaped 18-hole golf course. It has been rated as one of the top 100 public courses in Canada and one of the top five in Saskatchewan. Annual events held at the Evergreen Golf Club are Bob Dow Memorial Golf Tournament and the Evergreen Classic Golf Tournament along with many other tournaments throughout the golf season.
*Nipawin is located along the Trans-Canada Snowmobile Trail. There are many other groomed trails that run around Nipawin along with snowmobile rallies.
Sports
*Curling is also found in Nipawin for the young and old. Nipawin hosts the Ladies, Men's and Seniors Bonspiels and the Evergreen Curling Classic.
*The town is home to the Nipawin Hawks
The Nipawin Hawks are a Canadian junior "A" team based in Nipawin, Saskatchewan. They are members of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL). They play their home games at the Centennial Arena, which has a seating capacity of 1,500. The t ...
of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan and one of nine member leagues of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
Open to North American-born players 20 years of ...
.
Education
Nipawin has three public schools: Central Park Elementary School, Wagner Elementary School, and L.P. Miller Comprehensive School.
The town is home to the Nipawin Campus of Cumberland College with 360 students and Nipawin Bible College
Nipawin Bible College is an evangelical interdenominational training school on a site just south of Nipawin, Saskatchewan. The college is affiliated with the Canadian Council of Christian Charities, the Saskatchewan Association of Theological C ...
with 48 students.
Notable residents
*Sharon Butala
Sharon Butala (born Sharon Annette LeBlanc, 1940 in Nipawin, Saskatchewan) is a Canadians, Canadian writer and novelist.
Life
Butala was born in an outpost hospital in Nipawin, Saskatchewan. She was the second of five daughters born to Amy Graham ...
, novelist
*Dane Byers
Dane Byers (born February 21, 1986) is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player. He last played for and captained Manchester Storm of the UK's EIHL. He was originally drafted by the New York Rangers 48th overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draf ...
, NHL hockey player
*Lyndon Byers
Lyndon Svi Byers (born February 29, 1964) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Byers played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for parts of ten seasons with the Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks, earning a reputation as one of the ...
, retired NHL player for the Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
*Greg Classen
Gregory Classen (born August 24, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre.
Playing career
Classen played four seasons of junior hockey for the Nipawin Hawks of the SJHL. He then went on to play two seasons of hockey at Merrima ...
, retired hockey player who played 82 games in the NHL for the Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...
* James Archibald Kiteley, provincial politician
*Arthur McKay
Arthur Fortescue McKay, best known as Art McKay (September 11, 1926 – August 3, 2000) was a Canadian painter and a member of The Regina Five. Many of his works are modernist abstractions.
Early life and education
McKay was born in Nipawin, ...
, painter and professor
*Dave Pagan
David Percy Pagan (born September 15, 1949) is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of five seasons in Major League Baseball from 1973 until 1977, and was a member of the Seattle Mariners' 1977 inaugural season roster.
...
, professional baseball pitcher
See also
*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 phra ...
References
External links
*
{{Coord, 53, 21, 26, N, 104, 01, 09, W, region:CA_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki, display=title
Towns in Saskatchewan
Hudson's Bay Company trading posts
Pedlars (fur trade)
Populated places established in 1910
1910 establishments in Saskatchewan
Division No. 14, Saskatchewan
Populated places on the Saskatchewan River