Wakaw,

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 ...

, is a town 90 km (56 miles) northeast of

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

and 66 km (41 miles) south of Prince Albert. It is about halfway between the two cities and is served by Highway 2, Highway 41 and Highway 312. Wakaw is in hilly partially forested country east of the

South Saskatchewan River The South Saskatchewan River is a major river in Canada that flows through the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. For the first half of the 20th century, the South Saskatchewan would completely freeze over during winter, creating spectacular ...

. The area is part of the

aspen parkland Aspen parkland refers to a very large area of transitional biome between prairie and boreal forest in two sections, namely the Peace River Country of northwestern Alberta crossing the border into British Columbia, and a much larger area stretchi ...

biome. Wakaw is about 11 miles north of the town of Cudworth. Wakaw 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 "crooked". The name was taken from nearby

Wakaw Lake Wakaw Lake is a lake near Wakaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. It is located within a 1-hour drive to the north-east of the city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (102 kilometres), and 73 kilometres to the south of the city of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. It ...

and applied to the town.

History

The area was peopled primarily by settlers of

Eastern European Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whi ...

origin. The town was home to Prime Minister

John Diefenbaker John George Diefenbaker ( ; September 18, 1895 – August 16, 1979) was the 13th prime minister of Canada, serving from 1957 to 1963. He was the only Progressive Conservative party leader between 1930 and 1979 to lead the party to an electio ...

and his first wife

Edna Brower Edna May Diefenbaker (''née'' Brower; November 30, 1899 – February 7, 1951) was the first wife of the 13th Prime Minister of Canada, John Diefenbaker.Geoffrey Stevens, "The Chief's unknown and vivacious first love". ''The Globe and Mail'', Sept ...

. Diefenbaker opened his first law office in Wakaw from 1919 to 1925. Wakaw was founded on December 26, 1911 after 21 residents petitioned the Department of Municipal Affairs, asking for the incorporation of the Village of Wakaw. It was located on Section 30, Township 42, Range 26, west of the 2nd Meridian, land donated to the town by Anthony Goller who immigrated to Canada in 1902. When the railroad was built the town was moved to its present location. On August 1, 1953 Wakaw was incorporated as a town. The community recognized its 100th anniversary by holding Centennial Celebrations on July 21 to 31, 2011.''Wakaw Recorder'' There are about 800 cabins at nearby Wakaw Lake, some of which are occupied year round.

Demographics

In the

2021 Census of Population The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...

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 ...

, Wakaw 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.

Amenities

Businesses in Wakaw include grocery stores, a pharmacy, gas stations, restaurants, insurance agencies and six places of worship.

Notable people

Dave Balon David Alexander Balon (August 2, 1938 – May 29, 2007) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Balon played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League between 1959 and 1973 before multiple sclerosis led to his retirement. Playing ...

- professional ice hockey player and coach *

Harvey Cenaiko Harvey Cenaiko (born July 15, 1956 in Wakaw, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian former police officer and one-time Solicitor General and Minister of Public Safety for the Province of Alberta. Cenaiko was elected to his second term as Member of the Le ...

- former Solicitor General of Alberta and policeman * Tom Courchene - economist and professor; Officer of the Order of Canada *

- 13th Prime Minister of Canada *

James Latos James "Jim" Latos (born January 4, 1966 in Wakaw, Saskatchewan) is a former professional ice hockey coach and player. He coached the Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League from 2001-2003. Career statistics See also *List of players who pl ...

- professional ice hockey player for the New York Rangers and coach * Dave Michayluk - professional ice hockey player for the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins * Linden Vey - professional ice hockey player for the

ZSC Lions The Zürcher Schlittschuh Club Lions (ZSC Lions) are a professional ice hockey team located in Zürich, Switzerland, playing in the National League (NL). Their home arena is the 12,000-seat Swiss Life Arena. The team was founded in 1930 and playe ...

organization in the National League (NL); Olympic bronze medalist

PyeongChang 2018 , nations = 93 , athletes = 2,922 (1,680 men and 1,242 women) , events = 102 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = , closing = , opened_by = President Moon Jae-in , cauldron = Kim Yun-a , stadium = Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium , wi ...

References

External links

* * * {{Authority control Towns in Saskatchewan Populated places established in 1911 1911 establishments in Saskatchewan Hoodoo No. 401, Saskatchewan Fish Creek No. 402, Saskatchewan Division No. 15, Saskatchewan