Weyburn is the eleventh-largest city in
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a province in 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 the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dak ...
, Canada. The city has a population of 10,870. It is on the
Souris River
The Souris River (; french: rivière Souris) or Mouse River (as it is alternatively known in the U.S., a calque of its French name) is a river in central North America. It is about in length and drains about . It rises in the Yellow Grass Mars ...
southeast of the provincial capital of
Regina and is north from the
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, So ...
border in the United States. 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. 67
The Rural Municipality of Weyburn No. 67 (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 within Div ...
.
History
The
Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) reached the future site of Weyburn from
Brandon, Manitoba in 1892 and the
Soo Line from
North Portal 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. In 1899, Knox Presbyterian Church was founded with its building constructed in 1906 in the high-pitched gable roof and arches, standing as a testimony to the faith and optimism in the Weyburn area. Weyburn was legally constituted a village in 1900, a town in 1903 and finally as a city in 1913.
From 1910 until 1931 the
Weyburn Security Bank
The Weyburn Security Bank was a chartered bank headquartered in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada. The bank was established by a group of American investors as a private bank in 1910, by 1911 the bank had advanced to the point where it obtained a Can ...
was headquartered in the city.
Weyburn had since become an important railroad town in Saskatchewan – the Pasqua branch of the Souris, Arcola, Weyburn, Regina CPR branch; Portal Section of the CPR / Soo Line; Moose Jaw, Weyburn, Shaunavon, Lethbridge CPR section; the Brandon, Marfield, Carlyle, Lampman, Radville, Willow Bunch section of the
Canadian National Railway (CNR); and the Regina, Weyburn, Radville, Estevan, Northgate CNR section have all run through Weyburn.
Weyburn was previously home to the
Souris Valley Mental Health Hospital
Souris Valley Mental Health Hospital also called the Souris Valley Extended Care Centre was a public hospital in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. Originally called the Saskatchewan Hospital when opened in 1921, it was the largest building in The British C ...
, which was closed as a health care facility and sold in 2006, and demolished in 2009. When the mental hospital opened in 1921, it was the largest building in the British Commonwealth and was considered to be 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
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, Weyburn 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.
Geography and climate
Weyburn is situated near the upper delta of the long
Souris River
The Souris River (; french: rivière Souris) or Mouse River (as it is alternatively known in the U.S., a calque of its French name) is a river in central North America. It is about in length and drains about . It rises in the Yellow Grass Mars ...
. The Souris River continues southeast through
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, So ...
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 and 1995, the Rafferty-Alameda Project was constructed to alleviate spring flooding problems created by the Souris River.
Climate
Weyburn has 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 ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
''Dfb'') typical of Southern Saskatchewan.
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 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 under Saskatchewan's
Heritage Property Act.
Weyburn is also home to the world's first
curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules, and shuffleboard. Two teams, each with four players, take turns slidi ...
museum, the Turner Curling Museum.
Education
Elementary and secondary
The
public school
Public school may refer to:
* State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government
* Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England an ...
system, South East Cornerstone School Division No. 209, operates the following schools.
* Assiniboia Park Elementary School
* Legacy Park Elementary School
* Weyburn Comprehensive High School
* Haig School (now closed)
* Queen Elizabeth School (now closed)
* Souris School (now closed)
It also operated Weyburn Junior High School from 1966 to 2016, which was closed in favour of relocating students to Weyburn Comprehensive High School.
Haig School, Queen Elizabeth School, and Souris School are being closed in favour of relocating students to Legacy Park Elementary School in September 2021.
The
separate school system, Holy Family Roman Catholic Separate School Division No. 140, operates
St. Michael School.
Post-secondary
Southeast College offers technical, trade and non-degree programs, as well as
distance learning
Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at a school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance. Traditionally, this usually in ...
from the
University of Regina
The University of Regina is a public university, 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 Unive ...
and
University of Saskatchewan
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...
.
Other
The Weyburn Public Library is a branch of the Southeast Regional Library system.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Weyburn is at the junction of highways
13,
35 and
39. The
Weyburn Airport is northeast of the city.
Utilities
Electricity is provided by
SaskPower
Saskatchewan Power Corporation, operating as SaskPower, is the principal electric utility in Saskatchewan, Canada. Established in 1929 by the provincial government, it serves more than 538,000 customers and manages over $11.8 billion in assets. Sa ...
and natural gas is provided by
SaskEnergy
SaskEnergy Incorporated is a Crown corporation of the Saskatchewan government which delivers natural gas to 93% of the communities in the province. The company owns 70,000 kilometres of distribution pipelines, 15,000 kilometres of transmission pi ...
. The city maintains its own water treatment plant and
waste management
Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal.
This includes the collection, transport, treatment and disposal of waste, together with monitorin ...
system. Telephone and internet services are provided by both
SaskTel
Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corporation, operating as SaskTel, is a Canadian crown-owned telecommunications firm based in the province of Saskatchewan. Owned by the provincial government, it provides wireline and wireless communicat ...
and
Access Communications
Access Communications is a Canadian telecommunications service provider operating in over 235 communities in Saskatchewan. Headquartered in Regina, the co-operative provides internet, cable television, telephone and security services to reside ...
.
Health care
The Weyburn General Hospital is operated by the SunCountry Health Region.
Public safety
The Weyburn Police Service and local RCMP detachment provide
law enforcement
Law enforcement is the activity of some members of government who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules
Rule or ruling may refer to:
Education ...
for the city.
Fire protection
Fire protection is the study and practice of mitigating the unwanted effects of potentially destructive fires. It involves the study of the behaviour, compartmentalisation, suppression and investigation of fire and its related emergencies, as we ...
services are provided by the Weyburn Fire Department.
Sports and recreation
Weyburn is the home of the
Weyburn Red Wings
The Weyburn Red Wings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Weyburn, Saskatchewan playing in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL). They play their home games at the Crescent Point Place, which has a seating capacity of 1,750. ...
of the
Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) and the Weyburn Beavers of the
Western Canadian Baseball League
The Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) is a collegiate summer baseball league based in Saskatchewan and Alberta that descends from leagues dating to 1931.
History
The league can trace its roots back to 1931, via its predecessors. The Sout ...
, a collegiate summer baseball league in Canada's prairie provinces. In addition, Weyburn is home to Saskatchewan's largest amateur wrestling club.
Local media
*
Golden West Broadcasting operates three
radio station
Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radi ...
s that serve Weyburn and the surrounding area; full service country station
CFSL 1190 AM,
hot adult contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet ...
station
CKRC-FM
CKRC-FM is a radio station in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada that operates at 103.5 FM. CKRC broadcasts a hot adult contemporary format branded as ''Magic 103''.
Owned by Golden West Broadcasting, it shares studios with CFSL and CHWY-FM at 305 ...
103.5, and
mainstream rock
Mainstream rock (also known as heritage rock) is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.
Format background
Mainstream rock stations represent the middle ground between classic rock and active rock ...
station
CHWY-FM 106.7. All three stations, and the cluster's news website ''Discover Weyburn'', are based out of studios on 305 Souris Avenue in downtown Weyburn.
*
Glacier Media Group
Glacier Media is a Canadian business information and media products company. It provides news, market information and sector-specific data within North America and internationally.
Glacier is headquartered in Vancouver. Its primary operations a ...
publishes three newspapers for Weyburn and area: the ''Weyburn Review'', ''Weyburn and Area Booster'', and ''Weyburn This Week''.
Notable people
*
Tenille Arts
Tenille Jade Dakota Arts (born April 19, 1994) is a Canadian country music singer from Weyburn, Saskatchewan. She released a self-titled extended play and her debut studio album '' Rebel Child'' with 19th & Grand Records before signing a joint ...
- country music singer
*
Pat Binns
Patrick George Binns (born October 8, 1948), is a Canadian diplomat, the 30th premier of Prince Edward Island from 1996 to 2007 and Canadian Ambassador to Ireland from 2007 to 2010.
Binns has a long history of public service, most notably being ...
- former premier of
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...
*
Neil Cameron - politician, academic, journalist
*
Graham DeLaet
Graham DeLaet (born 22 January 1982) is a Canadian professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour. He has also worked as a broadcaster for TSN.
Early life
DeLaet was born in Weyburn, Saskatchewan and grew up there and in Moose Jaw. He attended ...
- professional golfer
*
Shirley Douglas
Shirley Jean Douglas (April 2, 1934 – April 5, 2020) was a Canadian actress and activist. Her acting career combined with her family name made her recognizable in Canadian film, television and national politics.
Early life
Douglas was born A ...
- actress
*
Tommy Douglas
Thomas Clement Douglas (20 October 1904 – 24 February 1986) was a Scottish-born Canadian politician who served as seventh premier of Saskatchewan from 1944 to 1961 and Leader of the New Democratic Party from 1961 to 1971. A Baptist min ...
- politician, recipient of
The Greatest Canadian
''The Greatest Canadian'' is a 2004 television series consisting of 13 episodes produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) to determine who is considered to be the greatest Canadian of all time, according to those who watched and p ...
award in 2004
*
Larry Giroux
Lawrence Douglas Giroux (born August 28, 1951) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman.
Born in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Giroux started his National Hockey League career with the St. Louis Blues in 1974. He also played for the Kans ...
, played in the
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
for the
Detroit Red Wings,
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut. The club played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1972 until 1979, and in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1979 to ...
,
Kansas City Scouts
The Kansas City Scouts were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1974 to 1976. In 1976, the franchise relocated to Denver, and became the Colorado Rockies. In 1982, the Rockies relocated to New Jersey where ...
, and
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the ...
*
Eric Grimson - former Chancellor of the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...
*
Brett Jones - professional football player
*
Guy Gavriel Kay
Guy Gavriel Kay (born November 7, 1954) is a Canadian writer of fantasy fiction. The majority of his novels take place in fictional settings that resemble real places during real historical periods, such as Constantinople during the reign of Jus ...
- writer
*
Trenna Keating
Trenna Keating (born January 23, 1987) is a Canadians, Canadian actress known for her recurring role as Doc Yewll in ''Defiance (TV series), Defiance'' between 2013 and 2015.
Early life
Trenna Keating was born and grew up in Weyburn, Saskatchew ...
– actress
*
Brendon LaBatte
Brendon LaBatte (born September 12, 1986) is a Canadian football guard with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted sixth overall by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 2008 CFL Draft. He played CIS Football with t ...
- professional football player
*
W. O. Mitchell
William Ormond Mitchell, (March 13, 1914 – February 25, 1998) was a Canadian writer and broadcaster. His "best-loved" novel is '' Who Has Seen the Wind'' (1947), which portrays life on the Canadian Prairies from the point of view of a smal ...
- writer
*
Humphry Osmond
Humphry Fortescue Osmond (1 July 1917 – 6 February 2004) was an English psychiatrist who expatriated to Canada, then moved to work in the United States. He is known for inventing the word ''psychedelic'' and for his research into interesting a ...
- medical researcher
*
Derrick Pouliot
Derrick Pouliot (born January 16, 1994) is a Canadians, Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the San Jose Barracuda in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). H ...
- professional hockey player
*
John Saywell
John Tupper (Jack) Saywell (April 3, 1929 – 20 April 2011) was a Canadian historian specializing in the fields of politics and constitution.
Early life and education
John Tupper Saywell was born on April 3, 1929, to parents John Ferdinand Tupper ...
- Canadian historian
*
Dave "Tiger" Williams - former professional hockey player
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
1898 establishments in Saskatchewan
Cities in Saskatchewan
Division No. 2, Saskatchewan
Populated places established in 1898