Beechy ( /Https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/search-recherche/productresults-resultatsproduits-eng.cfm%3FLang=E&GEOCODE=2021A00054707062 2016 population ) is a village in the

Canadian province Canada has ten provinces and three territories that are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Constitution of Canada, Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North Amer ...

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

within the Rural Municipality of Victory No. 226 and Census Division No. 7. The village is located in the Coteau Hills region of the province, at the intersection of Highway 342 and Highway 737. As of

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

, the village's population is 243 (down from the 2001 population of 295).

History

The Beechy area was first settled by ranchers early in the 20th century, with Robert Cruikshank acknowledged as the first settler in the area. Starting in the 1910s, the large-scale immigration of Europeans to the Canadian prairies resulted in an increase in population for Beechy as well, attracting settlers who started ranching and farming in the area, which remains Beechy's primary activity today. In 1919 the

Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company () is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN is Canada's largest railway, in terms of both revenue a ...

surveyed the Beechy area and determined it to be an ideal place for a marketplace. Work on the railroad was begun; news of the future railroad stop attracted merchants. The train first arrived on December 21, 1921. The growth in population brought other much-needed services to this rural community, the first grain elevator was constructed in 1922. Beechy incorporated as a village on May 11, 1925.

Climate

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; ), 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 culture. It is headquartered in ...

, Beechy 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. In the 2016 Census of Population, the Village of Beechy recorded a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change from its 2011 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2016.

Recreation

One of the first baseball teams in the area was formed in Beechy in 1911. Baseball is still played in the village today by the Beechy Breakers. Beechy's first organized hockey team played during the winter of 1935–1936. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, those Beechy residents who served overseas, which included the entire hockey team, returned to Beechy and created the Beechy Bombers hockey team. The first skating rink was built in 1952. The first agricultural fair was held in the area in 1922. The agricultural society was organized in 1936 and granted its charter in 1945. The first racetrack was built in 1948, and the following year the first harness races were held. The community hall was built in 2000, replacing the much older Legion Hall which was demolished and replaced with a monument. The biggest event in Beechy is the Beechy Western Days rodeo, first held in 1968.

Sand Castles and Sunken Hill

The Sand Castles and Sunken Hill formations are south-west of Beechy, north of

Lake Diefenbaker Lake Diefenbaker is a reservoir and bifurcation lake in the southern part of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was formed by the construction of the Gardiner Dam and the Qu'Appelle River Dam across ...

. The scenic giant Sand Castles were formed due to many years of wind and rain erosion. The Sunken Hill was formed from the sudden collapse of a subterranean

natural gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...

pocket. The formations, which are on private land, were closed to the public in 2019 due to "increasing visitation and associated risks".

Health care

Originally, Beechy's health services consisted of just one medical practitioner, and the "hospital" was based out of a private residence, with extra rooms built on for wards. This hospital was used until 1966, when the Beechy Union Hospital was opened. In 1991, the Beechy Union Hospital was closed by the provincial government and the building now serves as a clinic.

Education

Schoolchildren in the RM of Victory No. 226 are bussed to Beechy for their education.

Notable residents

* Elwin Hermanson - politician; represented Beechy on the federal level as the Member of Parliament for

Kindersley—Lloydminster Kindersley—Lloydminster was a federal electoral district in Saskatchewan, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1979 to 1997. This riding was created in 1976 from parts of Battleford—Kindersley, Moose Jaw, Sas ...

; Reform Party House Leader; then represented the area provincially, becoming the first leader of the

Saskatchewan Party The Saskatchewan Party (SP or Sask Party) is a conservative political party in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The party was founded in 1997 by a coalition of former provincial Progressive Conservative ...

and Leader of the Opposition until 2003 when he relinquished the leadership * Herbert J. Swan - politician; former Speaker of the

Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan The Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan () is the legislative chamber of the Saskatchewan Legislature in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. Bills passed by the assembly are given royal assent by the lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan, in the ...

References

External links

* Villages in Saskatchewan Victory No. 226, Saskatchewan Division No. 7, Saskatchewan {{coord, 50, 53, 00, N, 107, 23, 00, W, region:CA-SK_type:city, display=title