Plenty ( 2016 population: ) is a

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

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 Winslow No. 319 and Census Division No. 13. Plenty is located equidistant among

Kindersley Kindersley is a town surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Kindersley No. 290 in west-central Saskatchewan, Canada. It is located along Highway 7, a primary highway linking Calgary, Alberta and Saskatoon, at its junction with Highway 21. ...

, Biggar, Kerrobert, and Rosetown and approximately southwest of the city 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 ...

History

Plenty incorporated as a village on March 25, 1911. The

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway () , 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 Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...

(CPR) chose the name "Plenty". As the railroad was being laid, the future town site and surrounding areas were the first fields on the line that produced good crops, thus appearing to be "the Land of Plenty", and the town received its name from this inspiration. Approximately north of Plenty is the Moore's Ravine Municipal Heritage Site (Richard's Pasture) made up of approximately designated on which are located several Aboriginal heritage sites including two turtle effigies, the Plenty Medicine Wheel, and test pits where archaeological digs have revealed hundreds of scattered buffalo bones. This site is on private land. East of Plenty by is Opuntia Lake. It is a stopping place for birds and wildlife and covers approximately . In the 1950s, the area surrounding the lake was made a game preserve to regulate hunting. Opuntia Lake is strategically situated in the major goose fall staging area of

Western Canada Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West, or Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a list of regions of Canada, Canadian region that includes the four western provinces and t ...

, is a very important staging area for waterfowl. Estimated maximum fall concentrations include 15,000 to 20,000 geese (Canada, white-fronted, snow and Ross' geese), up to 30,000 ducks (mainly mallard, pintail, and assorted divers), 2,000 sandhill cranes, and 500 tundra swans. The lake supports only a small number of breeding and moulting dabblers and divers. During the 1950s, a program of tree planting occurred at the lake along with the construction of baseball diamonds and a boat house. For several years the Plenty Sports Day was held at the lake. Several attempts were made to stock the lake with fish but the lakes salinity and fluctuating levels brought an end to this project and the use of the site for the sports day. In the mid 1970s, a dirt and stock car track was built near the gravel pits at the lake. Although the track was completed, races were never held.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population 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 ...

, Plenty 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 Plenty 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.

Economy

The economy of Plenty, Saskatchewan, is predominantly driven by agriculture, with additional contributions from oil and gas activities to the west and south of the town. This agricultural base is common throughout the region, which is part of Saskatchewan’s broader agricultural economy. Oil and gas exploration in the surrounding areas also play a supplementary role in supporting the local economy.

Education

Plenty is located within the Sun West School Division. North West Central School, a

Kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

to grade 12 school, services the surrounding communities of Kelfield, Ruthilda, and

Stranraer Stranraer ( , in Scotland also ; ), also known as The Toon or The Cleyhole, is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, on Loch Ryan and the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland. Stranraer is Dumfries ...

and provides high school services for the community of Dodsland.http://www.sunwestsd.ca/plenty/ North West Central School website

Notable people

* Brad McCrimmon (1959–2011), former captain of the NHL's

Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The ...

and winner of the

Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...

with the Flames in 1989 * Kelly McCrimmon, former player, coach and General Manager of the

Brandon Wheat Kings The Brandon Wheat Kings are a Canadians, Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba. Founded in 1936, the team was for three decades a successful junior team playing principally in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. The Whe ...

and General Manager of the

Vegas Golden Knights The Vegas Golden Knights are a professional ice hockey team based in the Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Golden Knights compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division ...

* Don Saxton who was part of Canada's National Volleyball team for eight years and competed for Canada at the 1983 World Student Games and the 1984 Olympic Games * Jaycee Gebhard, Brynäs IF forward and first-ever draft pick of the NWHL's Toronto Six

References