Wakaw
Town in Saskatchewan, Canada
Wakaw, Saskatchewan, is a town 90 kilometres (56 mi) northeast of Saskatoon and 66 kilometres (41 mi) 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 area is part of the aspen parkland biome.
Wakaw is a Cree word meaning "crooked". The name was taken from nearby Wakaw Lake and applied to the town.
01History
The area was peopled primarily by settlers of Eastern European origin. The town was home to Prime Minister John Diefenbaker and his first wife Edna Brower. Diefenbaker opened his first law office in Wakaw from 1919 to 1925.
Wakaw was founded on 26 December 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 1 August 1953 Wakaw was incorporated as a town.
The community recognized its 100th anniversary by holding Centennial Celebrations on 21 to 31 July 2011.
There are about 800 cabins at nearby Wakaw Lake, some of which are occupied year round.
02Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Wakaw had a population of 978 living in 421 of its 496 total private dwellings, a change of 6.1% from its 2016 population of 922. With a land area of 3.09 km2 (1.19 sq mi), it had a population density of 316.5/km2 (819.7/sq mi) in 2021.
Canada census, Wakaw community profile| 2011 | |
|---|---|
| Population | 985 (+14.0% from 2006) |
| Land area | 3.12 km2 (1.20 sq mi) |
| Population density | 315.9/km2 (818/sq mi) |
| Median age | 49.5 (M: 48.2, F: 51.1) |
| Private dwellings | 473 (total) |
| Median household income |
03Amenities
Businesses in Wakaw include grocery stores, a pharmacy, restaurants, insurance agencies, and six places of worship. Outside of town limits, at the conjunction of Highway 2 and Highway 41, there are two gas stations and restaurants. Wakaw also contains some more unique retail locations, including a vodka distillery and several boutiques serving the community and the nearby Wakaw Lake.
Wakaw contains three parks, including an outdoor waterpark that is operational in the summer months.
The town's school, Wakaw School, teaches students from pre-kindergarten through grade twelve.
04Notable people
- Dave Balon - professional ice hockey player and coach
- Harvey Cenaiko - former Solicitor General of Alberta and policeman
- Tom Courchene - economist and professor; Officer of the Order of Canada
- John Diefenbaker - 13th Prime Minister of Canada
- James Latos - professional ice hockey player for the New York Rangers and coach
- Nancy Martin - Canadian curler
- Dave Michayluk - professional ice hockey player for the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins
- Linden Vey - professional ice hockey player for the ZSC Lions organization in the National League (NL); Olympic bronze medalist PyeongChang 2018
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Wakaw”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Wakaw Saskatchewan Elevators 2010.jpg by Canadian2006, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dief shack.jpg by Wehwalt, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 4 Photos from Canada from Roger Puta (27480781006).jpg by railfan 44, Public domain
- Wakaw Saskatchewan Business District 2010.jpg by Canadian2006, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wakaw Post Office.jpg by Trekphiler, CC BY-SA 4.0
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