Weyburn is the tenth-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. The city has a population of 11,019.[1] It is on the Souris River 110 kilometres (68 mi) southeast of the provincial capital of Regina and is 70 kilometres (43 mi) north from the North Dakota border in the United States. The name is reputedly a corruption of the Scottish "wee burn," referring to a small creek.[2] The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Weyburn No. 67.
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.[3] From 1910 until 1931 the Weyburn Security Bank was headquartered in the city.[4]
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.[5][6]
Weyburn was previously home to the Souris Valley Mental Health Hospital, 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.[7]
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Weyburn had a population of 11,019 living in 4,655 of its 5,142 total private dwellings, a change of 1.4% from its 2016 population of 10,870. With a land area of 19.03 km2 (7.35 sq mi), it had a population density of 579.0/km2 (1,499.7/sq mi) in 2021.[8]
Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses
Geography and climate
Weyburn is situated near the upper delta of the 700 kilometres (430 mi) long Souris River. The Souris River continues southeast through North Dakota eventually meeting the Assiniboine River in Manitoba.[17] 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.[18] Between 1988 and 1995, the Rafferty-Alameda Project was constructed to alleviate spring flooding problems created by the Souris River.[19]
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.[25]
Culture
The Soo Line Historical Museum (c. 1910) is a Municipal Heritage Property under Saskatchewan's Heritage Property Act.[26]
Weyburn is also home to the world's first curling museum, the Turner Curling Museum.[27]
Education
Elementary and secondary
The public school 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.[28]
Haig School, Queen Elizabeth School, and Souris School are being closed in favour of relocating students to Legacy Park Elementary School in September 2021.[29]
The Weyburn Public Library is a branch of the Southeast Regional Library system.[30]
Infrastructure
The 90-foot water tower is one of only four of this type in Saskatchewan. It was in service from 1910 to 1977.[31] It stands on Signal Hill in Weyburn, which is still an important site for telecommunications towers and once had the tallest tower in Western Canada.
Transportation
Weyburn is at the junction of highways 13, 35, and 39. The Weyburn Airport is northeast of the city.
The Weyburn General Hospital is operated by the SunCountry Health Region.[34]
Public safety
The Weyburn Police Service and local RCMP detachment provide law enforcement for the city.[35]Fire protection services are provided by the Weyburn Fire Department.[36]
.jpg)
