Kamsack Explained

Official Name:Kamsack
Settlement Type:Town
Pushpin Map:Saskatchewan#Canada
Pushpin Label Position:left
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of Kamsack
Coordinates:51.565°N -101.8947°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Canada
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name1:Saskatchewan
Subdivision Type2:Region
Subdivision Type3:Census division
Subdivision Name3:9
Subdivision Type4:Rural Municipality
Subdivision Name4:Cote
Established Title:Post office established
Established Date:1888 (Assiniboia District)
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Nancy Brunt
Leader Title2:MLA Canora-Pelly
Leader Name2:Terry Dennis
Leader Title3:MP Yorkton—Melville
Leader Name3:Cathay Wagantall
Area Land Km2:5.85
Population Total:1898
Population As Of:2016
Population Density Km2:325.3
Timezone:CST
Utc Offset:−6
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:S0A 1S0
Area Code:306 / 639
Blank Name:Highways
Footnotes:[1] [2] [3]

Kamsack, Saskatchewan, Canada, is a town in the Assiniboine River Valley, where the Whitesand River joins the Assiniboine River. It is northeast of Yorkton. Highway 8 and Highway 5 intersect in the town.

Coté First Nation is 8km (05miles) north and Keeseekoose First Nation is north of Kamsack on Highway 8.

History

In 1904, land was surrendered from the Coté First Nation for the Canadian Northern Railway station and the town site of Kamsack.[4] Between 1905 and 1907 additional land was allocated, the northern sections of which were returned to Indian reserve status. In 1913 a further two-mile strip of land on the southern boundary was given, but returned in 1915 when it was identified the Coté people had lost too much of their best agricultural land. In 1963, further acres surrendered in 1905 were also reconstituted as reserve land. The interest in and surrender of land from the reserve's southern boundary—nearest the Kamsack town site—resulted partly from speculation of its value for settlement.

The lands around what is now Kamsack were settled in the 1880s by a handful of agricultural settlers. The farming area around Kamsack was well settled by 1905. These farms consisted of a variety of ethnic groups which are still present to this day: Doukhobors, Ukrainians, Europeans, Americans and Eastern Canadians were all among the early settlers to the area.

In 1903 the Canadian Northern Railway and Kamsack railway station were built which literally forced the birth of Kamsack. The town is served today by Via Rail's Winnipeg–Churchill train.

The name Kamsack came from an early post office of the same name, which was in one of the early settlers' homes. The name is derived from cr-Latn|kamesak kîkway|large, something large[5] compare the name of the Manitoba electoral district The Pas-Kameesak. In the 1900s, the Doukhobor village called Nadezhda (Russian: Надежда, 'Hope'), some 15 km to the northwest of Kamsack, was the site of the annual general meetings of the Doukhobor community of Saskatchewan. By around 1910, the meeting site has shifted to the village of Veregin, some 10 km west of Kamsack, where a permanent Doukhobor central office was established.

The first buildings were constructed in 1904 along the north side of the Canadian Northern Railway. These included a general store, drug store, pool room, hotel and post office. In the spring of 1905 the first school was opened in the Hallson building (named after a local businessman and town councillor). The village grew rapidly and by 1911 it had a population of over 500 people and was declared a town. The town continued to expand and by 1913 its property assessment totalled $1.2 million. In the summer of 1914 construction was started on the waterworks, sewage system and electric light plant. By 1921 the population was in excess of 2,000 people and the expansion of services continued to take place.

During the depression years Kamsack suffered, as did all communities during the period, and as a result the town's population dropped to 1,800 people. This exodus of people was small compared to many other communities and Kamsack survived. During the summer of 1944 Kamsack once again faced adversity when it was hit by a tornado that is now referred to as the "Kamsack Cyclone". The devastation involved 400 homes and 100 businesses and caused over $2 million damage. The rebuilding process began again with the help of the veterans returning from World War II. As it turned out, this period turned into the biggest building boom in the town's history.

This building period included business, public and residential sections of the town. Water and sewer systems were extended, streets were paved and cement sidewalks were built. The building boom continued right up to 1961 when the census showed 2,941 residents in the town. In the 1970s Kamsack saw its business district continue to grow with the arrival of the Royal Bank, the construction of the "Kamplex" (a dual purpose hockey and curling rink) and construction began on the new hospital.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Kamsack had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of 5.67km2, it had a population density of in 2021.[6]

Attractions

Education

The public schools in Kamsack are part of Good Spirit School Division. Victoria School offers Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 4 and Kamsack Comprehensive Institute offers grades 5 to 12.

Parkland Regional College offers post-secondary education, SIAST and general interest classes.[8]

Notable people

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: National Archives . Archivia Net . Post Offices and Postmasters . 2013-11-01 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20061006045957/http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/post-offices/001001-100.01-e.php . 2006-10-06 .
  2. Web site: Government of Saskatchewan . MRD Home . Municipal Directory System . 2013-11-01 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160115125115/http://www.mds.gov.sk.ca/apps/Pub/MDS/welcome.aspx . 2016-01-15 .
  3. Web site: Commissioner of Canada Elections . Chief Electoral Officer of Canada . Elections Canada On-line . 2005 . 2013-11-01 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070421084430/http://www.elections.ca/home.asp . 2007-04-21 .
  4. Web site: Cote First Nation, Land Issues . www.sicc.sk.ca . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160514023842/http://www.sicc.sk.ca/archive/saskindian/a72sep09.htm . 2016-05-14.
  5. Web site: Search results . 2024-02-15 . www.creedictionary.com.
  6. Web site: Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Saskatchewan . . February 9, 2022 . April 1, 2022.
  7. Web site: Kamsack Culture Days 2013.
  8. Web site: Town of Kamsack website. 2013-11-01.