| Kenaston | |
| Official Name: | Village of Kenaston |
| Settlement Type: | Village |
| Motto: | Heritage, Spirit, Vision |
| Pushpin Map: | Saskatchewan#Canada |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of Kenaston in Saskatchewan |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Provinces and territories of Canada |
| Subdivision Type2: | Region |
| Subdivision Type3: | Census division |
| Subdivision Type4: | Rural Municipality |
| Subdivision Name: |  Canada |
| Subdivision Name3: | 11 |
| Subdivision Name4: | McCraney No. 282 |
| Government Type: | Municipal |
| Leader Title: | Governing body |
| Leader Name: | Kenaston Village Council |
| Leader Name1: | Dallas Lowdermilk |
| Leader Title2: | Administrator |
| Leader Name2: | Carman Fowler |
| Leader Title3: | MLA - Arm River-Watrous |
| Established Title: | Settled |
| Established Date: | 1902 |
| Established Title2: | Bonnington, NWT Post Office Founded |
| Established Date2: | October 1, 1904 |
| Established Title3: | Kenaston, SK Post office Founded |
| Established Date3: | January 1, 1906 |
| Established Title4: | Incorporated (Village) |
| Area Land Km2: | 1.17 |
| Population As Of: | 2016 |
| Population Total: | 282 |
| Population Density Km2: | 240.9 |
| Timezone Dst: | CST |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -6 |
| Coordinates: | 51.5°N -123°W |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | S0G 2N0 |
| Blank Name: | Highways |
| Blank1 Name: | Railways |
| Blank1 Info: | Canadian National Railway Last Mountain Railway |
Kenaston (2016 population:) is a village in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within the Rural Municipality of McCraney No. 282 and Census Division No. 11. Kenaston is located on Highway 11 (Louis Riel Trail) at the junction of Highway 15 and is also near Highway 19. This is a scenic area of Saskatchewan situated within the rolling Allan Hills. Kenaston is located between Danielson Provincial Park and Blackstrap Provincial Park.
First known as Bonnington Springs in the District of Assiniboia in the Northwest Territories, the settlement was usually referred to as "Bonnington". In late 1905, when Saskatchewan became a province, the name was changed to "Kenaston", honouring F. E. Kenaston, who was the Vice President of the Saskatchewan Valley Land Company.[1] The railroad reached Bonnington in late 1889, but there is no record of any permanent residents until 1902. In that year the Saskatchewan Valley Land Company was formed made up of wealthy men from the United States.[2] The president was Colonel Andrew Duncan Davidson[3] and F. E. Kenaston was vice-president.
The Saskatchewan Valley Land Company purchased 839000acres of land from the railway for $1.53 an acre and another 250000acres from the Dominion Government for $1.00 an acre. By adopting spectacular methods of advertising and employing dozens of land agents, the wide open spaces between Regina and Saskatoon were peopled with hundreds of settlers in the time between 1902 and 1910.
Needs of settlers created a necessity for business places and the settlement grew. Kenaston incorporated as a village on July 18, 1910.[4] The Kenaston School opened its doors to its first fourteen pupils in August 1905, while the town was still officially known as Bonnington. The first store was built in 1903, the post office and hotel were established in 1904, the first telephone installed in 1909, and the first of Kenaston's grain elevator was built in 1906 by the Canadian Elevator Company. In 1910, the 40,000 gallon water tower was built by CNR in proximity to the train station and just across from the first hotel.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Kenaston had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of 1.14km2, it had a population density of in 2021.[5]
In the 2016 Census of Population, the Village of Kenaston recorded a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change from its 2011 population of . With a land area of 1.17km2, it had a population density of in 2016.[6]
Kenaston hosts a sporting facility named Kenaston Place which brings to the village the event Super Draft. Kenaston Snowman Park is near the historic water tower restoration. Kenaston's large roadside attraction is a Snowman which is 18 Feet (5.5 Metres) in height and honours the nickname of Kenaston being the Blizzard capital of Saskatchewan. Bonnington Springs is the name of the campground at Kenaston. Kenaston Recreation Site is a conservation area near Kenaston at 17-29-2-W3.
Kenaston is part of the Sun West School Division. It's also Home to the Distance Learning Center which provides education to the province through online studies.
Canadian National Railway currently serves Kenaston; however the line terminates at Davidson where the Last Mountain Railway (Craik subdivision) begins and takes over the remainder of the line.[7] [8]