Waldheim, Saskatchewan Explained

Official Name:Waldheim
Mapsize:250px
Pushpin Map:Canada Saskatchewan
Pushpin Label Position:none
Pushpin Map Caption:Town of Waldheim in Saskatchewan
Coordinates:52.65°N -143°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Canada
Subdivision Type1:Provinces and territories of Canada
Subdivision Name1:Saskatchewan
Subdivision Type2:Rural Municipalities (RM)
Subdivision Name2:Laird No. 404
Established Title:Hamlet and Post office Founded in the NWT
Established Date:1900-06-01
Established Title2:Village
Established Date2:1908
Established Title3:Town
Established Date3:1967
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:John Bollinger
Leader Title1:Federal Electoral District
Leader Name1:Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek
Leader Title2:MP
Leader Name2:Kelly Block
Leader Title3:Provincial Constituency
Leader Name3:Biggar-Sask Valley
Leader Title4:MLA
Leader Name4:Randy Weekes
Area Total Km2:1.97
Population Total:1,035
Population As Of:2011
Population Density Km2:525.5
Timezone:CST
Utc Offset:−6
Footnotes:[1] [2] [3] [4]

Waldheim is a town of 1,035 residents in the Rural Municipality of Laird No. 404, in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, north of Saskatoon. Waldheim is located on Highway 312 in central Saskatchewan, the "Heart of the Old North-Wes". Fort Carlton, Batoche, Battle of Fish Creek, and Seager Wheeler's Maple Grove Farm are all near Waldheim.

History

Mennonites from Manitoba and South Dakota arrived here to settle and farm in 1893. The Canadian Northern Railway arrived in 1908.[5]

Particularly in the 1870s, Mennonites of Dutch-German origins residing in colonies in the Black Sea region of present-day Ukraine became alarmed at the rising nationalism in the Russian Empire. Along with land shortages in these growing colonies, pressure toward Russification of minorities was threatening Mennonite values in education. Similarly, the promise made by Catherine the Great to exempt them from military service was quite clearly being challenged and rewritten by the then current Russian government. Canada was seeking farming immigrants, and about 7,000 Mennonites chose to immigrate to Manitoba where the government of Canada set aside two reserves for their resettlement. In the early 1890s, some of these families decided to move on to District of Saskatchewan, thereby establishing a trend that would see considerable Mennonite immigration to the Saskatchewan Valley area before the turn of the century. Many came from Manitoba, but others arrived directly from colonies in Russia, from the Danzig region of Prussia and from Kansas, Nebraska, and Minnesota where they had settled in the 1870s.

Thriving Mennonite farming communities were quickly established in the Saskatchewan Valley area in the vicinities of Aberdeen, Laird, Waldheim, Langham, Dalmeny, and Rosthern particularly. Churches were established, land was broken and cropped, and roads were built.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Waldheim had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of 1.97km2, it had a population density of in 2021.[6]

Recreation and attractions

Waldheim features a green space in its downtown area: Sam Wendland Heritage Park. This park was created in 2000, and was dedicated to Sam Wendland for his many years of serving as mayor. The Waldheim Pine Ridge Golf and Country Club is a neighbour to the recreational facility built in 1976 (containing an arena and a curling rink). Westview Jubilee Seniors Centre offers events and services to Waldheim's senior population.

Fort Carlton Hockey League serves a large area in the vicinity of Waldheim, such as Rosthern, Warman, Dalmeny, Shellbrook, Bruno, Martensville, Aberdeen, Blaine Lake, and Cudworth.[7] Sask Valley Minor Hockey League offers level of hockey for Novice, Atoms, Pee Wee, Bantams and Midget.[8]

Waldheim station is a former Canadian Northern Railway station that closed in 1976. It is now a library and museum.

Waldheim Valley Regional Park

Waldheim Valley Regional Park [9] is a regional park on the east side of Waldheim. The park has a 13-site campground, picnic area, ball diamonds, and the 9-hole Pine Ridge Golf and Country Club.[10] [11] The golf course has a licensed clubhouse, grass greens, is a par 33, and 2,870 total yards.[12] [13] Access is from Highway 312.

Notable people

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: National Archives . Archivia Net . Post Offices and Postmasters . 2007-05-26 . 2006-10-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061006045957/http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/post-offices/001001-100.01-e.php . dead .
  2. Web site: Government of Saskatchewan . MRD Home . Municipal Directory System . 2007-05-26 .
  3. Web site: Canadian Textiles Institute. . CTI Determine your provincial constituency . 2005 . 2007-05-26 . 2007-09-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070911025012/http://www.textiles.ca/eng/nonAuthProg/redirect.cfm?path=IssPolContacts&sectionID=7601.cfm . dead .
  4. Web site: Commissioner of Canada Elections . Chief Electoral Officer of Canada . Elections Canada On-line . 2005 . 2007-04-24 .
  5. Web site: Sally Chernoby . Town of Waldheim . Town of Waldheim - history . 2007-05-27.
  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: Fort Carlton Hockey League . 2007-05-27 .
  8. Web site: Sask Valley Minor Hockey League . 2007-05-27 .
  9. Web site: Valley Regional Park (Waldheim Section) . Canadian Geographical Names Database . Government of Canada . 8 September 2023.
  10. Web site: Waldheim Regional Park . Tourism Saskatchewan . Government of Saskatchewan . 25 September 2023.
  11. Web site: Valley - Waldheim regional park . 2007-05-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070128092312/http://www.saskregionalparks.ca/showPark.php?id=waldheim . 2007-01-28.
  12. Web site: Pine Ridge Golf Course . Tourism Saskatchewan . Government of Saskatchewan . 25 September 2023.
  13. Web site: Waldheim Pineridge Golf and Country Club . GolfPass . GolfPass . 25 September 2023.