Canora, Saskatchewan

Not to be confused with Kenora, Ontario.
This article is about a town in Saskatchewan, Canada. For other uses, see Canora (disambiguation).

Canora
Town
The "Welcome to Canora" statue, "Lesia"
The "Welcome to Canora" statue, "Lesia"
Flag of Canora
Flag
Motto: 
"Heart of Good Spirit Country"
Canora is located in Saskatchewan
Canora
Canora
Canora is located in Canada
Canora
Canora
Coordinates: 51°38′02″N 102°26′13″W / 51.63394°N 102.43691°W / 51.63394; -102.43691
CountryCanada
ProvinceSaskatchewan
Census divisionNo. 9
Rural MunicipalityGood Lake
Post Office Founded1904
Incorporated (Village)1905
Incorporated (Town)1910
Government
 • TypeMayor
 • Town ManagerMichael Mykytyshyn
 • Governing bodyCanora Town Council
 • M.P., Yorkton—MelvilleCathay Wagantall (2015)
 • M.L.A., Canora-PellySean Wilson (2024)
Area
 • Total
7.31 km2 (2.82 sq mi)
Elevation
[1]
487 m (1,598 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total
2,219
 • Density303.7/km2 (787/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-6 (CST)
Postal code
S0A 0L0
Area code(s)306/639
Highways Highway 5 / Highway 9
RailwaysCanadian National (freight),
Via Rail (passenger)
WaterwaysWhitesand River Assiniboine River
WebsiteCanora.com
[2][3]

Canora is a town at the junction of Highways 5 and 9 in east-central Saskatchewan, about 50 km north of Yorkton. It is centrally located on the corners of four adjacent rural municipalities, including the RM of Good Lake. The community is home to approximately 3,500 residents and is part of the Canora-Pelly electoral district. The community was founded along the Canadian Northern Railway tracks — one of the companies that evolved into the Canadian National Railway (CN), and two CN freight lines (one east-west branch line to Saskatoon and one line going north) still run through Canora. The Canora railway station, downtown on the CN east-west line before the switch to the northbound line, is served by Via Rail on its passenger service from Winnipeg to Churchill, Manitoba.[4] As of 2016, 53% of the town's residents are either from Ukraine or of Ukrainian descent, with the language still widely spoken in the community.[5]

Canora became a village in 1905 and was incorporated as a town in 1910.

Demographics

[edit]

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Canora had a population of 2,092 living in 981 of its 1,123 total private dwellings, a change of 3.4% from its 2016 population of 2,024. With a land area of 7.35 km2 (2.84 sq mi), it had a population density of 284.6/km2 (737.2/sq mi) in 2021.[6]

Canada census – Canora community profile
20212011
Population2,092 (–3.4% from 2016)2219 (10.2% from 2006)
Land area7.35 km2 (2.84 sq mi)7.31 km2 (2.82 sq mi)
Population density284.7/km2 (737/sq mi)303.7/km2 (787/sq mi)
Median age48.8 (M: 46.0, F: 50.8)52.1 (M: 50.3, F: 53.7)
Private dwellings1,123 (total)  981 (occupied)1166 (total) 
Median household income$56,800
References: 2021[7] 2011[8] earlier[9][10]

Ethnicity

[edit]
Panethnic groups in the Town of Canora (2001−2021)
Panethnic group 2021[11] 2016[12] 2006[13] 2001[14]
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
European 1,685 85.1% 1,780 90.59% 1,870 97.14% 2,045 96.92%
Indigenous 190 9.6% 125 6.36% 15 0.78% 65 3.08%
Southeast Asian 65 3.28% 25 1.27% 0 0% 0 0%
South Asian 10 0.51% 15 0.76% 0 0% 0 0%
African 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0%
East Asian 30 1.52% 20 1.02% 40 2.08% 0 0%
Middle Eastern 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0%
Latin American 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0%
Other/multiracial 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0%
Total responses 1,980 94.65% 1,965 97.08% 1,925 95.63% 2,110 95.91%
Total population 2,092 100% 2,024 100% 2,013 100% 2,200 100%
Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses
Major ethnic groups in Canora, Saskatchewan, 2021
Ethnic group[15] Population Percent
Ukrainian 850 42%
Polish 385 19%
German 345 17%
English 305 15.1%
Scottish 260 12.8%
Norwegian 215 10.6%
First Nations/Métis 195 9.6%
French 115 5.7%
Total respondent population 2,025 100%
Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses

History

[edit]

The area around Canora was first settled by Europeans in the late 19th century by Doukhobors, Romanians, and Ukrainians. The first ranchers arrived in the area in 1884. Two years later, in 1886, the land was officially surveyed by the Dominion government. The first Ukrainian block settlement in Saskatchewan was established in 1897 when 150 families arrived in the Canora District from Western Ukraine.[16] In 1904, the Canadian Northern Railway laid tracks through the area and in April of that same year, a post office was opened, a school district established, and a town site was surveyed. A year later, in 1905, Canora was incorporated as a hamlet on the site of the train station, which now serves as the town's museum and tourist information centre. In 1908, Canora became a village.[17] The name Canora is derived from the first two letters of the words "Canadian Northern Railway."[18] By 1910, with a growing population of around 400, Canora had officially achieved the status of a town. In 1912, the first Canora Chamber of Commerce was established.[19] Over the next few decades, the community experienced rapid growth with population levels remaining stable even through the Great Depression. Canora's population peaked in 1966 with about 2,734 residents.

Historical population of Canora, Saskatchewan
(Source: [20])
Year190619111921193119411951196119661981199120012011
Population1694351,2301,1791,2001,5632,1172,7372,6672,3812,2002,219

Doukhobor Trading Company

[edit]

Doukhobors in Canora were key to the town's development and, under the auspices of the Doukhobor Trading Company, undertook an ambitious building program on Second Avenue East, where they established several communally-run enterprises from 1907 to 1918.5[17]

Attractions

[edit]
A historical marker for the old Canora Hospital

Canora boasts several community parks, walking trails, a junior Olympic-sized outdoor swimming pool, Civic Centre, the Sylvia Fedoruk Centre, Sports Service Centre, Sports Grounds, a golf course/activity centre, a tennis court and a skate park.

Canora is known as the "Heart of Good Spirit Country" as a result of its proximity to several lakes and parks, including Crystal Lake, Good Spirit Lake and Duck Mountain Provincial Park. The area is home to Saskatchewan's greatest number of golf courses per-capita and boasts one of the highest tee traffic counts in the province.

Lesia Statue

The Lesia Statue[21] is a 25-foot, 4,000 lb statue that honours the descendants of the Ukrainian and Eastern European settlers who made Canora their home and serves as welcome sign to visitors. The plaque on the base of the statue reads:

The Lesia statue was created in 1979 by Canora residents Nicholas and Orest Lewchuk and took over a year to complete. The statue features a woman dressed in traditional Ukrainian costume, who is offering visitors "bread-salt" — a loaf of braided bread, called Kolach along with salt. For local Ukrainians and many cultures, bread is a highly respected food, and salt is viewed as a symbol of a long, enduring friendship. As part of a customary greeting, a loaf of bread, crowned with a salt cellar is set upon an embroidered ritual cloth. Guests are then offered a chunk of bread to dip into the salt. Lesia was officially unveiled on September 3, 1980 by Right Honorable Edward Schreyer, Governor General of Canada to honour Saskatchewan's 75th anniversary.[22]

Ukrainian Heritage Museum

Canora's Ukrainian Heritage Museum explores all aspects of Ukrainian culture including history, arts folklore. Displays include exhibits of early settlers' artifacts from the area, books by renowned Ukrainian writers, Ukrainian regional costumes and embroideries, as well as traditional Ukrainian arts and crafts, culinary arts and festive events. The museum is run by volunteers and includes a small gift shop.[22]

Station House Museum

Canora's Visitor Information Centre and the CN Station House Museum is located in the oldest Class 3 railway station still operating in Saskatchewan. It was erected in 1904 and its exhibits include displays of CN Rail memorabilia, pioneer artifacts, local art and souvenirs  Information regarding rail tours to Churchill, Manitoba is available at the museum with Via Rail service to Winnipeg and Churchill available twice weekly.

Toy & Autograph Museum

Canora is home to Canada's Only Toy & Autograph Museum.[23] The museum features a one-of-a-kind collection of over 1,000 toys and autographed photos including Stephen Harper as well as Laurel and Hardy.[24]

Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Heritage Church

A Municipal Heritage Property and Ukrainian Orthodox church that was originally constructed in 1928. The heritage value of Holy Trinity Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church resides in its connection with the congregation. Desiring to continue their cultural and spiritual practices in their adopted homeland, a Ukrainian Greek Orthodox parish was organised here in 1919. A desire to have their own place of worship led to the construction of this church in 1928. Although the parish built a larger church in 1963, this church is still periodically used and remains a landmark in the community. The heritage value of Holy Trinity Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church also lies in its Byzantine architecture. Designed by Temish Pavlychenko, the form, particularly the three domes set atop towers, are inspired by the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Churches of Kiev. The interior is ornately decorated in the Byzantine tradition. Installed in 1944, the iconostasis is richly decorated with Ukrainian Orthodox iconography. The church closed in 1963, was designated a heritage site in 1984, and underwent a major restoration that was completed in 2000.[25]

Hugh Waddell Memorial (Canora Hospital) Site

Hugh Waddell Memorial is a cairn dedicated to Canora's first hospital. Mary Waddell of Peterborough, Ont., donated $25,000 to the Presbyterian Church for construction of a hospital in her husband's name. In 1913, the Hugh Waddell Memorial Hospital was built on land donated by Christian R. Graham. It was erected by the Presbyterian Home Mission Society, one of two mission hospitals in Saskatchewan. Admitting patients in March, the hospital was officially opened on June 18, 1914, with 60 beds. It operated as a mission hospital until 1944 when it was purchased by the Canora Union Hospital Board. In 1950, a new wing was added, increasing its capacity to 82 beds. The hospital closed on July 4, 1968, and a commemorative cairn was erected in 2000.[22]

Trails

Canora has more than 150 km of trails, including over 144 km of marked and groomed snowmobile trails and more than 10 km of walking, cycling, jogging, and cross-country ski trails. Trail surfaces vary from pavement to gravel and even include a foot bridge. These trails include; the Trans Canada Snowmobile Trail, with over ninety miles of signed and groomed trails in the immediate area and access to numerous other snowmobile trails, the Trans-Canada Trail, which f will take you to some of the most popular out-of-town attractions. Westward travellers will come upon the Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park, Burgis Beach and Canora Beach; while eastward travellers will discover Duck Mountain Lake Provincial Park and the National Doukhobor Heritage Village.[26] The Urban Habitat Trail that was created by the River Ridge Wildlife Club and formed in-cooperation with the town of Canora, Ducks Unlimited Canada and the PFRA. This trail is an educational and interpretive trail that highlights the natural habitat, wildlife and plant species of the area. The 8.6 km long Walking Trail that winds through Canora's natural landscape.

Nicholas Lewchuk Property

The Nicholas Lewchuk Property is a Municipal Heritage Property that features a house, a ferris wheel, an airplane swing and two midway trailers. The Lewchuk family emigrated from Ukraine when Nicholas was a child and homesteaded near Canora in 1902. Lewchuk's eclectic interests came to include vaudeville, publishing, magic, photography, design, recording, and horticulture. In the 1920s, he founded a travelling vaudeville show and carnival that toured the prairies and western Ontario for the next five decades. Lewchuk designed and built the carnival rides himself, the "airplane swing" being the first. Around 1908, Lewchuk's father built the house and Nicholas lived here during the "off-season" for most of his life. From an office off the main entrance, he wrote and edited English and Ukrainian periodicals and ran the seed catalogue business founded by his mother. In 1968 the rides, trailers, and animal pens from the travelling carnival were set up permanently in the yard behind the house. Known as the "Fun Spot", Lewchuk operated his midway intermittently for the next few years. Lewchuk continued his publishing, editing, and horticultural activities intermittently until his death in 1990.[27][28]

Canora Attractions Gallery
  • Canora Civic Centre
    Canora Civic Centre
  • Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Heritage Church
    Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Heritage Church
  • Lesia Statue
    Lesia Statue
  • Sylvia Fedoruk Centre
    Sylvia Fedoruk Centre
  • Canora town office
    Canora town office
  • Toy and Autograph Museum
    Toy and Autograph Museum
  • Ukrainian Museum
    Ukrainian Museum
  • Train Station, Museum, Visitor Centre
    Train Station, Museum, Visitor Centre
  • Marker for one of the many trails in Canora
    Marker for one of the many trails in Canora
  • Plaque highlighting the history of Canora
    Plaque highlighting the history of Canora

Annual events

[edit]

Canora hosts two week-long festivals that celebrate both winter and summer.

Canora in Bloom

Canora's week-long annual summer festival that takes place in July and features family-friendly activities, including pool activities, movie nights, golf nights, an old fashioned picnic with local musicians, and numerous dinners and suppers hosted by local groups and organizations.[citation needed]

Winter Lights Festival

[edit]

Canora's week-long annual winter festival that features events such as a family skate with Santa, family movie night, youth events, a children's carnival, an evening parade followed by a community bonfire and fireworks display, as well as numerous dinners hosted by local community groups and organizations.[citation needed]

Notable people

[edit]

Protective services

[edit]

Canora is protected by the Canora-Sturgis RCMP detachment. The detachment has 8 members, between Canora and Sturgis.[38]

Canora and area is served by a full-time Ambulance service – consisting of 3 PCP's, 3 ICP's, and two ACP's.[39]

Canora's fire protection is provided by 21 professionally trained and certified paid-per-call staff. Along with fire protection they also provide rescue services such as vehicle extrication. Their services are also utilised in surrounding Rural Municipalities.[40]

Transportation

[edit]

Canora is located at the junction of east-west Saskatchewan Highway 5 and north-south Saskatchewan Highway 9. The town also serves as a hub for two freight lines of the Canadian National Railway. The downtown Canora railway station is served by Via Rail passenger service as a stop on the Winnipeg–Churchill train.[4]

The Canora Airport is a grass landing strip located adjacent to the town with no permanent terminal facilities.[41]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The Atlas of Canada". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  2. ^ National Archives, Archivia Net. "Post Offices and Postmasters". Archived from the original on October 6, 2006. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  3. ^ Government of Saskatchewan, MRD Home. "Municipal Directory System". Archived from the original on January 15, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  4. ^ a b "Canora train station". www.viarail.ca. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  5. ^ "Canora's Ukrainian roots run strong, 125 years later". Regina. March 26, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  6. ^ "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Saskatchewan". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  7. ^ "2021 Community Profiles". 2021 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. February 4, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  8. ^ "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  9. ^ "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
  10. ^ "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.
  11. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (October 26, 2023). "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  12. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (October 27, 2021). "Census Profile, 2016 Census". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  13. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (January 22, 2024). "Census Profile, 2006 Census". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  14. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (January 22, 2024). "Census Profile, 2001 Census". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  15. ^ "NHS Profile, Canora, CY, Saskatchewan, 2021 (The sum of the ancestries in this table is greater than the total population estimate because a person may report more than one ancestry (ethnic origin) in the National Household Survey.)". 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  16. ^ "Ukrainian Settlers of Canora - Saskatchewan Historical Markers on Waymarking.com". www.waymarking.com. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  17. ^ a b Kalmakoff, By Jonathan J. (February 25, 2018). "The Doukhobor Trading Company in Canora". Canora Courier. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  18. ^ "Canora". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  19. ^ McLennan, David (2008). Our Towns: Saskatchewan Communities from Abbey to Zenon Park. Regina, Saskatchewan: University of Regina Press. pp. 52–53. ISBN 978-0889772090.
  20. ^ "Population of the Prairie Provinces, 1901,1906,1911 and 1916" (PDF). 2011. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  21. ^ "Attractions in Canora, Lesia Statue". Town of Canora. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  22. ^ a b c "Attractions - Town of Canora". Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  23. ^ "Attractions - Town of Canora". Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  24. ^ "Canadas Only Toy and Autograph Museum | Tourism Saskatchewan". www.tourismsaskatchewan.com. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  25. ^ "HistoricPlaces.ca - HistoricPlaces.ca". www.historicplaces.ca. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  26. ^ "Connections: Canora welcomes the Trans Canada Trail". The Great Trail. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  27. ^ "HistoricPlaces.ca - HistoricPlaces.ca". www.historicplaces.ca. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  28. ^ "Professor N.P. Lewchuk's Traveling Midway". Western Development Museum. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  29. ^ "The Honourable Sylvia Fedoruk | Canadian Medical Hall of Fame". www.cdnmedhall.org. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  30. ^ "On the Job - Religious Leaders". famouscanadianwomen.com. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  31. ^ "Profile". lop.parl.ca. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  32. ^ "Profile". lop.parl.ca. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  33. ^ "Lorne Kopelchuk fonds - SAIN Collections". sain.scaa.sk.ca. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  34. ^ "Cliff Koroll". Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  35. ^ "Harold Phillipoff Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  36. ^ Savage, Brendan (July 12, 2013). "Detroit Red Wings hire Tyler Wright as director of amateur scouting, promote Jeff Finley to chief scout". mlive.com. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  37. ^ "Terry Dennis at Saskatchewan Party". Saskatchewan Party. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  38. ^ Government of Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (July 14, 2015). "Canora detachment - Saskatchewan". www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  39. ^ "Facilities: Canora -- > Sunrise Health Region". www.sunrisehealthregion.sk.ca. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  40. ^ "Emergency Services - Town of Canora". Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  41. ^ CA-SK), Saskatchewan (province; Canada (CA); Great Circle Mapper: Map, Blue Marble; Google Maps: Map, Satellite; Yandex Maps: Map, Satellite; Map, Bing Maps; Canada, CIA: The World Factbook; NAV Canada - Canada Flight Supplement, effective 21 Jul 2016-15 Sep 2016; Model (WMM2015v2), World Magnetic. "CJR7 - Canora [Canora Airport], SK, CA - Airport - Great Circle Mapper". www.gcmap.net. Retrieved July 21, 2019. {{cite web}}: |last4= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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