Balgonie is a town in southeast Saskatchewan. Situated at the intersection of Highways 10, 46, and the Trans-Canada Highway, the town is part of the White Butte region and neighbours Pilot Butte, White City, and McLean. As well, it is located 25 kilometres east of the province's capital city, Regina. As of the 2016 census, Balgonie had a population of 1,765, an 8.3% growth from 2011.[4] The town is governed by the Balgonie Town Council and is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Edenwold No. 158.[5] Balgonie is located in Treaty 4 territory.

Balgonie
Intersection of Main and Railway Streets
Intersection of Main and Railway Streets
Balgonie is located in Saskatchewan
Balgonie
Balgonie
Location of Balgonie in Saskatchewan
Balgonie is located in Canada
Balgonie
Balgonie
Balgonie (Canada)
Coordinates: 50°29′17″N 104°16′08″W / 50.488°N 104.269°W / 50.488; -104.269
CountryCanada
ProvinceSaskatchewan
TreatyTreaty 4
Census divisionDivision No. 6
Post office Founded1883
Village incorporated1903
Town incorporated1907
Government
 • MayorLain Lovelace
 • AdministratorKaren Craigie
 • Governing bodyTown Council
Area
 • Total4.96 km2 (1.92 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)
 • Total1,765
 • Density355.8/km2 (922/sq mi)
Postal code
S0G 0E0
Area code306
WebsiteOfficial website
[1][2][3]

Balgonie has a Subway restaurant, two gas stations, an outdoor pool, and an ice arena. It is also home to Greenall School.

History edit

Balgonie was named for Balgonie Castle in Scotland. In 1882, the first train ran through the area on the Canadian Pacific Railway, and a post office was established in 1883.[6] In 1884, Sir John Lister Kaye established a model farm near the railway in Balgonie, with the town being the easternmost point of the old 76 Ranch lands.[7]

A school was built in 1891, and Balgonie was incorporated as a village in 1903 and as a town in 1907.[6]

One of Balgonie's most famous residents was William Wallace Gibson (1876–1965), who created the first Canadian-built airplane. Gibson successfully flew his airplane in Victoria in 1910.[8] Gibson was the subject of the 1991 stop-motion animated short The Balgonie Birdman, directed by Brian Duchscherer and produced by the National Film Board of Canada.[9]

The town's population plummeted during the 1930s and 1940s, but the completion of the Trans-Canada Highway in the late 1950s brought new growth.[6]

Demographics edit

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Balgonie had a population of 1,756 living in 621 of its 628 total private dwellings, a change of -0.5% from its 2016 population of 1,765. With a land area of 4.76 km2 (1.84 sq mi), it had a population density of 368.9/km2 (955.5/sq mi) in 2021.[10]

Canada census – Balgonie community profile
20212011
Population1,756 (-0.5% from 2016)1,625 (+17.4% from 2006)
Land area4.76 km2 (1.84 sq mi)3.15 km2 (1.22 sq mi)
Population density369.2/km2 (956/sq mi)515.8/km2 (1,336/sq mi)
Median age36.8 (M: 36.4, F: 37.2)33.3 (M: 32.6, F: 34.3)
Private dwellings628 (total)  621 (occupied)574 (total) 
Median household income$122,000
References: 2021[11] 2011[12] earlier[13][14]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "2011 Community Profiles". Statistics Canada. Government of Canada. Archived from the original on 2018-12-26. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
  2. ^ National Archives, Archivia Net. "Post Offices and Postmasters". Archived from the original on 6 October 2006. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
  3. ^ Government of Saskatchewan, MRD Home. "Municipal Directory System". Archived from the original on 2016-01-15. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
  4. ^ "Population of census metropolitan areas". Statistics Canada. 26 February 2014. Archived from the original on 16 December 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  5. ^ The Canadian Encyclopedia. "Balgonie". Archived from the original on 2013-11-30. Retrieved 2013-11-26.
  6. ^ a b c McLennan, David (2008). Our Town: Saskatchewan Communities from Abbey to Zenon Park. Regina, Saskatchewan: Canadian Plains Research Center, University of Regina. pp. 19–20. ISBN 978-0-88977-209-0. Archived from the original on 2010-04-10.
  7. ^ Poirier, Thelma (2017). The Grasslanders : ranch stories from Grasslands National Park. Regina, Saskatchewan. ISBN 978-1-55050-923-6. OCLC 973044175.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  8. ^ Phillipson, Donald J. C. (2010). "William Wallace Gibson". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica-Dominion. Archived from the original on 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2010-05-26.
  9. ^ Brian Duchscherer (director) (December 28, 1991). The Balgonie Birdman (Stop-motion animated film). National Film Board of Canada.
  10. ^ "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Saskatchewan". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  11. ^ "2021 Community Profiles". 2021 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. February 4, 2022. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  12. ^ "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
  13. ^ "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
  14. ^ "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.

External links edit