Outlook is a town in west central Saskatchewan, Canada about 80 kilometres (50 mi) south-southwest of Saskatoon. It is located along the South Saskatchewan River, downstream from Gardiner Dam and the Coteau Creek Hydroelectric Station.

Town of Outlook
Business District Franklin Street
Business District
Franklin Street
Motto: 
"Home of Canada's Longest Pedestrian Bridge" "Irrigation Capital of Saskatchewan"
Town of Outlook is located in Saskatchewan
Town of Outlook
Town of Outlook
Location of Outlook in Saskatchewan
Town of Outlook is located in Canada
Town of Outlook
Town of Outlook
Town of Outlook (Canada)
Coordinates: 51°30′N 107°03′W / 51.500°N 107.050°W / 51.500; -107.050
CountryCanada
ProvinceSaskatchewan
Census division11
Rural MunicipalityRudy
Founded1908
Incorporated (Village)1908
Incorporated (Town)1909
Government
 • Governing bodyOutlook Town Council[1]
 • MayorMaureen Weiterman
 • AdministratorKevin Trew
 • MPKelly Block (CPC) - Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar
 • MLAJim Reiter (SKP) - Rosetown-Elrose
Area
 • Land7.83 km2 (3.02 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)
 • Total2,279
 • Density291.0/km2 (754/sq mi)
Time zoneCST
Postal code
S0L 2N0
Area code306
HighwaysHighway 15
RailwaysCanadian Pacific Railway-(abandoned)
Websitetownofoutlook.ca

History

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Settlement began in the early 1900s with farmers and immigrants moving into the area looking for farmland. Outlook officially started as a settlement on August 26, 1908[2] when the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) commenced the auction of lots.

On November 23, 1908 the citizens of Outlook welcomed the first train which arrived from Moose Jaw. Within the month the CPR was running a tri-weekly train service carrying huge piles of lumber, however the supply of workers and materials was far outweighed by the demand for more buildings. The Outlook CPR Station building was built in 1909 and a year later, on November 1, 1910, Outlook was officially declared a town. In 1912 the Skytrail bridge crossing the South Saskatchewan River was finished,[2] allowing both passenger and commercial traffic to cross the river in the area for the first time without using the ferry.

In 1910, a fire broke out in the hardware store in town, spreading rapidly and eventually grew to the size of a city block.[citation needed]

Demographics

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In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Outlook had a population of 2,336 living in 1,001 of its 1,055 total private dwellings, a change of 2.5% from its 2016 population of 2,279. With a land area of 8.34 km2 (3.22 sq mi), it had a population density of 280.1/km2 (725.4/sq mi) in 2021.[3]

Canada census – Outlook community profile
20212011
Population2,336 (+2.5% from 2016)2,204 (13.7% from 2006)
Land area8.34 km2 (3.22 sq mi)7.83 km2 (3.02 sq mi)
Population density280/km2 (730/sq mi)281.3/km2 (729/sq mi)
Median age44 (M: 41.2, F: 47.2)
Private dwellings1,005 (total)  1046 (total) 
Median household income
References: 2021[4] 2011[5] earlier[6][7]

Arts and culture

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Outlook's arts program includes the Equinox Theatre, a community theatre group that puts on one to two productions a year.[8] They have put on such productions such as Anne of Green Gables[9] and The Little Mermaid.[10] In the past, the group would work in conjunction with the LCBI theatre group.

The Outlook and District Community Arts Council[11] opened an art gallery in the Town Office Building.

Attractions

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  • Outlook & District Regional Park (51°29′00″N 107°04′02″W / 51.4834°N 107.0673°W / 51.4834; -107.0673)[12] is a 100-acre park situated along the South Saskatchewan River adjacent to the town. It was founded in 1961 and has 50 electrified campsites, an outdoor heated junior size Olympic swimming pool and paddling pool for toddlers, hiking trails and the 9-hole Riverview Golf Course.[13][14][15] The golf course was built in 1972 and has grass greens, is a par 36, and a total of 3,118 yards.[16]
  • The Skytrail Bridge is an old railway bridge, converted for pedestrian use; it is 3,000 feet long and stands 156 ft above the South Saskatchewan River. The Skytrail bridge has been closed to the public since 2013 due to unsafe conditions.
  • Outlook railway station building is home to the Outlook & District Heritage Museum The museum has over 2,500 artifacts from the Outlook area.[17] Some of the highlights include:
    • a caboose
    • an arrowhead and stone tool collection
    • an old holding cell from the Broderick train station
    • an antique wood stove
    • a collection of over 400 salt & pepper shakers
    • antique hospital equipment donated by the Outlook Union Hospital
    • the original printing press from Outlook Printers
    • the proposed model plan of Gardiner Dam and Lake Diefenbaker
    • original artwork by acclaimed artist Arthur Evoy[18] who was born in Outlook
  • The Canada Saskatchewan Irrigation Diversification Centre, a research facility located on the outskirts of town, tests different crops, diseases, chemicals under dryland and irrigation. The centre has many tours during the summer as well as a field day in July.[19]

Climate

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Outlook has a humid continental climate (Dfb). The highest temperature ever recorded in Outlook was 41.1 °C (106 °F) on June 16, 1933 and July 4, 1937.[20][21] The coldest temperature ever recorded was −52.2 °C (−62 °F) on February 25, 1919.[22]

Climate data for Outlook, 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1915–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 10.6
(51.1)
14.4
(57.9)
23.3
(73.9)
33.9
(93.0)
37.2
(99.0)
41.1
(106.0)
41.1
(106.0)
39.4
(102.9)
37.5
(99.5)
32.8
(91.0)
22.8
(73.0)
16.1
(61.0)
41.1
(106.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −8.1
(17.4)
−5.3
(22.5)
1.5
(34.7)
11.7
(53.1)
18.4
(65.1)
22.5
(72.5)
25.6
(78.1)
25.0
(77.0)
18.9
(66.0)
11.0
(51.8)
0.4
(32.7)
−6.0
(21.2)
9.6
(49.3)
Daily mean °C (°F) −13.1
(8.4)
−10.1
(13.8)
−3.4
(25.9)
5.3
(41.5)
11.5
(52.7)
16.1
(61.0)
18.9
(66.0)
18.0
(64.4)
12.3
(54.1)
5.1
(41.2)
−4.1
(24.6)
−10.7
(12.7)
3.8
(38.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −18.0
(−0.4)
−14.8
(5.4)
−8.2
(17.2)
−1.1
(30.0)
4.7
(40.5)
9.8
(49.6)
12.1
(53.8)
10.9
(51.6)
5.6
(42.1)
−0.9
(30.4)
−8.5
(16.7)
−15.4
(4.3)
−2.0
(28.4)
Record low °C (°F) −45.0
(−49.0)
−52.2
(−62.0)
−46.1
(−51.0)
−28.3
(−18.9)
−10.8
(12.6)
−6.1
(21.0)
0.0
(32.0)
−1.1
(30.0)
−12.2
(10.0)
−28.9
(−20.0)
−34.4
(−29.9)
−42.2
(−44.0)
−52.2
(−62.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 13.9
(0.55)
8.6
(0.34)
19.3
(0.76)
21.6
(0.85)
42.6
(1.68)
63.9
(2.52)
56.1
(2.21)
42.8
(1.69)
34.1
(1.34)
16.6
(0.65)
14.6
(0.57)
14.7
(0.58)
348.6
(13.72)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 0.3
(0.01)
0.3
(0.01)
5.9
(0.23)
16.1
(0.63)
39.0
(1.54)
63.9
(2.52)
56.1
(2.21)
42.8
(1.69)
32.8
(1.29)
12.6
(0.50)
3.1
(0.12)
0.3
(0.01)
273.0
(10.75)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 13.6
(5.4)
8.3
(3.3)
12.9
(5.1)
5.5
(2.2)
3.6
(1.4)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
1.3
(0.5)
3.8
(1.5)
11.6
(4.6)
14.7
(5.8)
75.3
(29.6)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 93.5 122.8 157.7 213.2 266.3 283.6 319.6 288.2 186.5 156.9 91.4 73.9 2,253.6
Percent possible sunshine 35.9 43.7 42.9 51.4 55.1 57.1 64.0 63.7 49.0 47.3 34.1 30.0 47.9
Source: Environment Canada[23][24]
 
Former train station
Outlook and District Heritage Museum
 
Former railroad bridge
Skytrail Bridge
 
Highway 15 bridge

Sports

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The Outlook Recreation Complex has a skating rink, a 4-sheet curling rink, a bowling alley, and an indoor archery range. Adjacent are five baseball diamonds.[25] As of 2021, The Outlook Recreation Complex also offers a multi-sport court in the summer months, including basketball, pickleball, shuffleboard, volleyball, badminton, lacrosse, floor hockey, and tennis.[26]

The Jim Kook Arena in the Complex is home to many sports programs throughout the year, including the Outlook Minor Sports program. It is home to the Outlook Ice Hawks senior hockey team.[27]

The Outlook Stock Car Association[28] maintains a stock car 1/3 mile high banked clay oval track. The track runs 10 or more races a season.

Infrastructure

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  • Outlook Airport used to be located South East of Outlook. It was closed in 2019.
  • Outlook used to have an award-winning recycling program. The Town of Outlook has recycled nearly three million pounds of cardboard as of 2003, and nearly 2 million pounds of newspaper.[29] During 2019, the local program was scrapped for Loraas pickup based in Saskatoon due to high costs.

Education

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Outlook is located within the Sun West School Division.

  • Outlook High School - a public school offering grades 6–12 which also houses the Wheatland Library Outlook Branch. Outlook High School is home to the Blues athletics program, which includes football, volleyball, basketball, badminton, curling and cross-country.
  • Outlook Elementary School is a public school offering grades K–5.
  • Lutheran Collegiate Bible Institute is a fully-accredited high school offering grades 9–12, with residences for 120 students.

Notable people

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Municipal Affairs - (Outlook)". Retrieved December 13, 2012.
  2. ^ a b "The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan (Outlook)". Retrieved December 13, 2012.
  3. ^ "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Saskatchewan". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  4. ^ "2021 Community Profiles". 2021 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. February 4, 2022. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  5. ^ "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2012.
  6. ^ "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
  7. ^ "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.
  8. ^ "Town of Outlook (Recreation)". Retrieved December 13, 2012.
  9. ^ Ruttle, Derek (July 5, 2017). "Theatre Crowds Enjoy Sold-Out 'Green Gables'". The Outlook. Glacier Media Group. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  10. ^ Ruttle, Derek (November 16, 2018). "'Mermaid' Brings Crowds Under the Sea". The Outlook. Glacier Media. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  11. ^ "Outlook And District Arts Council, Inc". Retrieved December 13, 2012.
  12. ^ "Outlook and District Regional Park". Canadian Geographical Names Database. Government of Canada. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  13. ^ "Outlook & District Regional Park". Retrieved December 13, 2012.
  14. ^ "Outlook & District Regional Park". Tourism Saskatchewan. Government of Saskatchewan. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  15. ^ "Outlook & District". Regional Parks of Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan Regional Parks. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  16. ^ "Riverview Golf Club". GolfPass. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  17. ^ "Outlook & District Heritage Museum". Retrieved December 13, 2012.
  18. ^ "SKNAC (Arthur Evoy)". Retrieved December 13, 2012.
  19. ^ "Canada-Saskatchewan Irrigation Diversification Centre". Retrieved December 13, 2012.
  20. ^ "June 1933". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. October 31, 2011. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  21. ^ "July 1937". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. October 31, 2011. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  22. ^ "February 1919". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. October 31, 2011. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  23. ^ "Outlook PFRA". Canadian Climate Normals. Environment Canada. September 25, 2013. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  24. ^ "Outlook". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. October 31, 2011. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  25. ^ "Outlook Website (Recreation)". Retrieved December 13, 2012.
  26. ^ "SaskToday (Outlook)". April 30, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  27. ^ "Sask Valley Hockey League - SVHL". Retrieved December 13, 2012.
  28. ^ "Outlook Stock Car Association (2008 season winners)". Retrieved December 13, 2012.
  29. ^ "Town of Outlook Waste Disposal & Recycling". Retrieved December 13, 2012.