Whitewood (Saskatchewan)
Whitewood is a town of 860 people (2016) in Southeastern Saskatchewan. It is a good stopping point midway between Brandon, Manitoba and Regina.
Understand
Nicknamed the "Crossroads Community", Whitewood sits at the junction of Highways 1 and 9 is has been a traditional east-west and north-south rest stop.
History
Where Whitewood now stands was once grasslands, travelled only by nomadic First Nations people, white traders, trappers and buffalo hunters. Native plants and wildlife thrived in perfect balance. The people who followed the trails between the Valley of the Qu'Appelle and the Pipestone Creek left no more permanent marks on the landscape than the tracks of their Red River carts.
Before the settlement of the west, Whitewood began as a crossing of trails between the Qu'Appelle Valley to the north and the Moose Mountains to the south. The Hudson's Bay Company trading post was established about the fall of 1891 to approximately the spring of 1906.
With the settlement of the west and the coming of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), Whitewood quickly grew into a thriving community. The CPR naming was derived from the White Poplar (Populus alba), a deciduous tree with white bark, which was plentiful in the area.
Climate
Whitewood has extreme seasonal temperatures. It has warm summers and cold winters, with the average daily high temperatures ranging from −11 °C (12 °F) in January to 25 °C (77 °F) in July. Typically, summer lasts from late June until late August, and the humidity is seldom uncomfortably high. Winter lasts from November to March, and varies greatly in length and severity. Spring and autumn are both short and highly variable.
Get in
By car
Whitewood is located at the junction of the Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway) and Highway 9, 175 km (109 mi) east of Regina, 190 km (120 mi) west of Brandon, and 400 km (250 mi) west of Winnipeg. It is 155 km (96 mi) north of Canada-U.S. border on Highway 9.
By bus
- Rider Express, toll-free: +1-833-583-3636. Operates bus route between Winnipeg and Regina with stops at Portage la Prairie, Brandon, Virden, Moosomin, and Whitewood. Route operates one day per week, only as a overnight trip. Offers connecting routes that enable passengers to travel from as far west as Vancouver.
See
- Murals of Whitewood. Four historical murals that grace the walls of downtown buildings.
- Old George's Hidden Village and Museum (on the service road parallel to Hwy 1, just N of Whitewood; 1 km W of the junction of Hwys 1 and 9), ☏ +1-306-735-2255. May 1-Sep 30: 8AM-7PM. Historic 11.6-acre estate in Whitewood, featuring a courtyard and 40-building hidden village. An 1885 brick mansion has 17 rooms displaying 20,000 museum items and seven rooms housing miscellaneous displays and antique shop. Call in advance for guided tours.
- Whitewood Multicultural Flag Garden (Hwy 1 (easbound) Service Road & Lalonde St). Contains a display of the flags of the many nations who settled in Whitewood in the 1880s. In the summer the flagpoles are surrounded by a giant rock garden; in winter the garden is a frozen snowscape with seasonal lighting.
Do
- Whitewood Golf Country Club, Lalonde St and 1st Ave., ☏ +1 306 735-2383. 9-hole course. Full wheelchair access. Licensed restaurant. Pro shop. Club rental, power cart and pull cart rental. Driving range.
Buy
- Whitewood Heritage Centre, Fleur-de-Lis Gift Shop & Memory Lane Rest Area, 714 Lalonde St, ☏ +1-306-735-2210, whitewoodmuseum@hotmail.com. Whitewood Heritage Centre, Fleur-de-Lis Gift Shop & Memory Lane Rest Area is a restored, turn-of-the-century bank. Shop for antiques, Victorian treasures, local art/crafts at Fleur-de-Lis Gift Shop.
Eat
- Archibalds Diner, 209 Lalonde St, ☏ +1 306-735-2263. Daily 10AM-8PM.
- Can Am Restaurant, 1203 Hwy #1 (at the Petro-Canada gas station), ☏ +1 306-735-4406. 24 hr. Diner food, and Asian meals.
Drink
- Poncho's Pub & Grill, 604 Lalonde St, ☏ +1-306-735-2323. M-Sa 11AM-2AM, Su noon-8PM.
Sleep
- Quest Motel, 913 Service Rd, ☏ +1-306-735-2627, toll-free: +1-866-447-8378, questmotel@gmail.com.
- Whitewood Inn (Hwy 9, south of Hwy 1), ☏ +1-306-735-2651, toll-free: +1-877-735-2651, whitewoodinn@hotmail.com. Hotel amenities include large indoor pool, saunas, hot tub, game room, tanning bed, gym and wireless internet. Play pens available. Chicken Chef Restaurant, lounge, banquet and meeting room are on site.
Connect
- Whitewood Historical Museum & Tourist Information Centre, 603 North Railway St, ☏ +1-306-735-2210, whitewoodmuseum@hotmail.com. May long weekend to Labour Day: Daily 9AM-noon, 1-6PM. Whitewood Historical Museum site is made-up of three buildings featuring artifacts, utensils, pictures and clothing from early settler days. Also on site is a historical agricultural building for viewing and a tourist information centre.
Go next
Moose Mountain Provincial Park is 40 minutes south of Whitewood.
| Routes through Whitewood |
| Regina ← White Butte ← | W E | → Moosomin → Brandon |
| Hudson Bay ← Yorkton ← | N S | → Kenosee Lake → Carlyle |