Pilot Butte
Otasawâpiwin (Cree) | |
|---|---|
| Town of Pilot Butte | |
 From top to bottom; left to right: houses in Discovery Ridge, the CPR Mainline, the Butte Hill, a baseball diamond in Inland Park, and graves at St. George's Cemetery. | |
 Flag | |
| Nicknames: | |
| Motto: "The Town That Cares" | |
  Pilot Butte Location within Saskatchewan  Pilot Butte Location within Canada | |
| Coordinates: 50°28′37″N 104°25′02″W / 50.47694°N 104.41722°W[2] | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Saskatchewan |
| Treaty | Treaty 4 |
| Census division | Division No. 6 |
| Settled | 1882 |
| Incorp. (village) | 1913 |
| Dissolved | 1923 |
| Incorp. (village) | 1963 |
| Incorp. (town) | 1979 |
| Named for | The hill which the town surrounds, the Butte Hill |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Peggy Chorney[3] |
| • MP | Andrew Scheer (CPC) |
| • MLA | Don McMorris (SKP) |
| Area | |
| • Land | 5.71 km2 (2.20 sq mi) |
| • Population centre | 2.75 km2 (1.06 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 610 m (2,000 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 2,638 (23rd) |
| • Density | 462.3/km2 (1,197/sq mi) |
| • Population centre | 2,364 |
| • Population centre density | 858.7/km2 (2,224/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−06:00 (CST) |
| Postal code | |
| Area code(s) | 306 and 639 |
| Highways | 46, 362, 624 |
| Railways | Canadian Pacific |
| Website | Official website |
Pilot Butte (/paɪlɪt ˈbjuːt/; Cree: Otasawâpiwin [oʊtʌsaʊɑpuwɪn]), meaning "lookout point", is a town in southeast Saskatchewan. Situated between Highway 46 and the Trans-Canada Highway, the town is part of the White Butte region and neighbours Balgonie, White City, and the province's capital city, Regina. As of the 2021 Canadian census, Pilot Butte had a population of 2,638, indicating 23% growth from 2016.[4] The town is governed by the Pilot Butte Town Council and is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Edenwold No. 158.[6] Pilot Butte is located in Treaty 4 territory.
Prior to European arrival, local Indigenous peoples camped near Boggy Creek and used the butte as a lookout point.[6] European settlement began in the area in the 1840s, and Pilot Butte was established in 1882. Pilot Butte's early development was more substantial than neighbouring settlements thanks to its brick plants, sand and gravel deposits, and location on the Canadian Pacific Railway mainline. The community incorporated as a village in the early 20th century; however, following World War I, most of its residents and buildings, including a hotel, train station, and water tower, were dismantled or destroyed.[7]
The completion of the Trans-Canada Highway in the 1950s brought people back out to Pilot Butte. It reincorporated as a village and then gained town status in 1979.[6] A year later, the name "Sand Capital of Canada" was chosen in a town slogan contest,[7] and in 1982, Pilot Butte celebrated its 100th anniversary and a monument was erected atop Butte Hill.[7] In 1995, the Pilot Butte Storm damaged most of the buildings and nearly every tree town.[8][9][10]
Since the storm, the town has continued to grow. Pilot Butte hosted the Western Canadian Softball Championships in 2002[7] and an annual rodeo has attracted visitors to the town every summer since 1993. The 2010s saw the beginning of new housing and commercial developments in town, as well as various infrastructure updates,[11][12] which have continued to attract new residents.[6] Between 2016 and 2021, Pilot Butte was the fastest growing population centre in Saskatchewan.[13]
- ^ Karpan, Robin and Arlene (2000). Saskatchewan Trivia Challenge. Parkland Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9683579-2-7.
- ^ "Pilot Butte". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
- ^ Municipal Directory System
- ^ a b c "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population Data table Pilot Butte, Town (T) Saskatchewan [Census subdivision]". Statistics Canada. March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
- ^ a b "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population Data table Pilot Butte Saskatchewan [Population centre]". Statistics Canada. March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
- ^ a b c d The Canadian Encyclopedia. "Pilot Butte". Archived from the original on November 30, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
- ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference
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:6was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Quon, Alexander. "Sask.'s fastest growing communities aren't its big cities, but the ones surrounding them". Retrieved March 1, 2022.