About Wynyard Page

 

 

Wynyard Now

Wynyard Aerial Pictures

Wynyard History

 

 

 

Wynyard Now

     Wynyard is the largest town in the area; a full service center with a population of about 2000, and more employment than most small towns, the community lies just south of the Quill Lakes on Highway 16.

     There is a good selection of businesses.

   

   

The largest employer in the area is the Lilydale Foods poultry processing plant, thus Wynyard came by its motto  "poultry capital of Saskatchewan"

     There has been significent recent industrial developments in the area. Karnalyte Resources is developing a solution potash mine near Wynyard. BHP Billiton is developing a large underground potash mine near Jansen. Big Quill Resources, near Kandahar, is expanding its potassium sulfate processing plant.

Wynyard has a good variety of recreation facilities.

 

     Wynyard is part of the Quill Lakes International Bird Area, so people who like to watch wild birds will be pleased with the birding opportunities in Wynyard, Wadena and Foam Lake and surrounding areas. Here is a link to their excellent website.

The Town of Wynyard also has an excellent website. You can see the Town of Wynyard's website here. 

 

Aerial Pictures

 

Here is a map and some recent aerial pictures of Wynyard, Saskatchewan.
We hope you will enjoy exploring.

You can click on the pictures to make them bigger.

In this picture, taken from the southeast, flying just south of Highway 16,  you can see Highway 16 in the foreground and the east residential area in the center. The south service road with farm service  businesses, motel, restaurants and gas stations are on the left, the hospital/nursing home complex is just out of the picture on the right. The skating rink, curling rink and swimming pool are in the center of the picture. The elementary school is on the left, near Highway 16 and the Lilydale processing plant is on the far left at the intersection of Bosworth Street and Highway 16.

 

This picture, flying a little further past the south edge of Wynyard, shows the South Service Road businesses in the foreground, Bosworth Street on the left and some of the east residential area across the center. The skating rink, curling rink and swimming pools are in the center and the Elementary School is left of center along Highway 16. The CPR rail yards are at the top of the picture.

 

In this picture, flying past the west edge of Wynyard, you can see the golf course and sports grounds in the foreground, Highway 16 on the right and the CPR railway line and railyards on the left. The High School and Regional College is the brown building near the center of the picture. Bosworth Street, the main business street, runs left to right one block past the school. The west residential area is shown in the center foreground, after the golf course and sports grounds. The east residential area is at the top of the picture.

 

Here are some April 15, 2011 aerial pictures of Wynyard and area showing some of the flooding in the area.

Rushville and Magnusson Creeks join and spread out north of Wynyard	Thanks to Forrest for flying us around to take pictures.	Road flooded on Jolly Creek, east of Wynyard
Wynyard Creek, west of Wynyard. No flooding but water flow washed out the road to the landfill.	The Town of Wynyard is mostly clear of snow	Magnusson Creek thru Wynyard and beyond. The creek flooded Avenue B at the curve on April 11.

 

 

 

Wynyard History

     Once upon a time (around 1904), a few adventurers braved the extreme weather of the Canadian Prairies to establish a settlement by the Quill Lakes. Others, impressed by their presence, followed and thus a community was formed.

     The first settlers to the Wynyard area were Icelanders, drawn to the salt lakes that reminded them of home. The winters were freezing and harsh, the summers hot and dry. Some yearned for their homelands, and returned to them. Some moved on to milder climates. The tough and the stubborn stayed. The Icelanders were soon joined by settlers of British, Ukrainian and Polish origins.

     The Canadian Pacific Railway came to the settlement by the Quills in 1909, bringing more people, supplies, and opportunities to the area.

     The community was named "Wynyard", after the English family of a CPR official's wife. In 1908, Wynyard became a village, in 1911 a town. Businesses flourished and people kept arriving on the train. Some moved on, but others stayed and now, nearly a century later, Wynyard is a thriving town of almost 2000 that still retains the community spirit and adventurousness of its first pioneers.