Pilot Butte, Saskatchewan

Pilot Butte
Otasawâpiwin  (Cree)
Town
Town of Pilot Butte
Park on Pilot Butte Creek

Flag
Nickname(s): "The Sand Capital of Canada"[1]
Motto(s): "The Town That Cares"
Pilot Butte
Location of Pilot Butte in Saskatchewan
Coordinates: 50°28′N 104°25′W / 50.467°N 104.417°W / 50.467; -104.417Coordinates: 50°28′N 104°25′W / 50.467°N 104.417°W / 50.467; -104.417
Country  Canada
Province  Saskatchewan
Settled 1882
Incorporated (village) 1913
Incorporated (town) 1979
Government
 • Mayor Peggy Chorney[2]
 • Town Administrator Brandi Morissette[2]
 • Governing body Pilot Butte Town Council
 • MLA Indian Head-Milestone Don McMorris
 • MP Regina-Qu'Appelle Andrew Scheer
Area
 • Town 5.78 km2 (2.23 sq mi)
Elevation 610 m (2,000 ft)
Population (2016)
 • Town 2,183
 • Density 380/km2 (980/sq mi)
 • Metro 2,615
Time zone UTC-6 (Saskatchewan (ST))
Postal code S0G 3Z0
Area code(s) 306
Highways Hwy 1
Hwy 46
Hwy 624
Railways Canadian Pacific Railway
Website Official Website
[3][4][5]

Pilot Butte is the 31st largest community in Saskatchewan, located in the White Butte area between Highway 46 and the Trans-Canada Highway. The town is a neighbour to White City and Balgonie. Pilot Butte is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Edenwold No. 158.

European settlement in the area can be traced back to the 1840s, and the town was settled in 1882. Pilot Butte's early development was more substantial than neighbouring towns thanks to the town's brick plants, along with its sand and gravel deposits. In 1995, the Pilot Butte Storm destroyed much of the town. In recent years, the population and size of Pilot Butte has begun growing at a high rate.[6]

The population of Pilot Butte was 2,183 as of 2016, growing 18% since 2011 according to Statistics Canada.[7]

Historical populations
YearPop.±%
1966405—    
1971344−15.1%
1976585+70.1%
19811,256+114.7%
19861,387+10.4%
19911,450+4.5%
19961,469+1.3%
20011,850+25.9%
20061,867+0.9%
20111,848−1.0%
20162,183+18.1%
[7]

Etymology

The town's name, meaning "Lookout Point", was chosen in 1883 as the name for the settlement. The origin of the community name is derived from the flat-topped hill located in the town that served as a lookout for hunting buffalo.

The Cree call the hill and the town otasawâpiwin, meaning "his outlook" or "his lookout"[8].

History

The Butte played a significant role in the lives of the Prairie Indians. Aboriginal people, who camped near Boggy Creek, used the Butte as a lookout and signal point.[6] The Cree called the hill otasawâpiwin, meaning "his outlook" or "his lookout"[8].

Founding

European settlement in the area can be traced back to the 1840s. With the construction of the railway through the region in 1882, the area’s sand and gravel deposits were extensively utilized, and in the following years, as settlers began farming in the district, Pilot Butte developed. For a long time of its history, Pilot Butte was known as the "Sand Capital of Canada". Because of its location on the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, significant settlement took place between 1880 and 1900. Sand and gravel deposits nearby were used during the construction of the railway. The history of Pilot Butte is marked by dramatic growth followed by decline and now by growth.[6] Except for one or two houses on Railway Avenue, the most notable ones being the "Martin House" and the "Arrat House", there are very few physical reminders of Pilot Butte's early development. Most of the original structures, one of the most prominent being the old Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) water tower, have either been dismantled or destroyed.

Village of Pilot Butte

By 1913 Pilot Butte was a village. It flourished as it offered the Canadian Pacific Railway a reliable year round water source and at one point, the CPR built a water conduit to Regina. Between 1913-23, with a population of about a 1,000, Pilot Butte thrived. The town boasted a railway station, 3 grain elevators, a stockyard, the Kitchener Hotel and boarding houses. It had a pool hall, bowling alley, general store, butcher and blacksmith shops, 2 churches, 2 schools (nearby) and 2 section houses. Brickyards became major local employers; the brickyards closed during World War I however, and with automobiles facilitating easy transportation into Regina, Pilot Butte began to lose its population—a trend that would continue for years. In 1923, the village was disbanded owing to the loss of residents.[6]

Post-World War II

After the new Trans-Canada Highway was completed in the late 1950s, living in Pilot Butte began to become a popular option for those who wanted to commute to work in the city. Pilot Butte re-acquired village status in 1963; in 1966 the population was 405; but between 1976 and 1981, the community’s numbers jumped from 585 to 1,255. It achieved town status in 1979.[6] By the early 2000s Pilot Butte became home to a post office; a public library; an insurance office; a convenience stores; a cemetery; Chinese/Canadian restaurant called the Dosu Wok, the Blue Rooster Café and the Back Corner café; three manufacturing plants; a Tempo gasoline station; a hockey arena; a town hall, and a Roman Catholic Church. It is also home to a worldwide steel producing company Dutch Industries and Gang-nail Truss Manufacturers. The town is home to the Pilot Butte School. The Pre-K to Grade 8 school is part of the Prairie Valley School Division 208.[9] The town also includes four baseball diamonds, an outdoor hockey rink, and a skate park.

Pilot Butte storm

A violent storm hit the area on 26 August 1995, damaging most homes in the community. Pilot Butte has now fully recovered and replanted trees are once more providing shade to the residents. Many homes received major facelifts which enhanced the community. The town has continued to grow since.

Recent population surge

Since 2011, the population and size of Pilot Butte has begun growing at a high rate of over 18%. From 2011 to 2016, the town experienced a growth rate of 27.6% in houses, as there have been lots of houses built. New neighbourhoods on the east, north, and west sides of town have contributed greatly to the towns growth in people and businesses. In recent years the town became home to many new businesses, including the Blue Rooster Café, a PharmaChoice pharmacy, doctor's office, hair salon and a Subway (restaurant) location. Along with these new businesses, the town welcomed a new Way of Life Church, and the Tempo gas station became a Domo gas station.

Geography

The town is situated on a broad, flat, treeless and largely waterless plain. The Butte Hill is the highest point in the area.

Climate

Pilot Butte experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb, USDA Plant Hardiness Zone with warm summers and cold winters, prone to extremes at all times of the year. Average annual precipitation is 388 mm (15.28 in) and is heaviest from June through August, with June being the wettest month with an average of 75 mm (2.95 in) of precipitation. The average daily temperature for the year is 2.8 °C (37.0 °F). The lowest temperature ever recorded was −50.0 °C (−58.0 °F) on 1 January 1885, while the highest recorded temperature was 43.3 °C (109.9 °F) on 5 July 1937.

Demographics

Canada census – Pilot Butte, Saskatchewan community profile
2016 2011 2006
Population: 2,137 (+18.1% from 2011) 1,848 (-1.3% from 2006) 1,872 (+0.9% from 2001)
Land area: 5.78 km2 (2.23 sq mi) 5.05 km2 (1.95 sq mi) 4.69 km2 (1.81 sq mi)
Population density: 369.6/km2 (957/sq mi) 365.6/km2 (947/sq mi) 398.1/km2 (1,031/sq mi)
Median age: 36.0 (M: 35.7, F: 36.3) 36.4 (M: 34.8, F: 37.9) 34.2 (M: 33.1, F: 34.7)
Total private dwellings: 791 620 615
Median household income: $65,532
References: 2016[11] 2011[12] 2006[13] earlier[14]
Distribution of mother tongues (2016)
English
 
 97.2%
Ukrainian
 
 0.5%
German
 
 0.5%
Other
 
 1.8%
Most common ethnic origins (2016)
German
 
 41.8%
Eastern European
 
 37.1%
English
 
 23.5%
Scottish
 
 23.2%
Irish
 
 15.0%
Nordic
 
 14.0%
French
 
 13.6%
Distribution of Genders in Pilot Butte (2016)
Male
 
 51.1%
Female
 
 48.9%
Distribution of Votes in Pilot Butte Polling
Stations in the 2015 Canadian Election
Conservative
 
 60.45%
New Democratic
 
 18.66%
Liberal
 
 18.66%
Green
 
 2.23%
Distribution of Votes in the Pilot
Butte Municipal Election (2016)
Peggy Chorney
 
 60.7%
Nat Ross
 
 27.6%
Charlene Curtis
 
 11.6%

2016 Census

According to the 2016 Canadian Census, the population of Pilot Butte is 2,137, a 16% increase from 2011. The population density is 369.6 people per square km. The median age is 36 years old (35.7 for women and 36.3 for men), which is lower than the median age of Canada at 40.6 years old. As of 2016, most residents in Pilot Butte speak English (96.8%), and a small number speak French (0.4%). 2.7% of the population's mother tongue was something other than English or French. There are 791 dwellings with an occupancy rate of 96%.

Neighbourhoods

Residential neighbourhoods include the older, farther south part of town along the railroad - established in 1882 - that contains some older houses, the most notable being the "Martin House". Immediately north of that is the main part of town, where the gas station and many other services are. To the east is Inland park, containing the baseball diamonds and the Butte. In the north part of the town is the subdivision called The Plains of Pilot Butte, farther west, around the lake is the neighbourhoods of Discovery Ridge and Crescent Park. On the west half of town is Hillside Park and Willow Ridge, where the new café and car wash are located. Around of the town, outside of the borders but still nearby are the developments of Crawford Estates, Crawford Developments, Rock Pointe Estates, Stone Pointe Estates and Spruce Creek Estates.

Politics

Pilot Butte is a part of the federal riding of Regina Qu'Appelle, and has elected Andrew Scheer 5 elections in a row. In provincial politics, the town is the Indian Head-Milestone riding, with Don McMorris as the elected MLA. The 2016 Pilot Butte mayoral election elected Peggy Chorney as Mayor.

The Pilot Butte Ball Diamonds as seen from the Butte Hill in Inland Park.

Sports

The Pilot Butte Storm, 4-time winners of the Prairie Junior Hockey League,[15] play home games at the local rink in Pilot Butte. The team has played in the provincial championship ten years in a row (2006-2015). The Pilot Butte Broncos minor hockey teams had always played in the Mainline Hockey League but now the Prairie Storm Minor Hockey Association, (through Hockey Regina) has the local minor hockey teams. The Prairie Storm Minor Hockey Association teams have kids from Pilot Butte, Emerald Park, White City and Balgonie.

The White Butte Minor Ball Association offers Broncos Baseball and Storm Softball. In the town/area there is also Buffalo Plains Ringette, City View Skating Club, White Lightning Ringette, Pilot Butte Soccer, White Butte Minor Ball and the North Griffins in Regina Minor Football.

North-west of the city lies Kings Park Speedway, a ⅓-mile paved oval used for stock car racing since the late 1960s.

Recreation and culture

The town hosts the Annual Pilot Butte outdoor Rodeo on the third weekend of June every year, complete with cabaret featuring current country headline musicians. Pilot Butte also has the Golden Sunset Recreational Club (55+ Club), the Pilot Butte Beavers/Cubs/Scouts, a library, the Pilot Butte Photo Bunch and the Pilot Butte Riding Club. Every year, Pilot Butte hosts the “Lite-up Pilot Butte” Christmas decorating contest, which has been going on for 27 years. The town also has distributed the News and Views newsletter to Pilot Butte and the surrounding area since October 1987.

Visitor attractions

The Butte Hill, located in Inland Park
  • Inland Park, a park bringing together lands containing recreational, educational and town buildings like the Town Hall, baseball diamonds, hockey rink and the public library.
  • Golfing, There are four nice golf courses surrounding the town. Westfalia, Green Acres, Murray and Tor Hill.
  • Discovery Ridge, a park surrounding the towns lake with a soccer field, nice scenery and biking and walking paths.
  • White Butte Trails, a nearby set of trails for cross-country skiing in the winter and biking and running in the summer.

Notable people

  • Clayton Gerein - one of Canada's most successful Paralympians. Clayton has won 7 gold, 2 silver and 5 bronze medals in 5 Paralympics.
  • Reuben Ross, who was raised here, has competed in the Olympics in Beijing and in London as a diving competitor.

Timeline of Pilot Butte history

Historical affiliations

This timeline of Pilot Butte's history shows the significant events in the history of Pilot Butte.

19th century

  • pre – Indigenous Peoples used the Butte Hill as a lookout and camped near Boggy Creek.[16]
  • 1840 – The first European settlements in the area begin.[16]
  • 1872 – The Dominion Lands Act encouraged homesteaders to come to the area where they could purchase 160 acres (647,000 m²) of land for $10.
  • 1882 – Canadian Pacific Railway workers set a company record of the most tracks laid in a single day. These tracks were laid between Pilot Butte and Regina.[1]
  • 1882 – Pilot Butte was established.
  • 1882 – The first houses are built on the south side of the tracks of bricks from the local plant.[16]
  • 1883 – The name Pilot Butte, meaning "Lookout Point", was chosen for the settlement.[17]
  • 1884 – Andrew Martin, one of two founders of the village, takes permanent residence in Pilot Butte.[16]
  • 1886 – On July 4, the first scheduled Canadian Pacific Railway transcontinental passenger train reached Vancouver, after travelling for five days, 19 hours. It was the first scheduled train to cross Canada from sea to sea.
  • 1890 – The Pilot Butte Red Brick Plant begins production.[16]

20th century

  • 1900 – A second brick plant, owned by Interocean Manufacturing Ltd., begins production.[16]
  • 1913 – At a population above 1000, Pilot Butte is incorporated as a village.[17]
  • 1914 – Pilot Butte grew rapidly until the First World War. When the brickyards closed during World War I however, and with automobiles facilitating easy transportation into Regina, Pilot Butte began to lose its population.[17]
  • 1915 – A new school is built in village.[16]
  • 1923 – The village was disbanded owing to the loss of residents.[18]
  • 1926 – the CHWC radio station begins broadcasting in Pilot Butte from the Kitchener Hotel. The broadcasting ended in 1936.[16]
  • 1946 – The Pilot Butte Memorial Hall is opened. Premier Tommy Douglas is in attendance and speaks at the ceremony.[16]
  • 1957 – Trans-Canada Highway completed in Saskatchewan,[19] and living in Pilot Butte began to become a popular option for those who wanted to commute to work in the city.
  • 1963 – A fire in the RM of Edenwold's office destroys all records belonging to the Pilot Butte Village Council prior to that year.[16]
  • 1963 – Pilot Butte re-acquires village status.
  • 1964 – Street lights are first installed in Pilot Butte.[16]
  • 1967 – All streets in the village undergo name changes.[16]
  • 1968 – Stop and yield signs are first installed in Pilot Butte. The first zoning bylaw is introduced.[16]
  • 1971 – Speed limit sings are first installed in Pilot Butte.[16]
  • 1973 – Street names are changed once again to numbered names, such as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.[16]
  • 1976 – Work begins on building the Pilot Butte rink and recreation complex.[16]
  • 1977 – The Pilot Butte Water Tower is destroyed.[16]
  • 1978 – The first Pilot Butte Old Timers' Reunion is held. Construction begins on the village office on Railway Avenue.[16]
    • 1979 – Pilot Butte acquires town status, the first meeting as a town is held in November of the next year.[16]
    • 1980 – The name "Sand Capital of Saskatchewan/Canada" is chosen in a town slogan contest.[16]
    • 1980 – The town purchases the cemetery portion of the Anglican Church for a sum of one dollar.[16]
    • 1981 – In the past ten years, the town's population jumps from 344 to 1,256.[20]
    • 1981 – The Royal Canadian Mounted Police begins providing police services to Pilot Butte.[16]
    • 1982 – The town celebrates its 100th anniversary, and a monument is erected on the top of the Butte Hill. Construction begins on a new fire hall on Railway Avenue.[16]
  • 1984 – The Pilot Butte Golden Sunset Club, for senior citizens in the town, is created.[16]
    • 1985 – The town library is opened.[16]
    • 1986 – The town purchases St. George's Cemetery for a sum of one dollar.[16]
    • 1995 – A violent storm known as the "Pilot Butte Storm" hit the area on 26 August 1995, damaging most homes in the community.[21][22][23]

    21st century

    References

    1. 1 2 Karpan, Robin and Arlene. Saskatchewan Trivia Challenge. Parkland Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9683579-2-7.
    2. 1 2 Municipal Directory System
    3. ↑ "2011 Community Profiles". Statistics Canada. Government of Canada. Retrieved 2013-11-26.
    4. ↑ National Archives, Archivia Net. "Post Offices and Postmasters". Archived from the original on 2006-10-06. Retrieved 2013-11-26.
    5. ↑ Government of Saskatchewan, MRD Home. "Municipal Directory System". Archived from the original on 2016-01-15. Retrieved 2013-11-26.
    6. 1 2 3 4 5 The Canadian Encyclopedia. "Pilot Butte". Retrieved 2013-11-26.
    7. 1 2 "Saskatchewan Census Population" (PDF). Retrieved 12 July 2015.
    8. 1 2 Barry, Bill (2005). Geographic Names of Saskatchewan. People Places Publishing. ISBN 1897010192.
    9. ↑ "Prairie Valley School Division (Schools)". Retrieved 2013-11-26.
    10. ↑ "Environment Canada". Retrieved 24 March 2012.
    11. ↑ "2016 Community Profiles". Canada 2016 Census. Statistics Canada. February 21, 2017.
    12. ↑ "2011 Community Profiles". Canada 2011 Census. Statistics Canada. July 5, 2013.
    13. ↑ "2006 Community Profiles". Canada 2006 Census. Statistics Canada. March 30, 2011.
    14. ↑ "2001 Community Profiles". Canada 2001 Census. Statistics Canada. February 17, 2012.
    15. ↑ "PHJL Regular Season and Playoffs Standings Since 2005". Prairie Junior Hockey League. PJHL. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
    16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Celebrating 125 Years of Living – The History of Pilot Butte, Saskatchewan. Regina, Saskatchewan. 2007. ISBN 978-1-897010-41-9.
    17. 1 2 3 "Town of Pilot Butte". Pilot Butte Town History.
    18. ↑ The Canadian Encyclopedia. "Pilot Butte". Retrieved 2013-11-26.
    19. ↑ "Saskatchewan History Timeline". World Atlas.
    20. ↑ "Data products". Statistics Canada.
    21. ↑ Producer, Western. "Western Producer". www.producer.com. Retrieved 2016-12-04.
    22. ↑ "Saskatchewan Weather | SKstorm.net". Saskatchewan Weather | SKstorm.net. Retrieved 2016-12-04.
    23. ↑ PAYNE, MICHAEL. "Pilot Butte". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2016-12-04.
    24. 1 2 3 4 "PHJL Regular Season and Playoffs Standings Since 2005". Prairie Junior Hockey League. PJHL. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
    25. ↑ "Diving Plongeon Canada, Reuben Ross". Retrieved April 5, 2012.
    26. ↑ "Reuben Ross Bio, Stats, and Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2016-01-13.
    27. ↑ Rob Vanstone, "Seven-time Paralympian Clayton Gerein dies at age 45". Regina Leader-Post, January 25, 2010.
    28. ↑ "New Water Treatment and Sewage Disposal Facility for Pilot Butte". Government of Saskatchewan.
    29. ↑ "Pilot Butte council rejects plan to relocate town office". CTV Regina.
    30. ↑ "Town Council". Town of Pilot Butte.
    31. ↑ "Pilot Butte, Sask. getting funding for wastewater treatment upgrades". Global News.
    32. ↑ "Pilot Butte overpass now open to traffic". Regina Leader-Post.
    • This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.