Biggar, Saskatchewan

Biggar is a town in central Saskatchewan, Canada. It is located on Highway 14, 93 kilometres (58 mi) west of Saskatoon, the province's most populous city.

Biggar
Town
Town of Biggar
Biggar town limit sign
Motto(s): 
"New York is big, but this is Biggar."
Biggar
Biggar
Coordinates: 52°03′32″N 107°58′44″W
CountryCanada
ProvinceSaskatchewan
RegionSaskatchewan
Census division12
Rural MunicipalityBiggar
Founded1907
Incorporated (village)1909
Incorporated (town)1911
Founded byGrand Trunk Pacific Railway
Named forWilliam Hodgins Biggar
Government
 • MayorJim Rickwood
 • Town ManagerMarty Baroni
 • Governing bodyBiggar Town Council
 • MLA (Biggar-Sask Valley)Randy Weekes (SKP)
 • MP (Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek)Kelly Block (CON)
Area
 • Total15.75 km2 (6.08 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total2,161
 • Density137.2/km2 (355/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−6 (CST)
Postal code
S0K 0M0
Area code(s)306, 633
HighwaysHighway 4
Highway 14
Highway 51
Websitetownofbiggar.com
[1][2]

Biggar has become well known for its unusual town slogan, an Olympic athlete, and a world-record deer. The town was featured on American morning newsmagazine The Today Show in February 2010 as part of an ongoing Canadian-oriented segment during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

History

Biggar was incorporated as a village in 1909. It was named after William Hodgins Biggar, general counsel of the Grand Trunk Pacific (GTP) railway which had come through the area in 1908. Prior to that, the major means of transportation was via the nearby Swift Current-Battleford Trail. The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTP) made Biggar a divisional point on its line, building a large station and roundhouse. The population grew as Biggar became a home terminal where train crews were changed.[3]

In 1911 Biggar was incorporated as a town. Settlement continued and the population increased to greater than 2,000 by the mid-1920s, peaking at 2,755 in 1966.[3] According to the 2011 census, Biggar is now home to 2,161 people.[4]

The town is known for its slogan "New York is big, but this is Biggar." It was created in 1914 by a survey crew who painted it onto a town sign as a drunken prank. According to The Biggar Museum and Gallery, the graffiti remained unchanged until 1954 when the slogan was officially adopted.[5]

Demographics
Canada census – Biggar, Saskatchewan community profile
2016 2011 2006
Population: 2,226 (3.0% from 2011) 2,161 (6.3% from 2006) 2,033 (- 9.4% from 2001)
Land area: 15.75 km2 (6.08 sq mi) 15.75 km2 (6.08 sq mi) 15.75 km2 (6.08 sq mi)
Population density: 141.4/km2 (366/sq mi) 137.2/km2 (355/sq mi) 129.1/km2 (334/sq mi)
Median age: 45.2 (M: 43.3, F: 47.4) 46.7 (M: 45.4, F: 48.0) 42.7 (M: 41.5, F: 44.2)
Total private dwellings: 1,082 1,032 1,047
Median household income: $63,168 $N/A $41,975
References: 2016[6] 2011[7] 2006[8] earlier[9]

Economy

The Biggar railway station was constructed in 1909-1910 and is serviced by Via Rail with The Canadian serving the station twice a week. Biggar's prosperity was directly tied to the railway for many years. Up to 500 local people were at one time employed by Canadian National Railway (CN), which took over the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTP). That number has now dropped to under 200. As the railway industry has decreased, Biggar has shifted its economy to agriculture and related industries.[10]

Biggar is home to Prairie Malt Limited, a large barley processing plant. The malthouse has an annual capacity of 220,000 metric tonnes. Malt is a primary ingredient in beer and whisky. Prairie Malt employs approximately 70 full-time employees. It creates significant spin-off employment among local trucking firms such as Biggar Transport, with a fleet of over 50 trucks.

The Town of Biggar lists more than 150 businesses and services on its website.[11] These include a manufacturer of petroleum and hazardous material containment tanks, a sodium sulphate plant, a large greenhouse and a variety of financial, farm and health services.

Biggar Main Street
Biggar railway station (1909-1910) National Historic Site
Majestic Theatre
Eamon Block (1911) and Post Office

Education

Two school divisions operate in Biggar.

Current schools

The public school is Biggar Central 2000,[12] a kindergarten to grade twelve school a part of Sun West School Division. Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools operates St. Gabriel School,[13] a Catholic kindergarten to grade nine school.

Great Plains College[14] offers post-secondary certificates and diplomas in nursing, emergency medical technician, electrician and truck driving.

Former schools
  • Biggar's original classroom was on the second floor of the Biggar Hotel (Jan 2, 1910 - May 1910) while Biggar Public School was being built.
  • Biggar Public School was built in 1910, and was demolished in 1962.
  • Thornton School was built in 1924, demolished in 1972.

People

Biggar elected Major James Coldwell, the leader of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, as their Member of Parliament from 1935–58. He was noted as the person that fought for and won old-age pensions, as well as other social democratic reforms in both the William Lyon Mackenzie-King and Louis St. Laurent governments.[15]

Biggar is the hometown of Sandra Schmirler, a 1998 Olympic gold medalist and three-time world champion in women's curling. Schmirler died in 2000 at the age of 36 of cancer.[16] Her funeral was broadcast nationally by CBC Television and TSN, a first for a Canadian athlete. Biggar honoured Schmirler's contributions to sport and her hometown by constructing the Sandra Schmirler Olympic Gold Park, which houses a gazebo, playground, memorial and wall of fame.[17]

Longtime Edmonton Eskimos kicker Dave Cutler was born in Biggar.

The town is home to the world-famous "Hanson Buck." Milo Hanson is a Biggar-area farmer and hunter who in 1993 shot a white-tailed deer that was awarded the Boone and Crockett Club world's record. Hanson reported that after the award was made public, he received hundreds of calls from journalists, photographers and artists wanting to tell the story.[18] His record remains unbeaten.[19]

Biggar was the nearest urban community to the death of Colten Boushie on August 6, 2016, when the man of the Red Pheasant Cree Nation was fatally shot on a farm.

Government

Biggar's current mayor is Ray Sadler. The Town of Biggar is located within the Rural Municipality of Biggar #347. Provincially, Biggar is represented by MLA Randy Weekes of the Saskatchewan Party. Federally the town is within the riding of Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, whose current MP is Kelly Block of the Conservative Party of Canada.

Climate

Biggar experiences a humid continental (Köppen climate classification Dfb).

The highest temperature ever recorded in Biggar was 40.0 °C (104 °F) on 4 July 1937, 24 June 1941, and 6 August 1949. The coldest temperature ever recorded was −46.7 °C (−52 °F) on 16 February 1936.

Climate data for Biggar (1981–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 15.6
(60.1)		 15.0
(59.0)		 24.5
(76.1)		 32.8
(91.0)		 36.7
(98.1)		 40.0
(104.0)		 40.0
(104.0)		 40.0
(104.0)		 36.7
(98.1)		 34.4
(93.9)		 21.7
(71.1)		 15.0
(59.0)		 40.0
(104.0)
Average high °C (°F) −10.1
(13.8)		 −6.4
(20.5)		 0.4
(32.7)		 10.9
(51.6)		 18.0
(64.4)		 22.2
(72.0)		 25.1
(77.2)		 24.8
(76.6)		 17.9
(64.2)		 10.0
(50.0)		 −1.7
(28.9)		 −8
(18)		 8.6
(47.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) −14.8
(5.4)		 −11.4
(11.5)		 −4.7
(23.5)		 4.6
(40.3)		 11.2
(52.2)		 15.7
(60.3)		 18.4
(65.1)		 17.8
(64.0)		 11.5
(52.7)		 4.2
(39.6)		 −5.9
(21.4)		 −12.6
(9.3)		 2.8
(37.0)
Average low °C (°F) −19.5
(−3.1)		 −16.4
(2.5)		 −9.8
(14.4)		 −1.8
(28.8)		 4.3
(39.7)		 9.2
(48.6)		 11.7
(53.1)		 10.9
(51.6)		 5.0
(41.0)		 −1.6
(29.1)		 −10.1
(13.8)		 −17.1
(1.2)		 −2.9
(26.8)
Record low °C (°F) −45.6
(−50.1)		 −46.7
(−52.1)		 −37.2
(−35.0)		 −31.7
(−25.1)		 −11.1
(12.0)		 −3.9
(25.0)		 0.0
(32.0)		 −3.3
(26.1)		 −9.4
(15.1)		 −25
(−13)		 −34
(−29)		 −42.5
(−44.5)		 −46.7
(−52.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 19.2
(0.76)		 9.6
(0.38)		 15.7
(0.62)		 24.8
(0.98)		 44.0
(1.73)		 58.6
(2.31)		 67.1
(2.64)		 48.7
(1.92)		 37.1
(1.46)		 18.5
(0.73)		 15.3
(0.60)		 17.7
(0.70)		 376.3
(14.81)
Source: Environment Canada[20]

See also

References
  1. National Archives, Archivia Net. "Post Offices and Postmasters". Archived from the original on 6 October 2006. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
  2. Government of Saskatchewan, MRD Home. "Municipal Directory System (Town of Biggar)". Archived from the original on 15 January 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
  3. McLennan, David (2008), Our Towns: Saskatchewan communities from Abbey to Zenon Park, Canadian Plains Research Center, p. 32-33, ISBN 978-0-88977-209-0
  4. Statistics Canada. 2012. Biggar, Saskatchewan (Code 4712046) and Division No. 12, Saskatchewan (Code 4712) (table). Census Profile. 2011 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98-316-XWE. Ottawa. Released September 19, 2012.
  5. Biggar Museum
  6. "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. 21 February 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  7. "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. 5 July 2013. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  8. "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. 30 March 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2009.
  9. "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. 17 February 2012.
  10. Saskbiz
  11. "Town of Biggar Business Directory". Archived from the original on 11 January 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
  12. Biggar Central School 2000
  13. St. Gabriel School
  14. Great Plains College
  15. Stewart, Walter (2000). M.J. Toronto: Stoddard.
  16. CBC. 2000-03-02. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
  17. CBC Sports. 200-08-06. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
  18. "Story of the World Record Whitetail Deer". King's Outdoor World. Archived from the original on 7 June 2008. Retrieved 25 May 2008.
  19. Boone and Crockett Club Records. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
  20. Environment Canada Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010, accessed 3 June 2016
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