Located on the Yellowhead Highway (No.16), Wynyard is a community of approximately 2,000 people. Nestled between Big Quill Lake and Little Quill Lake, and strategically located about equal distances from Regina, Saskatoon, and Yorkton, Wynyard offers many options in the areas of Tourism, Recreation, Culture, Agriculture, Industry, and Retail. Wynyard is a shining example of the Saskatchewan motto “Strength through Diversity”.
Wynyard happens to be located on a major migratory bird path and as a result has become a bird-watcher’s Mecca and a hunter’s paradise. Various types of geese, ducks, swans, cranes, and other migratory birds use the Quill Lakes as a major stopping point both on their way to the summer breeding grounds or from their way to winter feeding areas. For the bird-watching enthusiast, the endangered Piping Plover uses the Quill Lakes as one of only two nesting grounds in Saskatchewan.
Wynyard is also home to a vibrant retail and home based business sector. There are over 100 retail, service, and home based businesses located within the borders of the community. When you take into account all the business located in the surrounding areas, there is very little that you cannot find in Wynyard.
With all the amenities that are found in Wynyard, the economic prosperity, and the tourism potential, Wynyard is an ideal locale in which to live, work, and play.
Wynyard's History
In the very early 1900’s, Wynyard was settled by a group of Icelandic settlers who were drawn to the area by the Quill Lakes. They were soon followed by a large contingent of Ukrainian settlers and then by those of British and Polish descents. The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) came through Wynyard very early and was a major force in the growth of this fine community.
The name Wynyard was, like many Saskatchewan settlements, named after an official with the Canadian Pacific Railway. In this case, Wynyard was the family name of the wife of this particular CPR official. From its humble beginnings, Wynyard was incorporated as a Village in 1908 and a Town in 1911.
Agriculture has always been a key factor in the development of Wynyard. However, other areas of economics have played a major role. As stated earlier, the CPR’s arrival was a great economic growth engine. The 1950’s saw the arrival of Crawford’s Foods, a poultry processing plant. This plant has gone through many incarnations. Currently it is known as Lilydale Poultry and is housed on the same site as the original Crawford’s plant. Lilydale currently employs approximately 500 people. With these two economic engines in place, a very successful retail and trade sector was established and enhanced over the years.
Throughout the years, Wynyard has seen a steady population growth up to, and including, the 1980’s. Since then, Wynyard’s population has held fairly steady at the 2,000 mark.
