Nipawin is a Cree word meaning "a bed, or resting place" which referred to a low-lying area along the river now flooded by Codette Lake where First Nations women and children would camp and wait for the men to arrive.[4]
The first permanent settlement of Nipawin occurred in 1910 with the establishment of a trading post. In 1924 a branch-line of the Canadian Pacific Railway passed nearby, crossing the North Saskatchewan River over the Crooked Bridge, and the settlement was moved, building by building, to its current location alongside the railway line.[5][6]
The Nipawin Historical Society's publication, Bridging the years : Nipawin, Saskatchewan, published in 1988, presents the settlement's early history.[6]
Severalfur trading posts may have operated at various times in the area, but they are poorly documented.[8] In 1763 Joseph Smith reached the area from York Factory. In 1768 James Finlay from Montreal built a post. François le Blanc, apparently the man known as "Saswe", had a post by that year or the next. In 1790 William Thorburn built there then moved to Hungry Hall the following year.
In 1795 two posts operated in the area, one run by A. N. McLeod for the North West Company and another run by James Porter working for David Grant.
Recent history
On April 18, 2008, a downtown meat shop exploded, destroying three buildings as well as damaging several more. The explosion killed two and injured five. The explosion is suspected to have been caused by a backhoe that snagged and sheared a natural gas riser from the main line. The explosion prompted the implementation of a state of emergency by the mayor. The explosion received extensive national news coverage.[9]
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Nipawin had a population of 4,570 living in 1,921 of its 2,091 total private dwellings, a change of 3.8% from its 2016 population of 4,401. With a land area of 8.93 km2 (3.45 sq mi), it had a population density of 511.8/km2 (1,325.4/sq mi) in 2021.[10]
Nipawin Experiences a Humid continental climate (Koppen: Dfb) bordering on a subarctic climate (Dfc), with long, extremely cold winters and short, warm summers. The highest temperature ever recorded in Nipawin was 42.2 °C (108 °F) on July 19, 1941.[14] The coldest temperature ever recorded was −48.3 °C (−55 °F) on January 8, 1930.[15]
Climate data for Nipawin Airport, 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1927–present[a]
Nipawin is near the Fort à la Corne Provincial Forest, location of the world's largest diamond bearing kimberlites and intensive diamond exploration activity. Other industries in the area include: agriculture, tourism, canola oil processing, honey production, forestry, and commercialization of second-generation biofuels.
Attractions
This resort community has become a destination for fishing, camping, boating, golfing, hunting, and outdoor recreation.
Nipawin hosts several annual fishing events, including, the Great Northern Pike Festival, a summer-long event offering prizes for catching tagged fish. Other annual fishing events are the Codette Walleye tournament, Ladies Fish for Freedom tournament, Premier's Walleye Cup tournament, and the Vanity Cup Walleye tournament running the last weekend in September and the first week in October.
The 18-hole Evergreen Golf Course[19] is north of town at the regional park. It has been rated as one of the top 100 public courses in Canada and one of the top five in Saskatchewan. Annual events held at the Evergreen Golf Club are Bob Dow Memorial Golf Tournament and the Evergreen Classic Golf Tournament along with many other tournaments throughout the golf season.[20]
Nipawin is along the Trans-Canada Snowmobile Trail. There are many other groomed trails that run around Nipawin along with snowmobile rallies.
Sports
Curling is also found in Nipawin for the young and old. Nipawin hosts the Ladies, Men's and Seniors Bonspiels and the Evergreen Curling Classic.
