Swift Current
Swift Current | |
|---|---|
| City of Swift Current | |
    | |
| Nicknames: | |
| Motto: Where Life Makes Sense | |
  Swift Current Location of Swift Current  Swift Current Swift Current (Canada) | |
| Coordinates: 50°17′17″N 107°47′38″W / 50.28806°N 107.79389°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Saskatchewan |
| Established | 1883 |
| Incorporated (village) | September 21, 1903 |
| Incorporated (town) | March 15, 1907 |
| Incorporated (city) | January 15, 1914 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Denis Perrault |
| • Governing body | Swift Current City Council |
| • MP | Jeremy Patzer (CON) - Cypress Hills—Grasslands |
| • MLA | Everett Hindley (SKP) - Swift Current |
| Area | |
| • Land | 29.31 km2 (11.32 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 817 m (2,680 ft) |
| Population (2016) | |
• Total | 16,604 [2] |
| • Agglomeration | 17,535 |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| Forward sortation area | |
| Website | www |
Swift Current is the fifth largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is situated along the Trans Canada Highway 170 kilometres (110 mi) west from Moose Jaw, and 218 kilometres (135 mi) east from Medicine Hat, Alberta. Swift Current grew 6.8% between 2011 and 2016, ending up at 16,604 residents.[2] The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Swift Current No. 137.
History
| Census | Population |
|---|---|
| 1901 | 121 |
| 1911 | 1,852 |
| 1921 | 3,518 |
| 1931 | 5,296 |
| 1941 | 5,515 |
| 1951 | 7,458 |
| 1961 | 12,186 |
| 1971 | 15,415 |
| 1981 | 14,747 |
| 1991 | 14,815 |
| 2001 | 14,821 |
| 2006 | 14,946 |
| 2011 | 15,503 |
| 2016 | 16,604 |
Swift Current's history began with Swift Current Creek which originates at Cypress Hills and traverses 100 miles (160 km) of prairie and empties into the South Saskatchewan River. The creek was a camp for First Nations for centuries. The name of the creek comes from the Cree, who called the South Saskatchewan River Kisiskâciwan, meaning "it flows swiftly". Fur traders found the creek on their westward treks in the 1800s, and called it "rivière au Courant" (lit: "river of the current"). Henri Julien, an artist travelling with the North-West Mounted Police expedition in 1874, referred to it as "Du Courant", and Commissioner George French used "Strong Current Creek" in his diary. While it took another decade before being officially recorded, the area has always been known as "Swift Current".[3]
The settlement of Swift Current was established in 1883, after the CPR surveyed a railway line as far as Swift Current Creek. In 1882, initial grading and track preparation commenced, with the first settlers arriving in the spring of 1883. During the early part of its settlement, the economy was based almost exclusively on serving the new railway buildings and employees. There was also a significant ranching operation known as the "76" ranches. It included 10 ranches raising sheep and cattle and stretched from Swift Current to Calgary. The ranch located at Swift Current dealt with sheep. At one point there were upwards of 20,000 sheep grazing on the present day Kinetic Grounds. The head shepherd was John Oman, originally from Scotland. He donated land to build Oman School in 1913.[4] Other early industries included gathering bison bones for use in fertilizer manufacturing, the making of bone china and sugar refining. Métis residents also ran a successful Red River ox cart "freighting" business along the Swift Current-Battleford Trail to Battleford until the late 1880s. During the Riel Rebellion of 1885, Swift Current became a major military base and troop mustering area due to its proximity to Battleford but this was only for a short time. On February 4, 1904, the hamlet became a village and then a town on March 15, 1907, when a census indicated a population of 550. Swift Current became incorporated as a city on January 15, 1914, with Frank E. West being the mayor at the time.
The Swift Current Airport was taken over by the city of Swift Current from Transport Canada in 1996. Airport services were then contracted out. There have been recent (2005–2006) plans to expand and revitalize the airport alongside the rural municipalities surrounding Swift Current.
Swift Current is sometimes known as "Speedy Creek", "Swift", or "Swifty".
Swift Current's official slogan is "Where Life Makes Sense".
Landmarks
Swift Current is home to Saskatchewan's oldest operating theatre: the Lyric Theatre, built in 1912 at a cost of $50,000 is the "crown jewel" of Swift Current's historical downtown buildings, with instantly recognizable advertisements painted on the north and south sides of the building dating back to the early 1920s. The building has served many functions over the years: at first it housed glamorous vaudeville performances by traveling companies, was later converted into a movie theatre and, in the mid-1980s, a bar and nightclub. A volunteer non-profit group (Southwest Cultural Development Group) purchased the facility in 2005 and is raising money for its preservation while staging cultural events, such as a mock Chautauqua annually in July, since 2008, open mic nights throughout the year, and administering rentals of the building. The current musician in residence is Al Hudec.
Swift Current's tallest commercial building is the EI Wood Building, located downtown.
The longest running business in Swift Current is the Imperial Hotel, also known as "The Big Eye" due to the large eye painted on the side. It was built in 1903 and was used as evidence that Swift Current should be granted village status. The owner, R.H. Corbett of Medicine Hat, needed the designation to obtain a liquor licence.[5]
The Swift Current railway station has been designated a historic railway station in 1991. [6] The Court House is also a designated historical building.
Swift Current is located at the start of the historic Swift Current-Battleford Trail, the remnants of which can still be seen today at the Battleford Trail Ruts Heritage Site.
Demographics
| 2011 | |
|---|---|
| Population | 15,503 (3.7% from 2006) |
| Land area | 24.04 km2 (9.28 sq mi) |
| Population density | 644.9/km2 (1,670/sq mi) |
| Median age | 41.9 (M: 39.8, F: 44.1) |
| Private dwellings | 7,266 (total) |
| Median household income |
Climate
Swift Current experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb) that does not fall far from being classified as semi-arid (Köppen BSk). Winters are long, dry, and cold, while summers are short, warm, and relatively wet. The coldest month is January, with a mean temperature of −10.1 °C (14 °F), while the warmest month is July, with a mean temperature of 18.2 °C (65 °F). The driest month is February, with an average of 11.8 mm (0.46 in) of precipitation, while the wettest month is June, with an average of 77 mm (3.0 in). Annual precipitation is low, with an average of 392.5 mm (15.45 in). Its location in southwest Saskatchewan gives it slightly milder winters than the provincial capital, Regina, even though it is higher in elevation. Chinook winds happen several times a year allowing residents to enjoy unseasonably warm weather for short periods of time.
The highest temperature ever recorded in Swift Current was 41.7 °C (107 °F) on 12 July 1886.[10] The coldest temperature ever recorded was −47.8 °C (−54 °F) on 16 February 1936.[11]
| Climate data for Swift Current Airport, 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1885–present[a] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 15.0 (59.0) |
20.6 (69.1) |
22.2 (72.0) |
33.8 (92.8) |
37.3 (99.1) |
40.0 (104.0) |
41.7 (107.1) |
40.1 (104.2) |
36.1 (97.0) |
31.7 (89.1) |
25.0 (77.0) |
20.0 (68.0) |
41.7 (107.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −5.1 (22.8) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
2.7 (36.9) |
11.8 (53.2) |
17.6 (63.7) |
21.7 (71.1) |
25.1 (77.2) |
24.6 (76.3) |
18.1 (64.6) |
11.0 (51.8) |
1.1 (34.0) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
10.1 (50.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −10.1 (13.8) |
−8.7 (16.3) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
5.3 (41.5) |
10.9 (51.6) |
15.3 (59.5) |
18.2 (64.8) |
17.6 (63.7) |
11.5 (52.7) |
4.9 (40.8) |
−3.9 (25.0) |
−9.3 (15.3) |
4.1 (39.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −15 (5) |
−13.6 (7.5) |
−7.7 (18.1) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
4.0 (39.2) |
8.9 (48.0) |
11.2 (52.2) |
10.5 (50.9) |
4.9 (40.8) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
−8.9 (16.0) |
−14.2 (6.4) |
−1.9 (28.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −45 (−49) |
−47.8 (−54.0) |
−36.1 (−33.0) |
−28.9 (−20.0) |
−12.2 (10.0) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
0.6 (33.1) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
−13.3 (8.1) |
−24.2 (−11.6) |
−35 (−31) |
−44.4 (−47.9) |
−47.8 (−54.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 16.6 (0.65) |
11.8 (0.46) |
19.4 (0.76) |
19.1 (0.75) |
51.2 (2.02) |
77.1 (3.04) |
60.1 (2.37) |
47.4 (1.87) |
36.0 (1.42) |
18.9 (0.74) |
15.8 (0.62) |
19.1 (0.75) |
392.5 (15.45) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 0.8 (0.03) |
0.7 (0.03) |
1.8 (0.07) |
11.6 (0.46) |
45.3 (1.78) |
67.9 (2.67) |
55.2 (2.17) |
43.5 (1.71) |
26.6 (1.05) |
8.9 (0.35) |
1.8 (0.07) |
1.2 (0.05) |
265.2 (10.44) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 17.3 (6.8) |
14.6 (5.7) |
19.9 (7.8) |
12.2 (4.8) |
6.6 (2.6) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
4.0 (1.6) |
8.8 (3.5) |
14.4 (5.7) |
21.4 (8.4) |
119.1 (46.9) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 98.4 | 122.7 | 166.4 | 230.1 | 275.6 | 299.8 | 340.4 | 301.1 | 202.5 | 175.6 | 110.4 | 83.9 | 2,406.9 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 37.1 | 43.3 | 45.3 | 55.7 | 57.6 | 61.2 | 68.9 | 67.1 | 53.3 | 52.6 | 40.6 | 33.3 | 51.3 |
| Source: Environment Canada[12][13][14] | |||||||||||||
Arts and culture
The city is home to the Swift Current Museum, the Art Gallery of Swift Current, the Lyric Theatre and the Swift Current Library. The city is also host to the Windscape Kite Festival, which is the largest festival of its kind in Western Canada.
In 2016, Swift Current became the first city in Saskatchewan to install a permanent rainbow crosswalk.[15]
Notable residents
- Patrick Marleau - current NHL player for the Pittsburgh Penguins
- Reggie Cleveland - former MLB player
- Brad Wall - former Premier of Saskatchewan
- Colter Wall - musician
- Scotty Munro – ice hockey coach
Sports and recreation
Swift Current is home to the Swift Current Broncos, a hockey team that plays in the Western Hockey League. They play in the 2,879 seat Credit Union iPlex in the east end of town. The team has developed a number of NHL players such as Dave "Tiger" Williams, Joe Sakic, and Bryan Trottier. The Credit Union iPlex is also the home of the Swift Current Rampage a junior box lacrosse team.
Swift Current hosted the 2016 World Women's Curling Championship.[16]
Swift Current is also home to the Swift Current 57's, a baseball team that plays in Canada's premier summer collegiate level baseball league called the Western Major Baseball League (WMBL). Former Major League Baseball players Reggie Cleveland (Boston Red Sox), Jim Dedrick (Baltimore Orioles) and Shawn Wooten (Anaheim Angels) all played for Swift Current before being drafted into professional baseball. Since 1992, Swift Current has won an unprecedented 11 league championships (1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2010, and 2016). The 57's play at Mitchell Field, located just north of the Iplex.
Other sports institutions in the city include:
- Speedy Creek Racing Club
- Chinook Golf Course
- Elmwood Golf Course
Lake Diefenbaker and Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park are 50 km (31 mi) north of the city on Highway 4. The park provides recreational activities like fishing, swimming, boating, camping, hiking and 4 RV parks.
Swift Current Motorcross Club has a track on the west side of town, just off 11th Ave NW.
Swift Current is also home to Canadian professional track and field/cross-country athlete Kelly Wiebe.
Media
- Southwest Booster
- Prairie Post
- Radio
- AM 540 - CBK, CBC Radio One, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
- AM 570 - CKSW, country music, Golden West Broadcasting
- FM 94.1 - CIMG-FM, "The Eagle 94 One" classic hits, Golden West Broadcasting
- FM 95.7 - CBK-FM-4, CBC Radio 2, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
- FM 97.1 - CKFI-FM, "Magic 97" adult contemporary, Golden West Broadcasting
- Television
- Channel 12 - CKMC-TV, CTV (analogue repeater of CKCK-DT Regina)
- Southwest TV News is an internet-based news program focused on Swift Current and area. It is sometimes broadcast on Citytv Saskatchewan.
Swift Current was previously served by CJFB-TV channel 5, a private CBC Television outlet; this station would close down in 2002, with its transmitter becoming CBKT-4, a repeater of CBKT Regina. CBKT-4 would close down on July 31, 2012, due to budget cuts handed down by the CBC.[17][18]
Notes
- ^ Climate data was recorded in the city of Swift Current from December 1885 to July 1938 and at Swift Current Airport from May 1938 to present.
Citations
- ^ "Saskatchewan slang". canada.com. Postmedia Network Inc. November 7, 2007. Archived from the original on November 9, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
- ^ a b c Census Profile, 2016 Census
- ^ Tourism Swift Current
- ^ McGowan, Don C. The Green and Growing Years: Swift Current, 1907-1914. Victoria: Cactus Publications, 1982.
- ^ McGowan, Don C. Grassland Settlers: The Swift Current Region During the Era of the Ranching Frontier. Regina: Canadian Plains Research Centre, University of Regina, 1975.
- ^ "Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada - The Directory of Designated Heritage Railway Stations in Saskatchewan". Parks Canada. Archived from the original on October 8, 2012. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
- ^ "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
- ^ "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
- ^ "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.
- ^ "July 1886". Environment Canada. September 22, 2015. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
- ^ "February 1936". Environment Canada. September 22, 2015. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
- ^ Environment Canada—Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010, accessed February 20, 2016.
- ^ "Swift Current". Environment Canada. September 22, 2015. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
- ^ "Swift Current CDA". Environment Canada. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/swift-current-rainbow-crosswalk-1.4130814
- ^ "Visitor Guide". www.curling.ca. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
- ^ "Speaking notes for Hubert T. Lacroix regarding measures announced in the context of the Deficit Reduction Action Plan". CBC Radio. April 4, 2012. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
- ^ "Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2012-384". Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. July 17, 2012. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
External links
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