Rosthern
Rosthern is a town at the juncture of Highway 11 and Highway 312 in central Saskatchewan, Canada. It is located roughly halfway between the cities of Prince Albert and Saskatoon.
Rosthern | |
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Town | |
![]() Business District Sixth Street | |
![]() ![]() Rosthern ![]() ![]() Rosthern | |
Coordinates: 52°39′50″N 106°20′16″W | |
Country | Canada |
Province | Saskatchewan |
Rural municipality | Rosthern |
Post office founded | 1893-09-01 |
Village established | 1898 |
Town incorporated | 1903 |
Government | |
• Mayor | Dennis Helmuth |
• M.P. (Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek) | Kelly Block |
• M.L.A. (Rosthern-Shellbrook) | Scott Moe |
Area | |
• Total | 4.31 km2 (1.66 sq mi) |
Population (2016) | |
• Total | 1,688 |
• Density | 392.0/km2 (1,015/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
Postal code | S0K 3R0 |
Area code | 306 |
Highways | ![]() ![]() |
Website | Official website |
[1][2][3][4][5] |
History
Mennonite settlers, led by Gerhard Ens, began arriving in the area around 1890, with the establishment of the Qu’Appelle, Long Lake & Saskatchewan Railway to Prince Albert.[6] The post office was established in 1893, and by 1898 the community achieved village status. In 1903, Rosthern was incorporated as a town.[7]
There are several apocryphal versions of the story about how the town got its name. One is that in the late 1880s when the railway ran through from Regina to Prince Albert a man by the name of Ross drowned in the creek that flows through the town. Terne is old English for tarn meaning a pool, and the name stuck.[8] In all likelihood, however, the town's name echoes an old world name brought over by a homesick worker on the railroad, in this case that of Rostherne, a village in the United Kingdom.[9]
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Rosthern had a population of 1,602 living in 642 of its 694 total private dwellings, a change of -5.1% from its 2016 population of 1,688. With a land area of 4.14 km2 (1.60 sq mi), it had a population density of 387.0/km2 (1,002.2/sq mi) in 2021.[10]
2021 | 2016 | 2011 | |
---|---|---|---|
Population | 1,602 (-5.1% from 2016) | 1,688 (7.4% from 2011) | 1,572 (13.7% from 2006) |
Land area | 4.14 km2 (1.60 sq mi) | 4.31 km2 (1.66 sq mi) | 4.31 km2 (1.66 sq mi) |
Population density | 386.9/km2 (1,002/sq mi) | 392.0/km2 (1,015/sq mi) | 365.0/km2 (945/sq mi) |
Median age | 41.2 (M: 40, F: 42.4) | 43.3 (M: 41.8, F: 44.8) | 46.0 (M: 43.6, F: 47.7) |
Total private dwellings | 645 | 747 | 731 |
Median household income | $N/A | $N/A |
Attractions



The Seager Wheeler Farm, a National Historic Site of Canada, is 7 km east of Rosthern. The Rosthern Mennonite Heritage Museum (c. 1909-10) is a Municipal Heritage Property on the Canadian Register of Historic Places.[16]
There is also a public library, many parks and walking trails.
Recreation
In addition to the nearby Valley Regional Park with an 18-hole grass green golf course, there are two ball-diamonds, two indoor hockey rinks, a curling rink, bowling alley, and three school gyms. A new outdoor swimming pool completed in 2005. Rosthern is also home to the Youth Farm Bible Camp.
Popular sporting activities include baseball, soccer, badminton, basketball, hockey, swimming, volleyball, floor hockey and Tae Kwon Do.
Churches
Rosthern is home to over ten churches including Mennonite, Ukrainian Orthodox, Swedenborgian, Pentecostal, Anglican, Roman Catholic, Ukrainian Catholic, Lutheran, Seventh-day Adventist, Christian & Missionary Alliance, and Baptist.
Notable people
- Alan Joseph Adamson, politician
- William Benjamin Bashford, politician
- Bill Braden, politician
- George Braden, 2nd Premier of Northwest Territories
- Russ Brayshaw, hockey player
- Onésime Dorval, educator
- Wayne Elhard, politician
- Isaak Elias, politician
- Gerhard Ens, town founder
- Jerry Friesen, football player
- Ben Heppner, politician
- Jim Hrycuik, hockey player
- Roger Kortko, hockey player
- George Langley, politician
- Frederick Loveroff, artist
- Archibald Peter McNab, 6th Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
- Myles Morin, politician
- Earle Morris, curler
- Barbara Nickel, writer
- Erdman Penner, Disney screenwriter
- Jim Penner, businessman and politician
- J. D. Denis Pelletier, judge
- Richie Regehr, hockey player
- Robyn Regehr, hockey player
- Jeanne Thomarat, artist
- Maurice Vellacott, politician
- Seager Wheeler, author
- Art Wiebe, hockey player
- Berny Wiens, politician
References
- "2011 Community Profiles". Statistics Canada. Government of Canada. Archived from the original on 2018-12-26. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
- National Archives, Archivia Net, Post Offices and Postmasters, archived from the original on 2006-10-06, retrieved 2007-08-02
- Government of Saskatchewan, MRD Home. "Municipal Directory System". Archived from the original on 2016-01-15. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
- Canadian Textiles Institute. (2005), CTI Determine your provincial constituency, archived from the original on 2007-09-11
- Commissioner of Canada Elections, Chief Electoral Officer of Canada (2005), Elections Canada On-line, archived from the original on 2007-04-21, retrieved 2007-08-02
- Rosthern (Saskatchewan, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia.
- "Rosthern". Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan. Canadian Plains Research Center, University of Regina. 2006. Archived from the original on 2016-04-18. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
- Russell, E. T. (1975), What's in a Name?, Saskatoon, Sk: Western Producer Prairie Books, p. 276, ISBN 1-894022-92-0
- Barry, Bill (2003), People Places Contemporary Saskatchewan Placenames, Regina, Canada: Print West communications, p. 230, ISBN 1-894022-92-0
- "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Saskatchewan". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
- "2021 Community Profiles". 2021 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. February 4, 2022. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
- "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. August 12, 2021. Retrieved 2017-06-05.
- "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved 2012-07-01.
- "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
- "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.
- http://www.historicplaces.ca/visit-visite/affichage-display.aspx?id=1576 Archived 2012-02-24 at the Wayback Machine Canadian Register of Historic Places.