Carrot River, Saskatchewan

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Carrot River is a town located in North-East Saskatchewan (population: 1,017, location) and center Saskatchewan (Geographical location), in Canada. The name Carrot River is from the wild carrots growing along the river. Settlement was slow until the Canadian National Railway came in 1931 bringing farmers from the south. More roads and drainage ditches being built improved conditions around Carrot River and it became a village in 1941 and incorporated as a town on April 1, 1948.

In 1963, the Squaw Rapids Hydro-Electric (renamed to E.B. Campbell Hydro-Electric Dam) in Saskatchewan was built 50 km north of Carrot River, forming Tobin Lake, an excellent fishing and recreation area close to the town which brings lots of tourism from all over the world.

Weyerhaeuser is the town's largest employer and has a $14 million upgrade in past years. A 1999 acquisition of SaskForest Products makes the Carrot River Sawmill one of North America's largest forest product companies.

Premier Sask Inc. harvests peat, a decayed matter and the forerunner to coal and has a packing and shipping plant at Carrot River. Expanding markets for peat have allowed the Carrot River plant to expand. Premier Sask Inc. ships approximately 1.6 million four cubic foot bales per year.

Tourism is bolstered by the discovery of Big Bert, the remains of a 92 million year old crocodile near Pasquia Park on the shores of the Carrot River. Pasquia Park is located 6 miles (10 kilometers to the south) and Big Bert is the first to be found in North America.