Leader, Saskatchewan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

See Leader for more meanings of "leader."

Leader is a town in southwestern Saskatchewan, Canada, located approximately 350km directly east of Calgary, Alberta and is near the border between Saskatchewan and Alberta. It has a population of approximately 1000 (as of 2006). The town was incorporated in 1917. Including 3 rural municipalities, Leader, is the center of a retail trading area. Leader is also one of the sunniest places in North America as it averages 2350 hours of sunshine per year. The average precipitation is 10 inches of rain per year and 31 inches of snow per annum. The South Saskatchewan River valley is north of Leader, and the southern landscape is dominated by rolling hills. The economic base and stability of the community centers around the grain and cattle industries. The average income per person in Leader is 1% higher than the provincial average, that being $22,878 in 1998. Leader is also known for a strong tourist trade, with a prominent and well-known bird trail, home to over 200 different species of birds.

In November of 2006, the inhabitants of Leader found an interesting way to protest the amount of potholes on their main road and attract national attention. They posed nude in the potholes for a calendar. Both Canadian and American newspapers picked up the story and MSNBC featured it on their website. [1]