Oxbow, Saskatchewan

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Oxbow (49°14′N 102°10′W) is a Canadian town in the province of Saskatchewan.

According to the 2001 Canadian census, the town's population is 1,132; the town's area is 3.10 square km; population density is 364.6 per square km; the median personal income of persons 15 years old and older was $26,918; median family income was $65,249; and median household income was $53,006.

As of 2004, the mayor was Jim Brock.

The town's official motto is "Progress with pride", but the town's weekly paper, the Oxbow Herald, has long included two other unofficial town mottoes on its masthead: "Queen of the Scenic Souris" (a reference to the Souris River, near which Oxbow is situated) and "Where Oil and Agriculture Meet" (a reference to the town's two major industries).

The town's first settlers arrived in 1891, and the town was incorporated in 1904. The town was named after the "oxbow" in the Souris River near which the town is situated. Etymologically, the word "oxbow", as applied to a river, is a metaphor for the harness worn by an ox. The Latin word for "oxbow" is "boscurvis", and, therefore, the word "Boscurvis" has long been a favourite of the town, being a name of a street, a school, and the Masonic Lodge. Although most residents now prefer the term "Oxbowite", traditionalists insist on being called "Boscurvites".

The town's postal code is S0C 2B0 and all phone numbers in town are prefixed with "483" (thus, they all take the form 1-306-483-####).

1 Education
2 Literary References
3 July 1995 Plough Wind
4 October 1982 RCMP Officer Death
5 Notable Oxbowites
6 External links

[edit] Education

Oxbow Prairie Heights School (OPHS) - Grades 6 through 12
Oxbow High School was renovated in 1985, with 1986 being the first graduation year of the Oxbow Prairie Heights School. The Oxbow Hich School was Grades 7 through 12 until its renovation/replacement.

Oxbow Elementary School - Grades K through 5
Originally the Oxbow Elementary School was Grades K through 6, until 1985 when the Oxbow High School was renovated to accommodate Grades 6 through 12.

Glenn McGuire School
The Glenn McGuire School provides educational opportunities for intellectually and physically challenged students ranging in age from three to twenty-two years of age.

[edit] Literary References

Renowned Canadian journalist Ralph Allen came from Oxbow. Allen was the author of several books, including the novel Peace River Country (1958) and Ordeal By Fire: Canada, 1910-1945 (1961), a history of Canada during the period of the two world wars. In 1967, Christina McCall Newman edited a collection of Allen's columns from Maclean's entitled The Man From Oxbow. Oxbow's town museum is named in Allen's honour.

There is a reference to Oxbow in My Discovery of America by Farley Mowat (1985). The book is a memoir detailing why Mowat was denied entry to the US in 1985. In the Appendix, he points out that one of the reasons was that he had supported an Oxbow group that was opposed to nuclear weapons at the Minot Air Force Base.

Oxbow was also infamously the target of an article by Edmonton author W. P. Kinsella (who was catapaulted to fame when his book Shoeless Joe (1980) was made into the movie Field of Dreams by Kevin Costner in 1989). Kinsella was sent to Oxbow by Saturday Night magazine after Oxbow had the dubious distinction of having Canada's highest per-capita murder rate.

[edit] July 1995 Plough Wind

A destructive Plough Wind went through Oxbow and the Surrounding Area. Numerous houses were damaged, trees were uprooted. Even though a portion of the Bow Manor Hotel roof was torn off, no serious injuries were reported.

[edit] October 1982 RCMP Officer Death

October 16th, 1982 - RCMP Officer Cst. Butler was killed while on duty in Oxbow. A high speed pursuit had began earlier West of Oxbow with the pursuit heading towards Oxbow. Cst. Butler had set up a road block with his RCMP cruiser across the roadway. A high speed collision occurred with Cst. Butler still in the vehicle. He later died of his injuries. Two other occupants of the evading vehicle were also killed.