| Blackstrap Provincial Park | |
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IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)
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| Location | Saskatchewan |
| Nearest city | Saskatoon |
| Area | 6.06 ha |
| Governing body | Saskatchewan Provincial Parks |
Blackstrap Provincial Park is a conservation area with a man made lake, a provincial campground, and a man made mountain; Blackstrap Ski Hill. Blackstrap Provincial Park is located east of Dundurn and accessed via Saskatchewan Highway 211 which is approximately 7 km (4 mi.) long. The highway connects Highway 11 near Dundurn to the main access road for Blackstrap Provincial Park and Township Road 330. After approximately km 6 on Saskatchewan Highway 211, the highway descends into the valley where Blackstrap Provincial Park is located. Directly after this slope is a causeway over the Blackstrap Reservoir, at the end of which is Highway 211's eastern terminus. In 1969, 1970 Mount Blackstrap was constructed to host the 1971 Canada Winter Games which were awarded to Saskatoon. The land used to create the mountain later became the reserve for Lake Blackstrap.[1] Water used to flood and maintain the lake is gravity fed via an earthen aqueduct from Lake Diefenbaker. Local legend claims that the name for the region is derived from an incident involving the breaking of a barrel of Blackstrap Molasses during transport through the valley, thereafter becoming known as Blackstrap. Fred Wilson, reeve of the Dundurn RM, Whitecap Dakota First Nation and surrounding municipalities in the area have shown support to convert the provincial park to a regional park. Development of the roadways, cabins, housing, and camping would impart more financial aid to the park, which would be addressed by the communities. The operation of the ski hill for the year of 2007 was estimated at $465,000 by the provincial government. No private sector came forward to run the hill, and it was closed down. But due to a sudden boom in the immigration to the province and a booming economy, offers are expected to come in. Provincial funding to Blackstrap Provincial Park has historically supported the ski hill operations only and the remainder of the park has deteriorated. Christine Tell, minister of Tourism, parks, culture and sport, and Van Isman, Tourism and parks deputy minister will update the provincial government's Blackstrap provincial park management plan to aim to make Blackstrap the best facility it can be.[2]
Activities include mountain biking, fishing, hiking, boating, wind sailing, cross country and downhill skiing and camping.
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Legal Land Description township 32- range 3-West of the 3rd Meridian
Local communities on the shore of Lake Blackstrap include two villages and one small group of estates; the Resort Village of Thode; the Resort Village of Shields; and Skyview Estates. The Resort Village of Thode is located on the north-west Shore of Lake Blackstrap directly across from the main beach at Blackstrap Provincial Park, and is home to approximately 156 people[3] who live there year round. Most of the people in the Resort Village of Thode live either directly on the lakeshore, or have an unobstructed view over the lakeshore road which separates them from the lake. The Resort Village of Shields is on the north-east Shore of Lake Blackstrap and is home to approximately 172 people[4] who also live there year round. The Resort Village of Shields also has a golf course which includes a view of Lake Blackstrap, and is maintained locally by the Shields community. Unlike Thode, only a portion of the Resort Village of Shields is lakefront property. Shields and Thode (as they are locally called) have, in addition to the full time residents, summer cottagers which are not reflected in the population statistics. Skyview Estates is a small group of large estate homes located between north-west bend of Blackstrap Lake and accessed from Highway 11. The estates have a view of the mountain; Blackstrap Ski Hill, and the lake, and are across from the Blackstrap Provincial Park camp grounds. Skyview Estates has its own marina allowing the residents unlimited access to the water. However, the estates themselves do not actually connect to the shore.
Fish species include walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, burbot and white sucker.