| Town of Nipawin | |
|---|---|
| — Town — | |
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Town of Nipawin
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Saskatchewan |
| Region | Saskatchewan |
| Census division | No. 14 |
| Rural Municipality | No. 487 |
| Settled | 1910 |
| Incorporated (town) | 1937 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Lawrence Rospad |
| Area | |
| • Total | 8.03 km2 (3.1 sq mi) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Total | 4,061 |
| • Density | 506.0/km2 (1,310.5/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CST |
| Postal code | S0E 1E0 |
| Area code(s) | 306 |
| Waterways | Saskatchewan River |
| Website | Town of Nipawin |
Nipawin is located in north-east Saskatchewan, Canada, on the Saskatchewan River portion of Tobin Lake. Nipawin is near the Fort à la Corne Provincial Forest, location of the world's largest diamond bearing kimberlites and intensive diamond exploration activity. Other industries in the area include: agriculture, tourism, canola oil processing, honey production, candle manufacturing, forestry, and commercialization of second-generation biofuels.
The town lies between Codette Lake, created by the Francois-Finlay Dam (built in 1986) and Tobin Lake, created by the E.B. Campbell Dam built in 1963, renamed from "Squaw Rapids"). The construction of Francois-Finlay Dam earned Nipawin the nickname, The Town of Two Lakes. This resort community has become a destination for fishing, camping, boating, golfing, hunting and outdoor recreation. Nipawin hosts several annual fishing events, including, the Great Northern Pike Festival, a summer-long event offering prizes for catching tagged fish. Other annual fishing events are the Codette Walleye tournament, Ladies Fish for Freedom Tournament, and the Vanity Cup Walleye tournament running the last weekend in September and the first week in October.
Nipawin is bordered by the Rural Municipality of Nipawin No. 487 and the Rural Municipality of Torch River No. 488 (the latter across the Saskatchewan River).
Nipawin is also home to a beautifully landscaped 18-hole golf course. It has been rated as one of the top 100 public courses in Canada and one of the top five in Saskatchewan. Annual events held at the Evergreen Golf Club are Bob Dow Memorial Golf Tournament and the Evergreen Classic Golf Tournament along with many other tournaments throughout the golf season. Nipawin is also home to golf pro Tyler Baker.
Nipawin is located along the Trans-Canada Snowmobile Trail. There are many other groomed trails that run around Nipawin along with snowmobile rallies.
Curling is also found in Nipawin for the young and old. Nipawin hosts the Ladies, Mens and Seniors Bonspiels and the Evergreen Curling Classic.
Nipawin is a Cree word meaning "a bed, or resting place" which referred to a low-lying area along the river now flooded by Codette Lake where First Nations women and children would camp and wait for the men to arrive.
The first permanent settlement of Nipawin occurred in 1910 with the establishment of a trading post. In 1924 the Canadian Pacific Railway passed nearby over the Crooked Bridge, and the settlement was moved, building by building, to its current location to be closer to the railway.
The name Nipawin was also given to Nipawin Regional Park, a large recreational a few kilometres northwest of the town.
One of the major forms of entertainment in town is the Nipawin Hawks of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
On April 18, 2008, a downtown meat shop exploded, destroying three buildings as well as damaging several more. The explosion killed two and injured five. The explosion is suspected to have been caused by a backhoe that snagged and sheared a natural gas riser from the main line. The explosion prompted the implementation of a state of emergency by the mayor. The explosion received extensive national news coverage. [1]
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There is, however, some dispute regarding the current population of Nipawin, with Tourism Saskatchewan's Saskatchewan Discovery Guide 2010 claiming a population of 5,074, which actually places Nipawin over the population threshold for applying for city status.
The town is home to the head office of Cumberland Regional College, whose students number 360; as well as a major Saskatchewan Bible college, Nipawin Bible College, which has 48 students enrolled. Nipawin is also home to three public schools: Central Park Elementary School, Wagner Elementary School, and L.P. Miller Comprehensive School
| Climate data for Nipawin | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 7.7 (45.9) |
10.4 (50.7) |
16.8 (62.2) |
30.5 (86.9) |
34.7 (94.5) |
38.2 (100.8) |
35.4 (95.7) |
36.5 (97.7) |
32.1 (89.8) |
27.5 (81.5) |
17 (63) |
9.4 (48.9) |
38.2 (100.8) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −14 (7) |
−9.5 (14.9) |
−2.6 (27.3) |
8.5 (47.3) |
17.3 (63.1) |
21.7 (71.1) |
23.9 (75.0) |
23 (73) |
16.6 (61.9) |
8.8 (47.8) |
−3.6 (25.5) |
−11.4 (11.5) |
6.6 (43.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −19.6 (−3.3) |
−15.2 (4.6) |
−8.4 (16.9) |
2.5 (36.5) |
10.4 (50.7) |
15.3 (59.5) |
17.6 (63.7) |
16.2 (61.2) |
10.4 (50.7) |
3.3 (37.9) |
−7.9 (17.8) |
−16.5 (2.3) |
0.7 (33.3) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −25 (−13) |
−20.8 (−5.4) |
−14.2 (6.4) |
−3.6 (25.5) |
3.5 (38.3) |
8.8 (47.8) |
11.3 (52.3) |
9.4 (48.9) |
4.2 (39.6) |
−2.3 (27.9) |
−12.2 (10.0) |
−21.6 (−6.9) |
−5.2 (22.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −45.3 (−49.5) |
−45 (−49) |
−40.2 (−40.4) |
−33.6 (−28.5) |
−10.8 (12.6) |
−1.8 (28.8) |
1.3 (34.3) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
−8 (18) |
−22.2 (−8.0) |
−37.4 (−35.3) |
−43.7 (−46.7) |
−45.3 (−49.5) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 15.7 (0.618) |
11 (0.43) |
17.4 (0.685) |
23.8 (0.937) |
49.7 (1.957) |
75.9 (2.988) |
78.1 (3.075) |
60 (2.36) |
42.2 (1.661) |
29.2 (1.15) |
18.7 (0.736) |
17.8 (0.701) |
439.3 (17.295) |
| Source: Environment Canada[3] | |||||||||||||
| White Fox | Tobin Lake | |||
| Carrot River | ||||
| Nipawin | ||||
| Gronlid | Codette | Aylsham |