Southey, Saskatchewan

History

The vast prairie land of the North-West Territories was opened for settlement during the latter part of the 1880s and 1890s. Prior to this, the whole area was home to the First Nations people and their culture. Settlement by Europeans and Americans followed the river valleys and then the westward movement of the railway.

The first early settlement in the Southey area consisted of ranchers north and south of the present townsite. H.B. Chandler, one of the first settlers, filed on land on the south side of town in 1903. When the railway arrived in the area, he applied for the site to be named "Southey", after Robert Southey, one of his favourite English poets.

From this point on, the town grew and developed with the appearance of the first stores, school, banks, elevators, barber shop, hardware and implement dealers, restaurants, lumber yard, telephone system, sidewalks, fire brigades, and others in the 1905 - 1912 period. This growth allowed Southey to be incorporated in 1907–08. Subsequently, streets were named after other British writers and poets, so it is possible to travel down streets named Keats, Browning, Burns, Byron, Coleridge, Frost, Kipling, Milton, and others.

In 1988 Southey celebrated its 80th anniversary and in 2008 the town had a 100th year celebration.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Southey had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of 1.56 km2, it had a population density of in 2021.

According to the 2011 census, Southey's median age was 39.9 years (males:37.4 yrs., females:42.0 yrs.) It had the median household income was $71,585.

Sports and recreation

Southey has a curling rink, water spray park, nearby golf courses, and an ice rink at the Southey Communiplex. The Southey Marlins of the senior men's Highway Hockey League play there, except right now the team is on a hiatus.

Education

The Robert Southey School is a K-12 school incorporating over 100 years of history. In 2006 Southey School celebrated its centenary.

Churches

The people of Southey and District have four main centres for religious congregations:

• Southey Baptist Church
• Southey Emmanuel Lutheran Church
• Southey St James Roman Catholic Church
• Southey United Church

Southey Cable

The Southey Cable Company was owned and operated by the Town of Southey under the guidance of the Southey Cable Committee. It is now defunct and Access TV was substituted in as an option.

Notable people

• Donna Kriekle, artist

Gallery

File:SoutheyA2.jpg|West side of Southey File:SoutheyB2.jpg|Southey, west of Main Street File:SoutheyC2.jpg|Southey, east of Main Street File:SoutheyNLacLagune2tn9.jpg|The elevators of Southey in 1987 File:SoutheyElevatorsOct92tn9.jpg|Elevators in 1992 File:Southey elevator.jpeg|Silhouette of last remaining elevator

References

References

1. "Southey 80th Anniversary, July 1988". Joebess.com.
2. "Southey's 100th Anniversary". Joebess.com.
3. (February 9, 2022). "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Saskatchewan". [[Statistics Canada]].
4. [[Statistics Canada]]. (2012). "Southey, Saskatchewan (Code 4706092) and Saskatchewan (Code 47) (table). Census Profile. 2011 Census".
5. "Highway Hockey League". Highway Hockey League.
6. "Southey School 100th Anniversary". Joebess.com.
7. "Churches". Joebess.com.
8. "The Southey Cable Company". Joebess.com.