Outlook, Saskatchewan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Town of Outlook
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Business District
Franklin Street |
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| Motto(s):
"Home of Canada's Longest Pedestrian Bridge" "Irrigation Capital of Saskatchewan"
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 Outlook, Saskatchewan
Location in Saskatchewan
Outlook, Saskatchewan
Location in Canada
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| Country | Canada |
| Province | Saskatchewan |
| Census division | 11 |
| Rural Municipality | Rudy |
| Founded | 1908 |
| Incorporated (Village) | 1908 |
| Incorporated (Town) | 1909 |
| Area | |
| • Land | 7.83 km2 (3.02 sq mi) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 2,279 |
| • Density | 291.0/km2 (754/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CST |
| Postal code |
S0L 2N0
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| Area code(s) | 306 |
| Highways | Highway 15 |
| Railways | Canadian Pacific Railway-(abandoned) |
Outlook is a town in west-central Saskatchewan, Canada. It is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) south-southwest of Saskatoon. The town is located along the South Saskatchewan River. It is downstream from the Gardiner Dam and the Coteau Creek Hydroelectric Station.
Contents
History of Outlook
Settlement in the Outlook area began in the early 1900s. Farmers and immigrants moved here looking for good farmland. Outlook officially started as a settlement on August 26, 1908. This was when the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) began selling land lots.
Early Development and Growth
On November 23, 1908, the first train arrived in Outlook from Moose Jaw. The town's citizens were very excited to welcome it. Within a month, the CPR was running a train service three times a week. These trains carried huge amounts of lumber. However, there were not enough workers or materials to build everything people wanted.
The Outlook CPR Station building was finished in 1909. A year later, on November 1, 1910, Outlook officially became a town. In 1912, the Skytrail bridge was completed. This bridge crosses the South Saskatchewan River. It allowed people and goods to cross the river for the first time without using a ferry.
Major Events in Outlook's History
In 1910, a big fire started in the town's hardware store. The fire spread very quickly. It eventually grew to cover an entire city block.
Population of Outlook
In the 2021 Canadian census, Outlook had a population of 2,336 people. These people lived in 1,001 of the town's 1,055 homes. This was a small increase of about 2.5% from its 2016 population of 2,279. Outlook covers a land area of 8.34 square kilometers (3.22 square miles). In 2021, this meant there were about 280 people living per square kilometer.
| Canada census – Outlook community profile | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 2006 | ||
| Population: | 2,204 (13.7% from 2006) | 1,938 (-9.0% from 2001) | |
| Land area: | 7.83 km2 (3.02 sq mi) | 7.83 km2 (3.02 sq mi) | |
| Population density: | 281.3/km2 (729/sq mi) | 247.4/km2 (641/sq mi) | |
| Median age: | 49.7 (M: 47.1, F: 52.3) | ||
| Total private dwellings: | 1046 | 994 | |
| Median household income: | $52,112 | ||
| References: 2011 2006 earlier | |||
Arts and Culture in Outlook
Outlook has a lively arts scene. The Equinox Theatre is a community theatre group. They perform one or two plays each year. Some of their past shows include Anne of Green Gables and The Little Mermaid. This group used to work with the LCBI theatre group.
The Outlook and District Community Arts Council has an art gallery. You can find it in the Town Office Building.
Fun Attractions in Outlook
Outlook offers several interesting places to visit and explore.
Outlook & District Regional Park
The Outlook & District Regional Park is a large park covering 100 acres. It is located along the South Saskatchewan River, right next to the town. The park was started in 1961. It has 50 campsites with electricity. There is also an outdoor heated swimming pool and a smaller pool for toddlers. You can enjoy hiking trails and the 9-hole Riverview Golf Course. The golf course was built in 1972. It has grass greens and is a par 36 course, stretching 3,118 yards.
Skytrail Bridge
The Skytrail Bridge is an old railway bridge. It has been changed for people to walk across. The bridge is 3,000 feet (914 meters) long. It stands 156 feet (47.5 meters) above the South Saskatchewan River. However, the Skytrail bridge has been closed to the public since 2013 because it is not safe.
Outlook & District Heritage Museum
The Outlook railway station building is now home to the Outlook & District Heritage Museum. The museum has more than 2,500 items from the Outlook area. Some of the cool things you can see include:
- a caboose (the last car on a freight train)
- a collection of arrowheads and stone tools
- an old holding cell from the Broderick train station
- an antique wood stove
- a collection of over 400 salt and pepper shakers
- old hospital equipment donated by the Outlook Union Hospital
- the original printing press from Outlook Printers
- a model plan of the Gardiner Dam and Lake Diefenbaker
- original artwork by famous artist Arthur Evoy, who was born in Outlook
Canada Saskatchewan Irrigation Diversification Centre
The Canada Saskatchewan Irrigation Diversification Centre is a research facility. It is located just outside of town. Here, scientists test different crops, diseases, and chemicals. They study how these things grow both with and without irrigation (watering). The center offers many tours during the summer. They also have a special field day in July.
Climate in Outlook
Outlook has a humid continental climate. This means it has warm summers and cold winters. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Outlook was 41.1°C (106°F). This happened on June 16, 1933, and again on July 4, 1937. The coldest temperature ever recorded was a very chilly -52.2°C (-62°F) on February 25, 1919.
| Climate data for Outlook, 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1915–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 10.6 (51.1) |
14.4 (57.9) |
23.3 (73.9) |
33.9 (93.0) |
37.2 (99.0) |
41.1 (106.0) |
41.1 (106.0) |
39.4 (102.9) |
37.5 (99.5) |
32.8 (91.0) |
22.8 (73.0) |
16.1 (61.0) |
41.1 (106.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −8.1 (17.4) |
−5.3 (22.5) |
1.5 (34.7) |
11.7 (53.1) |
18.4 (65.1) |
22.5 (72.5) |
25.6 (78.1) |
25.0 (77.0) |
18.9 (66.0) |
11.0 (51.8) |
0.4 (32.7) |
−6.0 (21.2) |
9.6 (49.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −13.1 (8.4) |
−10.1 (13.8) |
−3.4 (25.9) |
5.3 (41.5) |
11.5 (52.7) |
16.1 (61.0) |
18.9 (66.0) |
18.0 (64.4) |
12.3 (54.1) |
5.1 (41.2) |
−4.1 (24.6) |
−10.7 (12.7) |
3.8 (38.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −18.0 (−0.4) |
−14.8 (5.4) |
−8.2 (17.2) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
4.7 (40.5) |
9.8 (49.6) |
12.1 (53.8) |
10.9 (51.6) |
5.6 (42.1) |
−0.9 (30.4) |
−8.5 (16.7) |
−15.4 (4.3) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −45.0 (−49.0) |
−52.2 (−62.0) |
−46.1 (−51.0) |
−28.3 (−18.9) |
−10.8 (12.6) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
0.0 (32.0) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
−12.2 (10.0) |
−28.9 (−20.0) |
−34.4 (−29.9) |
−42.2 (−44.0) |
−52.2 (−62.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 13.9 (0.55) |
8.6 (0.34) |
19.3 (0.76) |
21.6 (0.85) |
42.6 (1.68) |
63.9 (2.52) |
56.1 (2.21) |
42.8 (1.69) |
34.1 (1.34) |
16.6 (0.65) |
14.6 (0.57) |
14.7 (0.58) |
348.6 (13.72) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 0.3 (0.01) |
0.3 (0.01) |
5.9 (0.23) |
16.1 (0.63) |
39.0 (1.54) |
63.9 (2.52) |
56.1 (2.21) |
42.8 (1.69) |
32.8 (1.29) |
12.6 (0.50) |
3.1 (0.12) |
0.3 (0.01) |
273.0 (10.75) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 13.6 (5.4) |
8.3 (3.3) |
12.9 (5.1) |
5.5 (2.2) |
3.6 (1.4) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.3 (0.5) |
3.8 (1.5) |
11.6 (4.6) |
14.7 (5.8) |
75.3 (29.6) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 93.5 | 122.8 | 157.7 | 213.2 | 266.3 | 283.6 | 319.6 | 288.2 | 186.5 | 156.9 | 91.4 | 73.9 | 2,253.6 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 35.9 | 43.7 | 42.9 | 51.4 | 55.1 | 57.1 | 64.0 | 63.7 | 49.0 | 47.3 | 34.1 | 30.0 | 47.9 |
| Source: Environment Canada | |||||||||||||
Sports and Recreation
The Outlook Recreation Complex is a great place for sports. It has a skating rink and a curling rink with four sheets of ice. There's also a bowling alley and an indoor archery range. Outside, you'll find five baseball diamonds. Since 2021, the complex also has a multi-sport court for summer use. You can play basketball, pickleball, shuffleboard, volleyball, badminton, lacrosse, floor hockey, and tennis there.
Jim Kook Arena
The Jim Kook Arena is part of the Complex. It hosts many sports programs all year. This includes the Outlook Minor Sports program for younger athletes. It is also the home of the Outlook Ice Hawks, a senior hockey team.
Outlook Stock Car Association
The Outlook Stock Car Association has a stock car track. It's a 1/3 mile (0.54 km) high-banked clay oval track. They usually hold 10 or more races each season.
Infrastructure and Services
Outlook has various services and facilities for its residents.
Transportation
The Outlook Airport used to be located southeast of Outlook. It was closed in 2019.
Recycling Program
Outlook once had a very successful recycling program. By 2003, the town had recycled almost three million pounds of cardboard. They also recycled nearly two million pounds of newspaper. In 2019, the local program was replaced. A company from Saskatoon now handles the pickup due to high costs.
Education in Outlook
Outlook is part of the Sun West School Division. There are three schools in the town:
- Outlook High School is a public school for grades 6 to 12. It also houses the Wheatland Library Outlook Branch. The school is home to the Blues athletics program. This program includes sports like football, volleyball, basketball, badminton, curling, and cross-country.
- Outlook Elementary School is a public school for younger students, offering grades Kindergarten to 5.
- Lutheran Collegiate Bible Institute is a fully-accredited high school. It offers grades 9 to 12. It also has dorms for up to 120 students.
Famous People from Outlook
Many notable people have connections to Outlook:
- Charles Francis Bolton (born 1932) – a neurologist (brain doctor)
- Pete Ferry (1914–1971) – a curler (someone who plays the sport of curling)
- Marcia Kilgore (born 1968) – a successful entrepreneur in the beauty industry
- Kirk Reynolds (born 1974) – an Olympic sports shooter
- Samantha Ridgewell (born 1996) – a professional ice hockey goaltender
- Don Saxton (born 1956) – an Olympic volleyball player
- Logan Stephenson (born 1986) – a professional ice hockey player
- Shay Stephenson (born 1983) – a professional ice hockey player
Images for kids
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Former train station, now the Outlook and District Heritage Museum
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The Skytrail Bridge, an old railroad bridge
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Highway 15 bridge
