Country Canada Rural Municipalities (R.M.) McCraney No. 282 Bonnington, NWT Post Office Founded October 1, 1904 Population 285 (2011) Province Saskatchewan | Provinces and territories of Canada Saskatchewan Settled 1902 Kenaston, SK Post office Founded January 1, 1906 Local time Saturday 7:13 PM | |
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Weather -14°C, Wind E at 19 km/h, 68% Humidity | ||
Kenaston is a village in the rural municipality of McCraney No. 282, in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.
Contents
- Map of Kenaston SK Canada
- History
- Ethnic Roots
- Attractions
- Notable natives
- Media
- Education
- Area statistics
- References
Map of Kenaston, SK, Canada
Kenaston is located on Highway 11 (Louis Riel Trail) at the junction of Highway 15 and is also near Highway 19. This is a scenic area of Saskatchewan situated within the rolling Allan Hills. Kenaston is located between Danielson Provincial Park and Blackstrap Provincial Park. The village population according to the municipality and 2011 census was 285 persons.
CN currently serves Kenaston; however the line terminates at Davidson where the Last Mountain Railway (Craik subdivision) begins and takes over the remainder of the line.
History
The settlement was first known as Bonnington Springs in the District of Assiniboia in the Northwest Territories but usually referred to as "Bonnington". In late 1905, when Saskatchewan became a province, the name was changed to “Kenaston”, honoring F.E. Kenaston, who was the Vice President of the Saskatchewan Valley Land Company. The railroad reached Bonnington in late 1889, but there is no record of any permanent residents until 1902. In that year the Saskatchewan Valley Land Company was formed made up of wealthy men from the United States. The president was Colonel Andrew Duncan Davidson and F. E. Kenaston was vice-president.
The Saskatchewan Valley Land Company purchased 839,000 acres (3,400 km2) of land from the railway for $1.53 an acre and another 250,000 acres (1,000 km2) from the Dominion Government for $1.00 an acre. By adopting spectacular methods of advertising and employing dozens of land agents, the wide open spaces between Regina and Saskatoon were peopled with hundreds of settlers in the time between 1902 and 1910.
Needs of settlers created a necessity for business places and the settlement grew and was incorporated as a village in July 1910. The Kenaston School opened its doors to its first fourteen pupils in August 1905, while the town was still officially known as Bonnington. The first store was built in 1903, the post office and hotel were established in 1904, the first telephone installed in 1909, and the first of Kenaston’s grain elevator was built in 1906 by the Canadian Elevator Company. In 1910, the 40,000 gallon water tower was built by CNR in proximity to the train station and just across from the first hotel.
Ethnic Roots
Attractions
Kenaston hosts a sporting facility named Kenaston Place which brings to the village the event Super Draft. Kenaston Snowman Park is near the historic water tower restoration. Kenaston's large roadside attraction is a Snowman which is 18 Feet (5.5 Metres) in height and honours the nickname of Kenaston being the Blizzard capital of Saskatchewan. Bonnington Springs is the name of the campground at Kenaston. Kenaston Recreation Site is a conservation area near Kenaston at 17-29-2-W3.
Notable natives
Media
Education
Kenaston is part of the Sun West School Division.
Area statistics
Time zone (cst) UTC−6