Wilkie, Saskatchewan

History

On February 2, 1907, the first post office was established with the name Glenlogan at Section 4, Township 40, Range 19, west of the 3rd Meridian. The post office changed names on October 1, 1908 to Wilkie. Wilkie was once home to "The World's Largest Grasshopper" (a roadside attraction), which used to be located in front of the town rink and hall.

Wilkie family history

The Town of Wilkie, Saskatchewan was named after Mr. Daniel Robert Wilkie, who was the president of the Imperial Bank of Canada (1906–1914), a backer of the Canadian Pacific Railway and a member of the Canadian Art Club. Mr. Daniel Robert Wilkie and his family lived at "Seven Oaks" a heritage property at 432 Sherbourne Street, Toronto which was completed in 1875. His son, Major Arthur Benson Wilkie graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada and served with the Royal Sussex Regiment (1901–1920) in Lucknow, India (1902); Thorncliffe, England (1903–04); Malta (1904–05); Candia, Crete (1906); British Legation, Peking (1908) and Toronto, Ontario (1910–1920). His other son Major Charles Stuart (Chas) Wilkie served as a Lieutenant with the Royal Canadian Artillery (1899–1919) and volunteered with the 10th Regiment in South Africa during the Boer War 1899–1900 and during the Great War.

Railway

Wilkie is a station on the Canadian Pacific Railway line from Portage la Prairie, via Saskatoon to Edmonton, 160 kilometres west of Saskatoon. Wilkie is also the starting point of Canadian Pacific's Reford Branch, to Kerrobert, 44.6 miles (71.8 km) to the southwest, and of the former Kelfield Branch, of the CPR, to Kelfield, 35.4 miles (57.0 km) south.

Demographics

Education

Wilkie is home to Norman Carter Elementary School (k–6) and McLurg High School (7–12). A Catholic School (k–9) is named after the patron saint of Canada, St. George; after grade 9 the students attend the McLurg High School.

Latimer controversy

Wilkie was the site of the controversial murder of Tracy Latimer, a 12-year-old girl with cerebral palsy, on October 24, 1993. Her father, Robert Latimer, killed her via carbon monoxide poisoning at the Latimer family farm near Wilkie, wanting to end her suffering. The case sparked a national controversy on the definition and ethics of euthanasia, as well as the rights of people with disabilities. The killing led to two Supreme Court decisions, R. v. Latimer (1997), on Section Ten of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and later R. v. Latimer (2001), on cruel and unusual punishments under Section Twelve of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Latimer was released on day parole in March 2008 and was granted full parole on November 29, 2010.