Craik

Looking east up 3rd Street: The 1913 town hall is on the left (with the bell tower); the former Saskatchewan Wheat Pool elevator in the background dates to the late 1950s. Photograph taken July 19, 2004.

David McLennan

Town, pop 418, located about mid-way between Regina and Saskatoon on Hwy 11. Although the Qu'Appelle, Long Lake & Saskatchewan Railway was running between Regina, Saskatoon, and Prince Albert in 1890, the Craik district was not really settled until the early 1900s. The majority of those who arrived in the area were of British origin. Craik had a peak population of 607 in 1956. Today, the town has a range of businesses and services, including a health centre and special care home, a K-12 school, and a local RCMP detachment. The Craik Community Archives and Oral History Society is located in the 1913 building which previously had housed the town hall and fire hall. The Craik Prairie Pioneer Museum site includes a collection of pioneer artifacts housed in an assembly of heritage buildings. The most significant development in the community in recent years has been the Craik Sustainable Living Project: this initiative aims at advancing the local use of ecologically sound technologies by presenting viable alternatives related to Land Use, food and fibre production, energy generation and Conservation, shelter, recycling, and water and waste management. Through the recently completed Eco-Centre, the development of an Eco-Village, and outreach and Education programs, it is believed the project will stimulate socio-economic revitalization in the community.

David McLennan