The Saskatchewan Traveller
by Trudy and Dale Buxton
After a brief stop into Macklin, we continue west on Highway 14 towards Alberta.
It’s a great day for sightseeing and the highway is good to travel on.
Did you know that the Saskatchewan/Alberta border lies on the 110th meridian, which was the only way in 1905 to define the two provinces. The 110th meridian also defines part of the border between the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
Continuing west we change highway numbers to Alberta Highway 13, and the first small community we come to is the Hamlet of Hayter.
Founded in 1909 and was named after the president of CP Hotels. Hayter has a current day population of around 120 people and is governed under the Municipal District of Provost. The economy of Hayter is mainly agriculture, along with oil and gas.
Next up we come to the Town of Provost, with a current population of just under 2,000 people.
The origins of Provost and how it received its name remains a mystery. What is known is this fledging community was once called “Lakeview”, because of the closeness of the Fleeing Horse Lake. But back in 1907 when the Canadian Pacific Railway was coming through, the officials decided to call it Provost and it stuck. Nobody is sure whether Provost was named after someone or whether it comes from the Scottish word meaning “magistrate”.
The village quickly grew and by 1952 was established as a town.
There are records and artifacts to indicate that there was human activity in this area for hundreds of years. A nearby archaeological site has discovered many artifacts.
This area is part of the Treaty 6 area when in 1879 at Sounding Lake, Chief Thunderchild of the Cree First Nations instructed his people to sign the treaty with the expanding Dominion of Canada. The signing brought many Europeans, most on foot from the railhead ends of Battleford.
In the Provost coat of arms, a large wheat stalk to signifies the history of agriculture in the area and the peace pipe to signify the signing.
Today the economy relies on agriculture along with the booming oil and gas industry that employs many jobs.
A full-service community, Provost features many recreational activities, both winter and summer, even sporting a Frisbee Golf Course. Provost also has one of the only “Butterfly Gardens” in Alberta.
Last year, Provost was also a national finalist with Communities in Bloom.
If you are wondering about the goose that is part of the town sign, it signifies the extra large flocks of Canada geese that migrate to this area every year.
There have been a few hockey players to come from Provost into the ranks of the NHL, most notably was Norm Ulman who played with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
A nice colourful little community, this will be a place to revisit in the future.
Stay tuned as we continue west into Alberta.