Outlook

History

Settlement began in the early 1900s with farmers and immigrants moving into the area looking for farmland. Outlook officially started as a settlement on August 26, 1908 when the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) commenced the auction of lots.

On November 23, 1908, the citizens of Outlook welcomed the first train which arrived from Moose Jaw. Within the month the CPR was running a tri-weekly train service carrying huge piles of lumber, however the supply of workers and materials was far outweighed by the demand for more buildings. The Outlook CPR Station building was built in 1909 and a year later, on November 1, 1910, Outlook was officially declared a town. In 1912 the Skytrail bridge crossing the South Saskatchewan River was finished, allowing both passenger and commercial traffic to cross the river in the area for the first time without using the ferry.

In 1910, a fire broke out in the hardware store in town, spreading rapidly and eventually grew to the size of a city block.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Outlook had a population of 2,336 living in 1,001 of its 1,055 total private dwellings, a change of 2.5% from its 2016 population of 2,279. With a land area of 8.34 km2 (3.22 sq mi), it had a population density of 280.1/km2 (725.4/sq mi) in 2021.

Arts and culture

Outlook's arts program includes the Equinox Theatre, a community theatre group that puts on one to two productions a year. They have put on such productions such as Anne of Green Gables and The Little Mermaid. In the past, the group would work in conjunction with the LCBI theatre group.

The Outlook and District Community Arts Council opened an art gallery in the Town Office Building.

Attractions

Outlook & District Regional Park (51.4834°N 107.0673°W / 51.4834; -107.0673) is a 100-acre park situated along the South Saskatchewan River adjacent to the town. It was founded in 1961 and has 50 electrified campsites, an outdoor heated junior size Olympic swimming pool and paddling pool for toddlers, hiking trails and the 9-hole Riverview Golf Course. The golf course was built in 1972 and has grass greens, is a par 36, and a total of 3,118 yards.

The Skytrail Bridge is an old railway bridge, converted for pedestrian use; it is 3,000 feet long and stands 156 ft above the South Saskatchewan River. The Skytrail bridge has been closed to the public since 2013 due to unsafe conditions.

Outlook railway station building is home to the Outlook & District Heritage Museum The museum has over 2,500 artifacts from the Outlook area. Some of the highlights include:

a caboose

an arrowhead and stone tool collection

an old holding cell from the Broderick train station

an antique wood stove

a collection of over 400 salt & pepper shakers

antique hospital equipment donated by the Outlook Union Hospital

the original printing press from Outlook Printers

the proposed model plan of Gardiner Dam and Lake Diefenbaker

original artwork by acclaimed artist Arthur Evoy who was born in Outlook

The Canada Saskatchewan Irrigation Diversification Centre, a research facility located on the outskirts of town, tests different crops, diseases, chemicals under dryland and irrigation. The centre has many tours during the summer as well as a field day in July.

Climate

Outlook has a humid continental climate (Dfb). The highest temperature ever recorded in Outlook was 41.1 °C (106 °F) on June 16, 1933, and July 4, 1937. The coldest temperature ever recorded was −52.2 °C (−62 °F) on February 25, 1919.

Sports

The Outlook Recreation Complex has a skating rink, a 4-sheet curling rink, a bowling alley, and an indoor archery range. Adjacent are five baseball diamonds. As of 2021, The Outlook Recreation Complex also offers a multi-sport court in the summer months, including basketball, pickleball, shuffleboard, volleyball, badminton, lacrosse, floor hockey, and tennis.

The Jim Kook Arena in the Complex is home to many sports programs throughout the year, including the Outlook Minor Sports program. It is home to the Outlook Ice Hawks senior hockey team.

The Outlook Stock Car Association maintains a stock car 1/3 mile high banked clay oval track. The track runs 10 or more races a season.

The Van Raay & Community Swimming Pool was opened in 2019 and provides a venue for swimming lessons, public swimming, and additional aquatic programs. On January 20, 2024, a pipe in the facility burst, causing widespread flooding and damage which led to the pool being closed for the 2024 season and prompted a change in the pool's winterization procedures.

Infrastructure

Outlook Airport used to be located South East of Outlook. It was closed in 2019.

Outlook used to have an award-winning recycling program. The Town of Outlook has recycled nearly three million pounds of cardboard as of 2003, and nearly 2 million pounds of newspaper. During 2019, the local program was scrapped for Loraas pickup based in Saskatoon due to high costs.

Education

Outlook is located within the Sun West School Division.

Outlook High School - a public school offering grades 6–12 which also houses the Wheatland Library Outlook Branch. Outlook High School is home to the Blues athletics program, which includes football, volleyball, basketball, badminton, curling and cross-country.

Outlook Elementary School is a public school offering grades K–5.

Lutheran Collegiate Bible Institute is a fully-accredited high school offering grades 9–12, with residences for 120 students.

Notable people

Charles Francis Bolton (born 1932) – neurologist

Pete Ferry (1914–1971) – curler

Marcia Kilgore (born 1968) – beauty industry entrepreneur

Kirk Reynolds (born 1974) – Olympic sports shooter

Samantha Ridgewell (born 1996) – professional ice hockey goaltender

Don Saxton (born 1956) – Olympic volleyball player

Logan Stephenson (born 1986) – professional ice hockey player

Shay Stephenson (born 1983) – professional ice hockey player