Pilot Butte, Saskatchewan
Pilot Butte, meaning "lookout point", is the 29th largest community in Saskatchewan, located in the White Butte area between Highway 46 and the Trans-Canada Highway. The town is a neighbour to White City and Balgonie. Pilot Butte is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Edenwold No. 158.
European settlement in the area can be traced back to the 1840s, and the town was settled in 1882. Pilot Butte's early development was more substantial than neighbouring towns thanks to the town's brick plants, along with its sand and gravel deposits. In 1995, the Pilot Butte Storm destroyed much of the town. In recent years, the population and size of Pilot Butte has begun growing at a high rate.
The population of Pilot Butte was 2,183 as of 2016, growing 18% since 2011 according to Statistics Canada.
Etymology
The town's name, meaning "lookout point", was chosen in 1883 as the name for the settlement. The origin of the community name is derived from the flat-topped hill located in the town that served as a lookout for hunting buffalo.The Cree call the hill and the town Otasawâpiwin, meaning "his lookout", and speakers of Ojibwe call it Akawaabiwin, meaning "lookout place".
History
The Butte played a significant role in the lives of the Prairie Indians. Aboriginal people, who camped near Boggy Creek, used the Butte as a lookout and signal point. The Cree called the hill otasawâpiwin, meaning "his outlook" or "his lookout", and the Ojibwe call it Akawaabiwin, meaning "lookout place".Founding
European settlement in the area can be traced back to the 1840s. With the construction of the railway through the region in 1882, the area’s sand and gravel deposits were extensively utilized, and in the following years, as settlers began farming in the district, Pilot Butte developed. For a long time of its history, Pilot Butte was known as the "Sand Capital of Canada". Because of its location on the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, significant settlement took place between 1880 and 1900. Sand and gravel deposits nearby were used during the construction of the railway. The history of Pilot Butte is marked by dramatic growth followed by decline and now by growth. Except for one or two houses on Railway Avenue, the most notable ones being the "Martin House" and the "Arrat House", there are very few physical reminders of Pilot Butte's early development. Most of the original structures, one of the most prominent being the old Canadian Pacific Railway water tower, have either been dismantled or destroyed.Village of Pilot Butte
By 1913 Pilot Butte was a village. It flourished as it offered the Canadian Pacific Railway a reliable year round water source and at one point, the CPR built a water conduit to Regina. Between 1913-23, with a population of about a 1,000, Pilot Butte thrived. The town boasted a railway station, 3 grain elevators, a stockyard, the Kitchener Hotel and boarding houses. It had a pool hall, bowling alley, general store, butcher and blacksmith shops, 2 churches, 2 schools and 2 section houses. Brickyards became major local employers; the brickyards closed during World War I however, and with automobiles facilitating easy transportation into Regina, Pilot Butte began to lose its population—a trend that would continue for years. In 1923, the village was disbanded owing to the loss of residents.Post-World War II
After the new Trans-Canada Highway was completed in the late 1950s, living in Pilot Butte began to become a popular option for those who wanted to commute to work in the city. Pilot Butte re-acquired village status in 1963; in 1966 the population was 405; but between 1976 and 1981, the community’s numbers jumped from 585 to 1,255. It achieved town status in 1979. By the early 2000s Pilot Butte became home to a post office; a public library; an insurance office; a convenience stores; a cemetery; Chinese/Canadian restaurant called the Dosu Wok, the Blue Rooster Café and the Back Corner café; three manufacturing plants; a Tempo gasoline station; a hockey arena; a town hall, and a Roman Catholic Church. It is also home to a worldwide steel producing company Dutch Industries and Gang-nail Truss Manufacturers. The town is home to the . The Pre-K to Grade 8 school is part of the . The town also includes four baseball diamonds, an outdoor hockey rink, and a skate park.Pilot Butte storm
A violent storm hit the area on 26 August 1995, damaging most homes in the community. Pilot Butte has now fully recovered and replanted trees are once more providing shade to the residents. Many homes received major facelifts which enhanced the community. The town has continued to grow since.Geography
The town is situated on a broad, flat, treeless and largely waterless plain. The Butte Hill is the highest point in the area.Climate
Pilot Butte experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb, USDA Plant Hardiness Zone with warm summers and cold winters, prone to extremes at all times of the year. Average annual precipitation is and is heaviest from June through August, with June being the wettest month with an average of of precipitation. The average daily temperature for the year is. The lowest temperature ever recorded was on 1 January 1885, while the highest recorded temperature was on 5 July 1937.Sports
The Pilot Butte Storm, 4-time winners of the Prairie Junior Hockey League, play home games at the local rink in Pilot Butte. The team has played in the provincial championship ten years in a row. The Pilot Butte Broncos minor hockey teams had always played in the Mainline Hockey League but now the Prairie Storm Minor Hockey Association, has the local minor hockey teams. The Prairie Storm Minor Hockey Association teams have kids from Pilot Butte, Emerald Park, White City and Balgonie.The White Butte Minor Ball Association offers Broncos Baseball and Storm Softball. In the town/area there is also Buffalo Plains Ringette, City View Skating Club, White Lightning Ringette, Pilot Butte Soccer, White Butte Minor Ball and the North Griffins in Regina Minor Football.
North-west of the city lies Kings Park Speedway, a ⅓-mile paved oval used for stock car racing since the late 1960s.
Recreation and culture
The town hosts the Annual Pilot Butte outdoor Rodeo on the third weekend of June every year, complete with cabaret featuring current country headline musicians. Pilot Butte also has the Golden Sunset Recreational Club, the Pilot Butte Beavers/Cubs/Scouts, a library, the Pilot Butte Photo Bunch and the Pilot Butte Riding Club. Every year, Pilot Butte hosts the “Lite-up Pilot Butte” Christmas decorating contest, which has been going on for 27 years. The town also has distributed the News and Views newsletter to Pilot Butte and the surrounding area since October 1987.Visitor attractions
- Inland Park, a park bringing together lands containing recreational, educational and town buildings like the Town Hall, baseball diamonds, hockey rink and the public library.
- Golfing, There are four nice golf courses surrounding the town. Westfalia, Green Acres, Murray and Tor Hill.
- Discovery Ridge, a park surrounding the towns lake with a soccer field, nice scenery and biking and walking paths.
- White Butte Trails, a nearby set of trails for cross-country skiing in the winter and biking and running in the summer.
Demographics
| Ethnic origin | Percent |
German  | 41.8% |
English  | 23.5% |
Scottish  | 23.2% |
Ukrainian  | 18.8% |
Irish  | 15.0% |
French  | 13.6% |
Timeline of Pilot Butte history
This timeline of Pilot Butte's history shows the significant events in the history of Pilot Butte.19th century
- pre – Indigenous Peoples used the Butte Hill as a lookout and camped near Boggy Creek.
- 1840 – The first European settlements in the area begin.
- 1872 – The Dominion Lands Act encouraged homesteaders to come to the area where they could purchase 160 acres of land for $10.
- 1882 – Canadian Pacific Railway workers set a company record of the most tracks laid in a single day. These tracks were laid between Pilot Butte and Regina.
- 1882 – Pilot Butte was established.
- 1882 – The first houses are built on the south side of the tracks of bricks from the local plant.
- 1883 – The name Pilot Butte, meaning "Lookout Point", was chosen for the settlement.
- 1884 – Andrew Martin, one of two founders of the village, takes permanent residence in Pilot Butte.
- 1886 – On July 4, the first scheduled Canadian Pacific Railway transcontinental passenger train reached Vancouver, after travelling for five days, 19 hours. It was the first scheduled train to cross Canada from sea to sea.
- 1890 – The Pilot Butte Red Brick Plant begins production.
20th century
- 1900 – A second brick plant, owned by Interocean Manufacturing Ltd., begins production.
- 1913 – At a population above 1000, Pilot Butte is incorporated as a village.
- 1914 – Pilot Butte grew rapidly until the First World War. When the brickyards closed during World War I however, and with automobiles facilitating easy transportation into Regina, Pilot Butte began to lose its population.
- 1915 – A new school is built in village.
- 1923 – The village was disbanded owing to the loss of residents.
- 1926 – the CHWC radio station begins broadcasting in Pilot Butte from the Kitchener Hotel. The broadcasting ended in 1936.
- 1946 – The Pilot Butte Memorial Hall is opened. Premier Tommy Douglas is in attendance and speaks at the ceremony.
- 1957 – Trans-Canada Highway completed in Saskatchewan, and living in Pilot Butte began to become a popular option for those who wanted to commute to work in the city.
- 1963 – A fire in the RM of Edenwold's office destroys all records belonging to the Pilot Butte Village Council prior to that year.
- 1963 – Pilot Butte re-acquires village status.
- 1964 – Street lights are first installed in Pilot Butte.
- 1967 – All streets in the village undergo name changes.
- 1968 – Stop and yield signs are first installed in Pilot Butte. The first zoning bylaw is introduced.
- 1971 – Speed limit sings are first installed in Pilot Butte.
- 1973 – Street names are changed once again to numbered names, such as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
- 1976 – Work begins on building the Pilot Butte rink and recreation complex.
- 1977 – The Pilot Butte Water Tower is destroyed.
- 1978 – The first Pilot Butte Old Timers' Reunion is held. Construction begins on the village office on Railway Avenue.
- 1979 – Pilot Butte acquires town status, the first meeting as a town is held in November of the next year.
- 1980 – The name "Sand Capital of Saskatchewan/Canada" is chosen in a town slogan contest.
- 1980 – The town purchases the cemetery portion of the Anglican Church for a sum of one dollar.
- 1981 – In the past ten years, the town's population jumps from 344 to 1,256.
- 1981 – The Royal Canadian Mounted Police begins providing police services to Pilot Butte.
- 1982 – The town celebrates its 100th anniversary, and a monument is erected on the top of the Butte Hill. Construction begins on a new fire hall on Railway Avenue.
- 1984 – The Pilot Butte Golden Sunset Club, for senior citizens in the town, is created.
- 1985 – The town library is opened.
- 1986 – The town purchases St. George's Cemetery for a sum of one dollar.
- 1995 – A violent storm known as the "Pilot Butte Storm" hit the area on 26 August 1995, damaging most homes in the community.
21st century
- 2001 – The Regina Express junior hockey team move to Pilot Butte to become the Pilot Butte Express, the team will go on to win the PJHL title 4 times and they will lose in the final another 6 times.
- 2002 – The town hosts the Western Canadian Softball Championships.
- 2003 – The town purchases the Rodeo Grounds.
- 2003 – The Pilot Butte Express are renamed to the Pilot Butte Storm.
- 2005 – The town's volunteer fire department builds a new hall on the west side of town to replace the "Parker Hall" near the tracks.
- 2007 – The town celebrates its 125th anniversary by hosting a slow-pitch tournament and powwow, and by introducing a town flag.
- 2008 – Reuben Ross, a Pilot Butte native and son of former town mayor Nat Ross, competes at the Olympic Games in Beijing. He will go on to also compete at the next Summer Games in London.
- 2010 – Clayton Gerein, a Pilot Butte resident who competed at the Paralympics seven times, dies from a brain tumour at age 45.
- 2011 – The Pilot Butte Storm win bronze at the Keystone Cup.
- 2014 – Pilot Butte finishes construction on a new water treatment and sewer disposal facility.
- 2015 – The Pilot Butte Storm are renamed to the Traveland RV Storm.
- 2015 – The town council plans to relocate the town office, but taxpayers petitioned against keeping the location in the recreation centre.
- 2016 – In the 2016 Saskatchewan Municipal Elections, Pilot Butte residents elect Peggy Chorney as the new town mayor.
- 2017 – Pilot Butte receives federal and provincial funding for wastewater treatment upgrades.
- 2018 – As a part of the Regina Bypass project, a diverging diamond interchange opens on the Pilot Butte access road, only the second of its kind in Canada.
Electoral history