Weyburn has been a city now for a full century, and thus a very full and busy schedule of ceremonies and celebrations have been scheduled to mark this auspicious occasion.
The city has come through much growth and changes over the last 100 years, and even now the city continues to grow at a fairly healthy pace, due to a robust local economy that has kept the wheels going at an especially high rate for the last three or four years.
Established as a town shortly before Saskatchewan became a province, Weyburn was one of the prime stops on the newly-built railway lines for new settlers looking for a foothold in the West by establishing a homestead and farm on the prairies.
For those who think Weyburn has had a big growth spurt in the last few years, they're right in a way - but it's nothing compared to the decade between becoming a town in 1903 and a city in 1913. Weyburn went from 500 to 5,000 in those 10 years, a 10-fold rate of growth that is phenomenal compared to today.
The old City Hall building and the Weyburn Collegiate, along with the railway roundhouse, were all built in the year Weyburn gained cityhood; all of those buildings are standing still today, but the Collegiate is unfortunately facing the wrecking ball as demolition will occur, possibly this fall, to make way for new construction at the Comp School site. The roundhouse has long since stopped being used by the railroad, but has been in use by the City for storage of large equipment, and is in great need of roof repair - so it may not last either.
What has lasted is the spirit of the residents of Weyburn and area, surviving through major challenges such as the Great Depression, and numerous floods (the most recent being in 2011) and fires, blizzards and thunderstorms, and economic booms and declines.
In 1913, Weyburn was one of the biggest cities in the province; in 2013, Weyburn remains as a significant hub in the southeast, including as Canada's largest inland grain-gathering point, and the home of "The Greatest Canadian", T.C. Douglas, not to mention of novelist W.O. Mitchell. There are many more claims to fame for this community, including in the realm of sports and culture, and the city continues to grow at a healthy pace with one of the strongest economies in the province. Weyburn has much to celebrate, so on Aug. 1-5, go out and enjoy the many events and celebrations set to mark this milestone.
