Carlyle

Town, pop 1,260, located S of Moose Mountain Provincial Park and the White Bear First Nation at the junction of Hwys 9 and 13. Early settlers to the district were of mainly British descent. The name Carlyle was chosen by the first postmaster (the post office opened in 1883) to honour the niece of the Scottish historian and essayist, Thomas Carlyle: his niece and her husband settled in the Arcola district, and farmed and raised a family there. Trains were running though the town site in 1901, and the population increased from 23 that year to nearly 400 in 1906. In 1941, Carlyle still had around this number, but by 1956 the population had surged to 829. Subsequently, and uniquely for a smaller community in Saskatchewan, Carlyle’s population has slowly but steadily continued to climb. Traditionally, the area economy had been largely based upon agriculture; however, in recent decades the oil industry has become increasingly significant. Additionally, Carlyle is an important centre for tourists as it benefits from its proximity to Moose Mountain Provincial Park and Kenosee Lake, the casino and resort at White Bear Lake, and Cannington Manor Provincial Historic Park. Each December, Carlyle hosts its premier annual event, the Dickens Village Festival. The entire town adopts a Victorian theme, and features live stage productions and lighted parades at dusk.

David McLennan