Cudworth

Town, pop 766, located S of Wakaw on Hwy 2 in the Minichinas Hills. The first Pioneers came to the Cudworth area in 1899. In 1903, German immigrants settled at nearby Leofeld (see GERMAN SETTLEMENTS). The community would eventually come to be comprised of families of Ukrainian, German, and French origins. Other than a slight slump experienced during the Depression, the community developed at a steady rate until the early 1980s, reaching a peak population of 947 in 1981. Major employers in the area include livestock industries and a biomass energy producer. With approximately 60 local businesses, Cudworth is a retail and service centre for the surrounding Rural Population. A few kilometres south of Cudworth, the Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows, which includes a chapel and the Stations of the Cross, draws large numbers of people during an annually conducted pilgrimage. Other annual events hosted by the community include a fair held in July. Cudworth's former CNR station, built in 1925, has been declared a heritage property and has recently been converted into a museum which features German and Ukrainian Pioneer artifacts.

David McLennan