Town, pop 693, located 55 km N of Regina at the junction of Hwys 6 and 22. Settlers began arriving in the area around 1902–03, and by the time the Canadian Pacific Railway arrived in 1905 most of the available land in the area was taken up. With the arrival of the railway the townsite was established and one of the original settlers suggested the name Southey in honour of a favourite English poet, Robert Southey (1774– 1843). Subsequently, many of the community’s streets were given the names of writers and poets, such as Coleridge, Burns, Browning, Kipling, and Keats. Homesteaders in the district were predominantly of German and Scandinavian origins, with lesser numbers of Romanians, Hungarians, and people hailing from the British Isles. The community developed rapidly in the years from 1905 to 1912, and experienced steady growth in the ensuing years. Southey was incorporated as a town in 1980. Situated on rich agricultural lands with a mixture of dark brown and black sandy loam and silty clay soils suitable for growing a variety of crops, Southey serves an area of about 1,500 people involved in mixed farming, the production of grain, specialty crops, and oilseeds. The town’s original school, built in 1906, has been designated a heritage property and is now located on the town’s museum grounds. Some Southey residents commute to work in Regina.
David McLennan