Radville

Town, pop 735, located approximately 50 km SW of Weyburn, on Long Creek, at the junction of Hwys 28 and 377. The region was settled in the early 1900s largely by British, French, and Scandinavian pioneers. By 1910, rail had been laid to the location of Radville. The townsite was surveyed, and construction began immediately: Radville, the railway company had decided, was to be an important centre. They were looking to construct a roundhouse and railway yards roughly midway between Winnipeg and Lethbridge, and Long Creek provided the reliable source of water that was needed. In 1911 it was incorporated as a village, construction of the roundhouse began, and a wide range of businesses were started. By the 1920s, the population was over 1,000. The town’s importance as a railway hub diminished substantially when the roundhouse was shut down in the 1950s; yet today Radville remains an important commercial and cultural centre in the district. The town has over 100 businesses, a number of which cater to the district’s agriculture and oil and gas industries. The town hosts several popular annual events including the Long Creek Rodeo and the Kinsmen Mud Fling and Demolition Derby. Three of Radville’s earliest buildings have been designated heritage properties, including the Canadian Northern Railway Station, which was built in 1912 and now houses a museum.

David McLennan