Lucky Lake, Saskatchewan

Lucky Lake
Village
Lucky Lake Location of Lucky Lake in Saskatchewan
Coordinates:
Country	Canada
Province	Saskatchewan
Region	Saskatchewan
Census division	7
Rural Municipality	Canaan No. 225
Post office Founded	March 28, 1908
Government
• Mayor	Brent Meyers
• Administrator	Blair Cleaveley
• Governing body	Lucky Lake Village Council
Area
• Land	0.66 km2 (0.25 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	287
• Density	435.6/km2 (1,128/sq mi)
Time zone	CST
Postal code	S0L 1Z0
Area code(s)	306
Highways	Highway 42 Highway 45 Highway 646
Railway	Canadian National Railway

Lucky Lake formerly known as Devil's Lake, is a village in Canaan Rural Municipality No. 225, Saskatchewan, Canada. The population was 287 as of the 2011 census. The Village is located at the junction of Highway 42, Highway 45 and Highway 646 approximately 90 km north-east of Swift Current, Saskatchewan.

History

Lucky Lake took its name from a lake which is 5 ½ miles north of the village named Luck Lake (Saskatchewan). The lake was originally named Devils Lake by the Plains Cree because of a mysterious light that shone over it during the night. No one ever knew what caused this light, however a possible explanation is that the lake was full of alkali. An early settler named Jack Swanson had an experience that would forever change the name of Devil's Lake. Jack had hobbled his oxen, but the mosquitoes were so numerous that the oxen became frantic, then broke their hobbles and ran away. The oxen headed towards the lake, where Jack was able to catch them. He recognized the fact that the only reason he was able to catch them was because of the lake and he quipped "This isn't Devil's Lake, this is Lucky Lake!"

Lucky Lake has seen many changes over the years. Within the past 13 years The Double "L" Motel was built in 1996, the Tullis Co-op expanded to Lucky Lake in 2005. West Central Road & Rail followed in 2007, & most recently H2O Systems in 2008, all to serve the community.

Demographics

In 2011, Lucky Lake had a population of 287 living in 141 dwellings, a -2.7% population decrease from 2006. The village has a land area of 0.66 km² (0.25 sq mi) and a population density of 435.6/km² (1,128/sq mi).

Economy

File:J27839 LuckyLakeSK 20110926-150231.jpg

Aerial view of Lucky Lake

Agriculture and services to support agriculture constitute the largest component of the town's economy. Typical crops grown in the area include durum wheat, spring wheat, peas, lentils, and canola. Flax, beans and mustard are also grown to a lesser extent. Nearby Lake Diefenbaker provides water for irrigation so that additional crops such as potatoes can be grown. Wild West Steelhead, is an aquaculture farm that raises Steelhead Trout in the lake. The company employs many people in its operations that comprise the steps of egg incubation to the production of finished fillets.

In the past, the provincial government's efforts (via a partnership known as SPUDCO) to create a potato growing industry in the province led to local jobs being created to grow and package potatoes. SPUDCO eventually failed and the local potato growing industry has been slow to recover.

Attractions

• Lucky Lake Heritage Museum
• Lucky Lake Heritage Marsh
• Palliser Regional Park
• Riverhurst Ferry

See also

• List of communities in Saskatchewan
• Villages of Saskatchewan
• Lucky Lake Airport

External links

• Saskatchewan City & Town Maps
• Saskatchewan Gen Web - One Room School Project
• Post Offices and Postmasters - ArchiviaNet - Library and Archives Canada
• Saskatchewan Gen Web Region
• Online Historical Map Digitization Project
• GeoNames Query
• 2006 Community Profiles
• Danielson Provincial Park