History

Settlers first arrived in 1881 and the area came to be commonly known as Happy Hollow. When the Qu'Appelle, Long Lake and Saskatchewan Railway

Qu'Appelle, Long Lake and Saskatchewan Railroad and Steamboat Company

The Qu'Appelle, Long Lake and Saskatchewan Railroad and Steamboat Company was a railway that operated between Regina, Saskatchewan and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada via Craik, Saskatoon and Rosthern....

 came through the community in 1889, the name was changed to Lumsden after Hugh Lumsden, a senior engineer with the railroad.

The town has been repeatedly flooded, with major flood events occurring in 1892, 1904, 1916, 1948, and 1969. In 1974, Lumsden experienced the highest water levels in the town’s history; volunteers from Regina came to help with sandbagging. The town subsequently straightened the Qu'Appelle River’s channel and built dikes. Major flooding occurred again in 2011 after a winter of record snowfall.

The community was chosen by Harrowsmith Magazine in 2002 as the "prettiest" town in the province.

Centennial

Official town centennial celebrations were held in March 2005. In May 2005, Lumsden hosted Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh

Duke of Edinburgh

The Duke of Edinburgh is a British royal title, named after the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, which has been conferred upon members of the British royal family only four times times since its creation in 1726...

 at the Lumsden Sports Centre. Hundreds of guests were entertained by Marny Duncan-Cary, the Lumsden Community Choir, the Riel Reelers, and the Lumsden & District Band and Jazz Ensemble. The event was held in celebration of both the town and the province's centenaries, and was the only engagement of Canada's Queen outside urban centres on that visit to Saskatchewan.

Sage Hill Writing School

Every summer writers from around Canada gather at Lumsden's retreat centre for creating writing workshops put on by Sage Hill Writing Experience.

Lumsden Duck Derby

Each year the town of Lumsden hosts a fundraiser in which thousands of labelled plastic ducks are raced down the Qu'Appelle River. Participants purchase a numbered duck which is entered in the race, and the first ducks across the finish line win their owners cash and prizes. Proceeds from the derby benefit the sports center in town. The derby also hosts a variety of artists, musicians, traders, etc who perform and sell their wares in town.

Climate

Sports history

In 2006, the Lumsden Arena became the site of the second edition of the Western Women's Hockey League

Western Women's Hockey League

The Western Women's Hockey League is one of two major women's hockey leagues in Canada. The league was established in 2004, and consisted of teams in Canada and one from the United States...

 championship, between the Calgary Oval X-Treme

Calgary Oval X-Treme

The Calgary Oval X-Treme were a professional women's ice hockey team in the Western Women's Hockey League . The team played its home games at the Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta, Canada...

 and the Minnesota Whitecaps

Minnesota Whitecaps

The Minnesota Whitecaps are a professional women's ice hockey team in the Western Women's Hockey League . The team play its home games in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota area...

. The town frequently hosts games for the Saskatchewan Prairie Ice

Saskatchewan Prairie Ice

The Saskatchewan Prairie Ice were a professional women's ice hockey team in the Western Women's Hockey League . The team played its home games in Lumsden, Saskatchewan, Canada.-History:...

, now of the Western Women's Hockey League

Western Women's Hockey League

The Western Women's Hockey League is one of two major women's hockey leagues in Canada. The league was established in 2004, and consisted of teams in Canada and one from the United States...

.

External links

• University of Saskatchewan Library: Postcard Views of Lumsden