Watrous

Watrous

Watrous, Sask, incorporated as a village in 1908 and as a town in 1909, population 1857 (2011c), 1743 (2006c). The Town of Watrous is located in central Saskatchewan 118 km southeast of Saskatoon. Watrous was named after Frank Watrous Morse, vice-president and general manager of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR).

Norwegian settlers arrived in the area at the beginning of the 20th century. The community that sprang up to service the area was originally called Mandel after their hometown in Norway. When the GTPR was building its main line it selected a site just west of Mandel that was better suited for its railway yard. Mandel was moved to the new site and renamed Watrous because of the railway's practice of alphabetically naming its divisional points. Watrous grew rapidly as a service centre for the local area until the Great Depression, when people left to find work elsewhere.

The area continues to be a service centre, but is also a tourism hub because of its proximity to Manitou Beach on Little Manitou Lake, famous for its high saline content and reputed healthful qualities. About 40 km southeast of Watrous, at the northern tip of Last Mountain Lake, is North America's oldest bird sanctuary (1887).