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| Geography |  The Town of Eastend is located on one of Western Canada's oldest trails-the Red Coat Trail or Highway #13. Eastend is 75 kilometres (kms) from Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, and an hour's drive south of the Trans Canada Highway at Maple Creek or Gull Lake.
Arriving in Eastend, you encounter the change from flat, open, short grass prairie to rugged badlands, as you drop down into the Frenchman River Valley. The hills surrounding Eastend are ancient hills: where you observe the different time periods by the different colors in the layers of the earth. In ancient days, when Saskatchewan was covered by water, the land was exposed here first. The lush tropical environment attracted a variety of life forms including dinosaurs.
The town is promoted as the Valley of Hidden Secrets for its wealth of palaeontological and historical sites. Eastend and area are rich in fossils, ranging from dinosaurs and large marine reptiles, to mammals such as three-toed horses, large brontotheres and giant pigs that lived after the Age of Dinosaurs. Complex geology exists in the Eastend area, where a continual process of depression, erosion, uplift, and further erosion, has exposed a number of geologic formations. On the hilltops you can see the last vestiges of the great western frontier including tipi rings, gathering circles, homestead shacks, wagon wheels and crumbling log corrals.
| | History | Before the white man came to this area, it was regarded as a particularly rich buffalo hunting area. Buffalo populations in the area remained high after they were slaughtered in the eastern prairies. Blackfoot and Piegan Indians to the west and the Cree and Assiniboine Indians to the east fought regularly over this essential resource.
In the early 1870's white traders and Metis' scouts led the Hudson Bay Trading Company to establish a post on the eastern slopes of the Cypress Hills. Competition from whiskey selling independent traders and the tense situation between the Assiniboine and Blackfoot, forced the Hudson Bay Co. to abandon the post after only one season. Shortly after the abandonment, the post was burned to the ground. A Metis' settlement formed in the coulee.
In 1879 the North West Mounted Police established a detachment in Chimney Coulee, the same site as the Hudson Bay Trading Post and part of the Metis' village. They called it the East End Post because it was the most easterly detachment from the newly built Fort Walsh. The detachment was eventually moved into town, but the name remained. Thus, a town on the western side of Saskatchewan received the name 'Eastend'.
In 1914 the C.P.R. laid the tracks through the community which had become a haven for large ranches and cowboys. Much of Eastend's early development is attributed to J.C. Strong, the original owner of the townsite. He donated most of the land the town sprung up on.
Eastend was incorporated as a village on March 30, 1914 and as a town on May 1, 1920. The townsite grew and expanded with many businesses.
Fire destroyed some buildings, but the most devastating disaster was the flood of 1952. A record amount of snow fell over the winter, followed by extremely warm spring temperatures, causing the snow to melt within three days. The dam overflowed and washed out, flooding the entire valley on April 15, 1952. The town was evacuated. After three days the water receeded and clean-up began, but the destruction of personal photos, business documents and records was tragic.
A few years later, the Prairie Farm Rehabilition Administration (PFRA) constructed a dike within the town limits to prevent a reoccurence of the disaster and in 1955 a new dam was built.
Kinship, community spirit and neighbourliness built the original village and still exist today. It is still a town where one can proudly proclaim their prairie roots!
| | Economic Information | Eastend's economy is driven by agriculture, oil, gas and tourism.
Eastend is located in the Palliser Triangle, an area declared unfit for cultivation by the Palliser Expedition. Despite this analysis, the town thrives, due in part, to excellent farming and ranching country surrounding the community.
Oil and gas exploration and development in the area also contribute significantly to the local economy. The effects of natural resource development are cyclical as the demand for oil and gas rises and falls.
White mud clay, also a contributing factor to the economy, is mined and used in local pottery. This clay is obtained from the white mud clay formations in the Cypress Hills region nearby.
An industry that continues to flourish in Eastend is tourism. Of course the discovery of 'Scotty', the Tyrannosaurus Rex, and thus the construction of the T-Rex Discovery Centre had a huge impact on the tourism industry of the area. In furtherance to this Eastend has prepared for the flow of visitors by developing all aspects of the tourism industry.
| | Attractions | The Eastend T-Rex Discovery Centre is North America's dinosaur hotspot, featuring 'Scotty', one of only 20 T-Rex skeletons in the world. In May of 2000 the Centre opened its doors to the public with the Royal Saskatchewan Museum leasing space. The Centre now houses a display area for dinosaurs and prehistoric mammals, a working laboratory, a 100 seat theatre, a gift shop, an educational room and administration area. Guided tours are given. You also have an opportunity to tour an active fossil dig site or participate in the day dig program. Here you will meet or work alongside a palaeontologist and have a chance to ask questions and learn the history of fossils.
The Wallace Stegner House is the boyhood home of the famous writer, author, and environmentalist. Stegner's semiautobiographical, nobel prize winning novel, Wolf Willow, recalls his boyhood experiences in the area. The Stegner's house has been declared a Heritage Site. It was purchased by the local Arts Council and reopened as a residence for writers and artists in 1990. The residence can be rented for a period of one day to one year.
The Wilkinson Memorial Observatory, one of the finest observatories open to the public in Western Canada, is available for tours year round. The facility is named after Jack Wilkinson, a blacksmith in Eastend with a keen interest in astronmoy. Jack started building his own telescopes and hand grinding his own lenses. He enlisted the help of his neighbors and built a small observatory. When Jack died in 1953, the town kept up the observatory. Located on top of one of the valley hills, an 11 inch Celestron telescope offers an unspoiled view of the skies from the remote rural setting. Special viewings are held when celestial events are happening. In the summer months an astronomy class is offered hosted by a professional Astronomer.
The Eastend Museum and cultural Centre is located downtown in the former theatre. Many local palaeontological specimens are displayed including the neck shield of a torosaurus, Canada's only good specimen of this species and found by Eastend's own Corky (Harold) Jones. There are also artifacts and exhibits relating to early days of Eastend and the surrounding district. Some of these include a genuine log house built in the late 1800's, 1903 steam engine and blacksmith's tools.
Whitemud Pottery houses the unique artwork of a resident potter. The pottery is made in a local studio from clay indigenous to the white mud formations in the Cypress Hills Region and is displayed for public viewing and sale.
Red Coat Booksellers & Cappuccino Bar, located in downtown Eastend on the Red Coat trail, is the premier used book store in Southwest Saskatchewan. The building, originally constructed in 1920 and now a provincial historic site, houses approximately 17,000 books, specializing in Natural History, Archeology, Anthropology, Paleontology, Agriculture, History, Religion and Canadiana. The bookstore also features a cappuccino bar, serving light lunches, deserts and specialty coffees.
The Eastend Reptile and Insect Zoo houses an array of animals for public display. The building is constructed mostly of recycled material and admission is based on donations. Take a stroll through the tunnels and watch the various exotic animals and insects.
The Z-X Ranch House was the first house in Eastend. It was built in 1902 by Enright and Strong, ranchers who owned the original townsite and donated most of the land that the town is built on. Present owners purchased the house in 1946.
Eastend is the hunting capital of the entire southwest. The area's annual hunt includes antelope, mule deer and whitetail as well as geese, pheasant and other upland game. Streams within the area provide the opportunity to test your ability with fly fishing, and the reservoir provides a habitat for ducks, geese and fish.
| | Other Info | Eastend is home to several notable authors and writers including Sharon Butala, a well known Canadian author,Candace Savage and Sean Virgo, two well known Saskatchewan writers.
Jack's Cafe is renown across Canada as one of the top ten eating establishments in Canada.
Eastend offers public school education to students k - 12. A full range of secondary academic programs and options including French, Industrial Art, Home Economics, Work Experience Education, Business Education and Physical Education. There are also a variety of extra-curricular activities such as athletic and outdoor activities and opportunities in the arts and public service.
Eastend is part of the Cypress Health Region. Eastend Wolf Willow Health Centre houses a fully operational lab and x-ray, 23 long term care beds, 1 respite bed and 4 multi purpose beds used for convalescents, palliative and rehabilitation. Home Care, Public Health, Ambulance, and visiting Professionals operate their services from this facility as well. The community is served by two doctors and has a satellite pharmacy.
Eastend offers many recreational services. Facilities in the town or within 10 miles include Eastend skating and curling rink, nine-hole grass green golf course, parks, indoor swimming pool, tennis court, ball diamonds and a roping arena.
Within a short drive of the town of Eastend, you will be captivated by the incredible scenery and enchanted with local history. View the site of Crazy Horse's encampment from 1876, the historical North West Mounted Police post, the obscure Chocolate Peak, and the wonders of Chimney Coulee. While you're in the area, don't miss out on the amazing view from Jones' Peak, the best known landmark of the Frenchman River Valley.
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