Bienfait, Saskatchewan is a charming town nestled on Highway 18, just 14 kilometres east of Estevan. This quaint town is also conveniently located 30 kilometres north-west of North Portal, a town situated next to the Canada–United States border, and a mere 10 kilometres south of Estevan. Surrounded by the RM of Coalfields, Bienfait is a community that offers a unique blend of history, culture, and community spirit.
Bienfait is home to a variety of services and amenities that cater to the needs of its residents and visitors. The town boasts a school, a gas station, a curling rink, and an ice rink, which serves as the home ground for the Bienfait Coalers of the Big 6 Hockey League. The Coalers have an impressive record, having won the Lincoln Trophy 15 times, the most by any team.
For history enthusiasts, the Bienfait Museum, located in the old CPR Station on the east end of town, offers a glimpse into the town's rich past. The original location for the station was on the CPR line on the north side of town.
Bienfait was officially incorporated as the Village of Bienfait on April 16, 1912. It gained town status on March 1, 1957. The town was named by the Canadian Pacific Railway after Antoine Charles Bienfait, a banker with Adolphe Boissevain & Company of Amsterdam. This firm played a significant role in the sale of Canadian Pacific shares in Europe.
In 1931, Bienfait was the starting point for a march by striking coal miners to nearby Estevan, an event that culminated in the infamous Estevan Riot.
On the north side of town on Railway Avenue at the head of Main Street, visitors can find a historic Manitoba & Saskatchewan Coal Company (M&S) Locomotive #3522. This locomotive, which is listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places, was built in 1907 and was used to transport coal from the mines to Bienfait until 1968. It was one of the last commercially-functioning steam engines in Canada.
The town of Bienfait acquired the locomotive in 1968 and the caboose in 2000. The caboose is an old Canadian National Railway caboose. This site was added to the list of historic places in Saskatchewan on March 28, 2002.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Bienfait had a population of 668 living in 284 of its 355 total private dwellings. This represented a change of -12.3% from its 2016 population of 762. With a land area of 3.05 km2 (1.18 sq mi), the town had a population density of 219.0/km2 (567.2/sq mi) in 2021.
