Carlyle, Saskatchewan, a town with a population of 1,524 as of 2021, is the largest town servicing the far south-eastern corner of Saskatchewan, Canada. It has become the economic and services centre of the region, with the closest cities, Estevan and Weyburn, being a little over 100 kilometres away. Regina, the provincial capital, lies 200 km to the north-west.
Carlyle is located within the RM of Moose Mountain in Census Division No. 1 in Western Canada. Geographically, it is in the Canadian Prairies, which is part of the Great Plains and Prairie Pothole Region of North America. Carlyle was incorporated as a village in 1902, and as a town in 1905. The name Carlyle was chosen by the first postmaster to honour the niece of the Scottish historian and essayist, Thomas Carlyle. His niece and her husband settled in the Arcola district and farmed and raised a family there.
In 1870 Canada purchased Rupert's Land from the Hudson's Bay Company and created a vast territory called the North-West Territories. The future site of Carlyle was in this territory. In 1874 the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP), as part of their March West, travelled through the area just south of present-day Carlyle en route to what is now Southern Alberta to deal with the Cypress Hills Massacre. This route taken is known as the Red Coat Trail, which today's Highway 13 through Carlyle approximates.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Carlyle had a population of 1,524 living in 620 of its 686 total private dwellings, a change of 1.1% from its 2016 population of 1,508. With a land area of 5.41 km2 (2.09 sq mi), it had a population density of 281.7/km2 (729.6/sq mi) in 2021.
The three most prominent industries in the Carlyle area are agriculture, the oil and gas sector, and tourism. Tourism sees its biggest impact to local businesses that cater to tourists who come to south-eastern Saskatchewan to visit nearby attractions, such as Moose Mountain Provincial Park.
Carlyle sits at the cross-roads of Saskatchewan highways 9 and 13. Of the two original railway lines that went through Carlyle, only one, the CNR line, remains and it carries freight, such as oil and grain. The last passenger train to depart from Carlyle was on 25 August 1959.
On main street in the Carlyle Civic Centre, there's the Carlyle Provincial Court-Circuit Point that takes care of many court related needs, such as traffic tickets. The Carlyle Detachment of the RCMP is located on Railway Avenue W and, like the Provincial Court, is responsible for a large catchment around Carlyle.
Twenty-four kilometres north of Carlyle on Highway 9, in the heart of Moose Mountain Uplands, is Moose Mountain Provincial Park, the most significant tourist attraction in the region. The park features Kenosee Lake, Kenosee Superslides, golfing, mini-golf, the Moose Mountain Chalet, camping, hiking, fishing, and many more activities.
On the first weekend of December each year since 2002, the town holds a Dickens Village Festival, which features a Christmas parade, horse carriage rides, and many of the businesses and people put on a Charles Dickens-19th century theme.
Carlyle Fun Dayz is an annual summer event put on by the town. The event features a Lion’s Pancake Breakfast, live shows with music and street dancing, beer gardens, food venders, a kids zone that includes a petting zoo, a parade, and a farmer's market.
