Oxbow, Saskatchewan is a charming town nestled in the southeast of the province, Canada. It's strategically located on the Canadian Pacific Railway and Provincial Highway 18, approximately 58 kilometers west of Saskatchewan's border with Manitoba and 26 kilometers north of the Canada-US border with North Dakota. The town's official motto, "Progress with Pride," perfectly encapsulates its spirit, while its two unofficial mottos, "Queen of the Scenic Souris" and "Where Oil and Agriculture Meet," hint at its unique geographical location and thriving industries.
The history of Oxbow, Saskatchewan dates back to 1882 when the first settlers, mainly of English, Irish, and Scottish descent, began homesteading the area under the Dominion Lands Act. The town was named after the "oxbow" in the nearby Souris River, a term metaphorically derived from the oxbow worn by an ox.
The Oxbow Herald, the town's weekly newspaper, was founded in 1903, and the town was officially incorporated in 1904. The population grew rapidly in the years following incorporation, reaching 678 by 1916. The town's population then hovered around 600-700 for the next several decades.
In the mid-1950s, oil companies began developing the oilfields around Oxbow, setting off a boom time as personnel moved to the town to work on drilling rigs and provide other services to the oil industry. As of 2010, there have been roughly 38,000 oil and gas wells around the surrounding area. Agriculture and oil remain the two major industries of the town.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Oxbow had a population of 1,286 living in 494 of its 574 total private dwellings, a change of -3.2% from its 2016 population of 1,328. With a land area of 3.33 km2, it had a population density of 386.2/km2 in 2021.
Oxbow, Saskatchewan offers a variety of sporting sites including tennis courts, ball diamonds, a motocross track, an artificial-ice skating rink, a curling rink, and an outdoor swimming pool. Moose Creek Regional Park, located 7 km northwest of Oxbow, offers camping, fishing, boating, water-skiing, a nine-hole golf course with grass greens, and driving and putting ranges.
The town is home to the Oxbow Huskies, who play in the senior men's Big 6 Hockey League, and the Oxbow Chiefs of the Saskota Baseball League, who play at the local ball diamonds.
Bow Valley Park, located south of Oxbow along the Souris River, is a campground offering numerous recreational opportunities. The park features ball diamonds, a pavilion, outdoor theatre, potable water, and a boat launch. It also hosts the annual Bow Valley Jamboree. In 2011, the Souris River flooded, destroying much of the park. It took nearly six years and $300,000 to restore the park, which officially reopened in June 2017.
