Ponteix, Saskatchewan, a quaint town nestled in the southwestern part of Canada, is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. Located 86 kilometres southeast of Swift Current, this town is easily accessible via Highway 628, just north of Highway 13.
The history of Ponteix, Saskatchewan dates back to 1908 when Father Albert-Marie Royer from the Auvergne region in France established a parish and hamlet named Notre-Dame d’Auvergne north of Notukeu Creek. In 1913, the townsite was relocated south of the creek following the Canadian Pacific Railway's decision to lay track there. The community was subsequently renamed Ponteix, in honour of Father Royer's former parish in France (Le Ponteix, commune of Aydat).
As per the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Ponteix, Saskatchewan had a population of 577 living in 242 of its 276 total private dwellings. This represented a 2.5% increase from its 2016 population of 563. With a land area of 1.19 km2, the town had a population density of 484.9/km2 in 2021. Interestingly, the 2011 federal census revealed that 175 of Ponteix's residents were bilingual, speaking both official languages (English and French).
Adjacent to Ponteix, Saskatchewan is the Notukeu Regional Park, a charming regional park along the banks of Notukeu Creek. Established in 1964, the park features a campground, golf course, spray park, and swimming pool. The campground offers 30 serviced campsites and a tenting area, while the Ponteix Golf Club boasts a 9-hole, par 33 course that totals 2,485 yards. The club also has a licensed clubhouse and pro shop.
Ponteix, Saskatchewan is home to several unique attractions. Near the town is the site of a plesiosaur find in the early 1990s. In 1995, community members and students of Ponteix school contributed small articles to a plesiosaur statue before it was filled with cement and painted by the townspeople in a ceremony commemorating the discovery of the original plesiosaur's bones.
The Notukeu Heritage Museum in Ponteix features a collection of prehistoric artifacts. The Notre Dame D'Auvergne Catholic Church, a brick and concrete structure built in 1929, is another must-see. The church features twin steeples and houses a large wood carving of the Pieta. This statue, which arrived in Canada in 1909, was saved when the 1916 church was destroyed by fire in 1923. According to Abbot Jerome Webber of St. Peter's Abbey, the oak statue was made in France over four hundred years ago, was saved by peasants during the French Revolution, and was once covered in pure gold.
