Punnichy, Saskatchewan, a quaint village nestled in the heart of the Canadian province, is a destination that offers a unique blend of history, culture, and natural beauty. With a population of 213 as of 2016, Punnichy is part of the Rural Municipality of Mount Hope No. 279 and Census Division No. 10. Located 126 km northeast of the City of Regina, this village is a part of the original "Alphabet Line" of the main Canadian National Railway line.
The name "Punnichy" is derived from "panacay," a Saulteaux term that translates to "fledgling bird with few feathers." This term was humorously used to describe the appearance of a pioneer merchant. The village is situated along Highway 15, in the heart of the Touchwood Hills, between Quinton and Lestock. Punnichy is surrounded by four First Nation reserves: Muskowekwan, Kawacatoose, Daystar, and Gordon.
Punnichy holds a significant place in Canadian history as the location of one of the last operating residential schools in the country, the Gordon Indian Residential School, which closed its doors in 1996. The village is part of the provincial constituency Last Mountain-Touchwood and the federal constituency Regina—Qu'Appelle. In 2009, Punnichy celebrated its centennial, marking a hundred years since its incorporation as a village on October 22, 1909.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Punnichy had a population of 212 living in 79 of its 87 total private dwellings. This represented a slight decrease of 0.5% from its 2016 population of 213. The village spans a land area of 0.68 km2 (0.26 sq mi), resulting in a population density of 311.8/km2 (807.5/sq mi) in 2021. In the 2016 Census of Population, Punnichy recorded a population of 213 living in 83 of its 117 total private dwellings, a -15.5% change from its 2011 population of 246. With the same land area, it had a population density of 313.2/km2 (811.3/sq mi) in 2016.
