Nestled in the boreal forest of central Saskatchewan, Canada, Spiritwood is a charming town with a population of approximately 1,000. Located 125 km west of Prince Albert and about 110 km northeast of North Battleford, Spiritwood is conveniently situated at the junction of Highway 3, Highway 24, and Highway 376. As the largest community in the region, Spiritwood serves as the major supply, service, and administrative headquarters for the trading area population, which includes several First Nation reserves such as Witchekan Lake, Big River, and Pelican Lake.
The Spiritwood district began to be settled around 1911–12. However, growth in the area was slow until the arrival of the railway in the late 1920s. The first settlers primarily engaged in ranching. The Spiritwood post office, established in 1923, was named after Spiritwood Lake, North Dakota, the hometown of the first postmaster, Rupert J. Dumond. The arrival of the railway brought settlers of diverse origins into the district and led to the establishment of many businesses.
On October 1, 1935, Spiritwood was incorporated as a village. By September 1, 1965, the community had grown large enough to attain town status. In 2006, Spiritwood was the scene of a tragic incident involving the deaths of two RCMP officers, which resulted in a 12-day manhunt.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Spiritwood had a population of 966 living in 395 of its 422 total private dwellings. This represented a change of 5.8% from its 2016 population of 913. With a land area of 2.91 km2 (1.12 sq mi), Spiritwood had a population density of 332.0/km2 (859.8/sq mi) in 2021.
Spiritwood offers a range of recreational facilities. The town was once the home of the annual Silverbuckle Rodeo, a mid-summer attraction for many years. Today, "SpiritFest" is held annually in August. The Spiritwood Museum, open seasonally throughout the summer months, showcases the community's history, including an exhibition of antique farm tractors all freshly restored and in running condition. The town also offers campground facilities with 12 sites.
Spiritwood is located in the centre of an area that features six golf courses (three grass greens and three sand greens), six regional parks, and 35 lakes, all within a 60-minute drive. The lakes offer fishing for perch, walleye, pike, and trout. Its close proximity to lakes and parks provides opportunities for camping, boating, fishing, golfing, hunting, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and hiking.
Spiritwood has a sewer/water capacity for 1,500 residents, allowing for 50% community growth. The town offers free Wi-Fi, cellular service, and cable television.
While there is no bus service available to Spiritwood, the town is accessible via Highways 3, 24, and 376. With the railway gone and grain elevators closed, all bulk commodities including fertilizers, fuel, grain, and livestock are transported by truck. The Spiritwood Airport, now defunct, was an uncontrolled public grass strip operated by the Town of Spiritwood. The Leoville Airport, located 32 km north of Spiritwood, is a public airport operated by the Village of Leoville with two runways.
