Maple Creek
Population: 2,176 (2021 census)
While visiting the area, stop by Cypress Hills Winery, Saskatchewan’s first. The vines are bathed in warm sunshine in the summer and warmed by Chinook winds in the winter. It’s this unique microclimate that produces wines of such intensity and great taste. Saskatoon’s cherry and Saskatoon berry trees grew wild along the creek before humans walked the hills. The winery, which recently relocated north of the city, strives to stay true to the fruits the Prairies have to offer. Fruit wines are naturally slightly sweeter than most grape wines and can be a joy to drink with friends.
Maple Creek is a town that epitomizes the cowboy and ranching culture of the Western Plains, including its Cowboy Poetry Festival (cancelled in recent years due to COVID-19), and refreshment stops like the Jasper Lounge, where you can enjoy authentic drinks and a tour of the South West Saskatchewan Old Timers’ Museum. Dedicated to the pioneer spirit of the Cypress Hills, the museum was established in 1926. Today, the museum is divided between the 1935 Log Museum at 218 Jasper Street (considered the oldest purpose-built museum building in Saskatchewan) and the C.M. Glascock Building at 222 Jasper Street (which originally operated as a car dealership from 1909 to 2009).