Biggar, Saskatchewan
| Town of Biggar | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
Biggar's Main Street
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| Motto: "New York is big, but this is Biggar." | |
 Town of Biggar
Town of Biggar
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| Coordinates: 52°03′32″N 107°58′44″W / 52.059°N 107.979°WCoordinates: 52°03′32″N 107°58′44″W / 52.059°N 107.979°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Saskatchewan |
| Region | Saskatchewan |
| Census division | 12 |
| Rural Municipality | Biggar |
| Founded | 1907 |
| Incorporated (Village) | 1909 |
| Incorporated (Town) | 1911 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Raymond Sadler |
| • Town Manager | Barb Barteski |
| • Governing body | Biggar Town Council |
| • MLA Biggar | Randy Weekes (SKP) |
| • MP Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar | Kelly Block (CON) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 15.75 km2 (6.08 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 2,161 |
| • Density | 137.2/km2 (355/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CST |
| Postal code | S0K 0M0 |
| Area code(s) | 306, 633 |
| Highways |
Highway 4 Highway 14 Highway 51 |
| Website | Official Website |
Biggar is a town in central Saskatchewan, Canada. It is located on Highway 14, 93 kilometres (58 mi) west of Saskatoon, the province’s most populous city.
Biggar has become well known for its unusual town slogan, an Olympic athlete, and a world-record deer. The town was featured on American morning newsmagazine The Today Show in February 2010 as part of an ongoing Canadian-oriented segment during the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Biggar was incorporated as a village in 1909. It was named after William Hodgins Biggar, general counsel of the Grand Trunk Pacific (GTP) railway which had come through the area in 1908. The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTP) made Biggar a divisional point on its line, building a large station and roundhouse. The population grew as Biggar became a home terminal where train crews were changed.
In 1911 Biggar was incorporated as a town. Settlement continued and the population increased to greater than 2,000 by the mid-1920s, peaking at 2,755 in 1966. According to the 2011 census, Biggar is now home to 2,161 people.
The town is known for its slogan "New York is big, but this is Biggar." It was created in 1914 by a survey crew who painted it onto a town sign as a drunken prank. According to The Biggar Museum and Gallery, the graffiti remained unchanged until 1954 when the slogan was officially adopted.
The Biggar railway station was constructed in 1909-1910 and is serviced by Via Rail with The Canadian serving the station up to three times per week. Biggar’s prosperity was directly tied to the railway for many years. Up to 500 local people were at one time employed by Canadian National Railway (CN), which took over the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTP). That number has now dropped to under 200. As the railway industry has decreased, Biggar has shifted its economy to agriculture and related industries.
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