Val Marie, Saskatchewan
| Village of Val Marie | |
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| Village | |
Val Marie grain elevator
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 Village of Val Marie
Village of Val Marie
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| Coordinates: 49°13′59″N 107°44′05″W / 49.233°N 107.7346°WCoordinates: 49°13′59″N 107°44′05″W / 49.233°N 107.7346°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Saskatchewan |
| Region | Saskatchewan |
| Rural Municipality | Val Marie No. 17 R. M. |
| Elevation | 795 m (2,608 ft) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Total | 137 |
| Time zone | CST |
| Postal code | S0N 2T0 |
| Area code(s) | 306 |
| Climate | BSk |
Val Marie is a prairie village located in the southwestern region of Saskatchewan, Canada. It is only a few kilometres from the Canada-United States border.
Considered the gateway to the Grasslands National Park, Val Marie's economy is largely based on wheat farming, ranching, and tourism. Minor amounts of natural gas have been found nearby. Employment includes agriculture (47% of workforce), federal government (Grasslands National Park), and a significant natural gas compressor relay station at the Montana border.
The first European investigation of the area was conducted by the Palliser Expedition (1857–1859), supported by the Royal Geographical Society and the British Government, and led by John Palliser, a wealthy Irish landowner. He was accompanied by geologist James Hector, and various cartographers and botanists. They studied the natural resources and agricultural potential of the Palliser area – including Val Marie – and reported the place as dismally dry, prone to drought, and unfit for habitation. The dismissive conclusions slowed settlement in the area for decades.
Artifacts of native civilization are significant. In 1877, Tatanka Iyotake – Sitting Bull – crossed from the USA into Canada along the Frenchman River (which flows through Val Marie) after his victory over General Custer at Battle of the Little Bighorn.
The village of Val Marie – Valley of Mary – was founded in 1910 by Father Passaplan, Louis Denniel, and the brothers François and Léon Pinel. Most of the early settlers were ranchers and farmers from Quebec and France. By 1939, two irrigation reservoirs were built near Val Marie by the PFRA (Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Agency) in coordination with Ducks Unlimited. Over 10,000 acres (40 km2) are irrigated through the system which provides some stabilization through droughts which plague the area.
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