Highway 58 is a provincial highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan that handles approximately 100 vehicles per day.[2] The highway runs from Highway 18 about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) west of Fir Mountain north until Highway 1 / Highway 19 at Chaplin in the south-central region of the province. There are multiplexes of 1.6 kilometres (1.0 mi) with Highway 13, 300 metres (980 ft) with Highway 43, and 4.9 kilometres (3.0 mi) with Highway 363. The section from its southern terminus north to Shamrock is paved while north of Shamrock to Chaplin is gravel. The highway is about 132 kilometres (82 mi) long.[1]
Highway 58 begins at the northern edge of the Wood Mountain Hills, which are part of the Missouri Coteau.[3] Along the highway's route, there are rural villages, parks, towns, rivers, and lakes. Notable lakes include Thomson Lake, which is a man-made lake along the course of the Wood River, and Chaplin Lake, which is the second largest saline lake in Canada. The terrain of the Missouri Coteau features low hummocky, undulating, rolling hills, potholes, and grasslands.[2] Highway 58 runs through the first regional park of Saskatchewan, Thomson Lake Regional Park, and also provides nearby access to Shamrock Regional Park, another early regional park of Saskatchewan. The Louis Pierre Gravel National Historic Marker commemorates history at the north end of Highway 58, and the Cripple Creek Provincial Historic Marker is located at the south end. Highway 58 also provides access to the Chaplin / Old Wives / Reed LakesWestern Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network.[4]
Communities
Aerial view of Hwy 58 through Chaplin Lake
Fir Mountain is at the southern terminus of Highway 58 at Highway 18. South of Fir Mountain, is the Wood Mountain First Nations Indian reserve. Historically, Sioux Indians traversed this area as they followed Chief Sitting Bull. About 37.2 kilometres (23.1 mi) north of the southern terminus is Lafleche. Lafleche is located near Thomson Lake and became a town in 1953. In 1913, the CPR line came through the community. 57.8 kilometres (35.9 mi) farther north is the town of Gravelbourg, which is noted for being the Cultural Gem of Saskatchewan. Gravelbourg features the Our Lady of Assumption Roman Catholic Co-Cathedral and at one time was a bustling agricultural centre and hosted nine agricultural elevators.[5] The community of Shamrock, at 98.5 kilometres (61.2 mi) from the southern terminus, is at Highway 58's junction with Highway 363. North of Shamrock, at 135 kilometres (84 mi) from the southern terminus, is the northern terminus at Highways 1 and 19. At the northern terminus, the highway goes through Chaplin Lake, which is part of a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network, and ends at the community of Chaplin.[6][7]
Attractions
Louis Pierre Gravel National Historic Site honours the arrival of the abbot Louis-Pierre Gravel, a missionary-colonizer and the Franco-Americans who settled Gravelbourg. The memorial site is located south of Highway 43 and just east of Highway 58.[8][9]
Thomson Lake Regional Park is situated on Thomson Lake along Highway 58 near Lafleche. It is 81 hectares (200 acres) in size and hosts swimming lessons, camping, picnicking, boating, and golf. Thomson Lake Regional Park became the first regional park in the province of Saskatchewan.[10][11]
Shamrock Regional Park is on the banks of Wood River. It is 22.3 hectares (55 acres) in size and has a campground, playground, and baseball diamonds.[12]
The marker for Cripple Creek Provincial Historic Site is located at the junction of Highway 13 and Highway 58. Cripple Creek Crossing - North-West Mounted Police Camp Site is a municipal heritage site. This area encompasses 128 hectares (320 acres) and commemorates the history of the "March West" of the North-West Mounted Police under the command of George Arthur French on July 8, 1874.[16]
^ abRichards, J.H. (1969). "Saskatchewan: Atlas of Saskatchewan". Saskatoon: University of Saskatchewan. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
^Penner, Lynden; Canadian Plains Research Center, University of Regina (2006), The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan, retrieved October 11, 2013, Missouri Coteau
^Big Things of Canada, A Celebration of Community Monuments of Canada; John Bissett, Samson Yee and DMY (July 10, 2001), Town of Chaplin, retrieved May 15, 2007
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