Balcarres post office was established in the North-West Territories on 1 April 1884.[7] The name originates from the first postmaster, Balcarres Crawford, at the neighbouring community of Indian Head, North-West Territories (now, since 1905, Saskatchewan).[8][9]
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Balcarres had a population of 616 living in 257 of its 271 total private dwellings, a change of 4.9% from its 2016 population of 587. With a land area of 1.62 km2 (0.63 sq mi), it had a population density of 380.2/km2 (984.8/sq mi) in 2021.[10]
The town is home to several businesses including a grocery store, inn, pharmacy, bank, and restaurants. Terminal 22, a large inland grain terminal, is located west of town along the Canadian National Railway rail line.
Balcarres has a hospital and senior citizens home called the Balcarres Integrated Care Centre or BICC, and an elementary and high school, which educates children from the communities of Balcarres, Abernethy, and the File Hills Indian reserves. There is a United, an Anglican and a Baptist church.