Outlook is a town in west central Saskatchewan, Canada about 80 km south-southwest of Saskatoon. It is located along the South Saskatchewan River, downstream from Gardiner Dam and the Coteau Creek Hydroelectric Station.

History

Settlement began in the early 1900s with farmers and immigrants moving into the area looking for farmland. Outlook officially started as a settlement on August 26, 1908 when the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) commenced the auction of lots. On November 23, 1908 the citizens of Outlook welcomed the first train which arrived from Moose Jaw. Within the month the CPR was running a tri-weekly train service carrying huge piles of lumber, however the supply of workers and materials was far outweighed by the demand for more buildings. The Outlook CPR Station building was built in 1909 and a year later, on November 1, 1910, Outlook was officially declared a town. In 1912 the Skytrail bridge crossing the South Saskatchewan River was finished, allowing both passenger and commercial traffic to cross the river in the area for the first time without using the ferry. In 1910, a fire broke out in the hardware store in town, spreading rapidly and eventually grew to the size of a city block.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Outlook had a population of 2,336 living in 1,001 of its 1,055 total private dwellings, a change of NaN% from its 2016 population of 2,279. With a land area of 8.34 km2, it had a population density of in 2021.

Arts and culture

Outlook's arts program includes the Equinox Theatre, a community theatre group that puts on one to two productions a year. They have put on such productions such as Anne of Green Gables and The Little Mermaid. In the past, the group would work in conjunction with the LCBI theatre group. The Outlook and District Community Arts Council opened an art gallery in the Town Office Building.

Attractions

Climate

Outlook has a humid continental climate (Dfb). The highest temperature ever recorded in Outlook was 41.1 C on June 16, 1933 and July 4, 1937. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -52.2 C on February 25, 1919.

Sports

The Outlook Recreation Complex has a skating rink, a 4-sheet curling rink, a bowling alley, and an indoor archery range. Adjacent are five baseball diamonds. As of 2021, The Outlook Recreation Complex also offers a multi-sport court in the summer months, including basketball, pickleball, shuffleboard, volleyball, badminton, lacrosse, floor hockey, and tennis. The Jim Kook Arena in the Complex is home to many sports programs throughout the year, including the Outlook Minor Sports program. It is home to the Outlook Ice Hawks senior hockey team. The Outlook Stock Car Association maintains a stock car 1/3 mile high banked clay oval track. The track runs 10 or more races a season.

Infrastructure

Education

Outlook is located within the Sun West School Division.

Notable people