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Profile
Photographer: Patti Trautwein |
Leader, with a population
of 1000, is the center of a retail trading area which includes
three rural municipalities. Leader is one of the sunniest
places in North America with 2350 hours of sunshine and an
average precipitation of 31 inches (79 cm) snow and 10 inches
(25.5 cm) rain per year. Mean temperatures range from a January
low of -19°C to a summer high in July of +26°C.
Photographer: Gordon Stueck |
Leader is a community
of contrasts. The prairie landscape is broken by rolling hills
to the south, and by the South Saskatchewan River valley to
the north. The dry desert of the Great Sandhills lies to the
east, but a few miles north is the fertile plain near the
river. Here is some of the best farmland in the country, and
the wide open ranch lands provide grazing for cattle herds.
In the center of it all, at the junction of Highway 32 and
Highway 21, is Leader.
Great Sandhills Terminal |
Incorporated as
a town in 1917, Leader is the agricultural service center
for the district. The grain and cattle industries provide
long-term stability and form the base of the community. Commercial
taxes in Leader have been lowered as an incentive to increase
economic activity. According to Statistics Canada, there were
87 businesses registered in 1998, and the average income per
person in Leader was $22,878, which is 1% higher than the
provincial average. Residential houses are very reasonable
with an average starter home priced at $46,000.
Photographer: Dean Francis |
Tourism is becoming
a growth industry in Leader. The community lies directly in
the migratory bird flyways and attracts visitors from across
North America. Along the Leader Birding Trail, naturalists
will find over 200 different species. These include Canada
Goose, Sharp-Tailed Grouse and Ring Necked Pheasant. White-tail
deer, antelope and moose can be seen in the area, and at the
South Saskatchewan River, you'll find pickerel, northern pike
and sturgeon. With its sandbars and sandhills, Leader is a
truly unique part of the prairies. A great place to visit,
a great place to work, a great place to live.
For more information on Leader, please contact our Town
Administrator.
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