Leader, Saskatchewan

Leader is a town in southwestern Saskatchewan, Canada, located approximately directly east of Calgary, Alberta and is near the border between Saskatchewan and Alberta. It has a population of 863 as of 2016.

Before settlement, the Leader area was a hunting ground of prehistoric humans. A Midland Folsom point was discovered that the University of Saskatchewan dated back 8,000 to 9,000 years before present. Leader lies in the traditional territory of the Nekaneet First Nation, who were signatories to Treaty 4. Homesteaders began arriving in large numbers in 1907; most were German immigrants from the country of Prussia or southern Russia. A Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) detachment opened in 1909, and ensured all settlers had adequate supplies to last the winter. By 1911, the Canadian Pacific Railway purchased a quarter section of land as the prospective site for a settlement. By 1917, anti German sentiment surrounding the events of World War I prompted the community to change its name, as well as replacing its German street names with numbers. The new name was chosen after a contest won by two local girls, Bertha Keller and Muriel Legault. They were inspired by the arrival of the Regina Morning Leader newspaper on the passenger train. The village name was officially changed to Leader on September 27, 1917;

Following World War II the town's population grew, reaching a peak of 1236 in 1966. In 1995, American aviator Steve Fossett landed near Leader after taking off from South Korea, becoming the first person to make a solo flight across the Pacific Ocean in a balloon. In November 2006, the inhabitants of Leader posed nude for a calendar in act of protest against the deteriorating condition of Highway 32, the main link to the city of Swift Current; it attracted the attention of media outlets in Canada and the United States. In the 2008 2009 provincial budget, the Ministry of Highways committed to rebuild Highway 32 between the villages of Shackleton and Prelate. The project was completed in November 2010 at a cost of $44.4 million. High winds and dry conditions sparked a wildfire on October 17, 2017 that forced the town's population to evacuate to the town of Kindersley. The fire was contained and residents returned the next day. No one was injured and no structures were damaged, however the local waste station & local farmers had experienced fire damage.

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Leader had a population of 881 living in 372 of its 426 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 863. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.

Leader is located in Saskatchewan's mixed grassland ecoregion. The southern landscape is dominated by flat plains, with rolling hills by the South Saskatchewan River located north of Leader. The Great Sand Hills, a region of arid plains and sand dunes, lies just southeast of Leader. The town is located at the junction of highways 21 and 32, and is approximately east of the border with Alberta. Like much of southwestern Saskatchewan, Leader experiences a semi arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSk). Winters are long, cold and dry, while summers are short but very warm. Average precipitation is of rain per year and of snow per annum. Mean temperatures in the area range from a January low of to a summer high in July of Extremes 1924–1969, Extremes 1996–present

Including three rural municipalities, Leader, is the centre of a retail trading area. The economic base of the community centres around the grain and cattle industries. The major industries in Leader and surrounding area are agricultural services and manufacturing. Leader also has tourism trade from attractions such as the Leader Bird Watching Trail, Smith Barn site, and the Great Sand Hills. Several large sculptures of local wildlife are found at various locations around the town of Leader. The Great Sand Hills Museum is in the nearby village of Sceptre. The museum features historical displays depicting pioneer life such as a boarding house, hospital, livery stable, school, church, and barn as well as vintage farm machinery. Checkboard Hill, 6.4 km west of Leader on Highway 741, has a wide view of the river and surrounding landscape. The Smith Barn Site is a provincial heritage site, located approximately ten kilometres northwest of Leader on private property. Its concrete foundation is the only part of the building that remains. A scale model of the barn is located at the Leader tourist information booth. The Hutterites Colony in Estuary was established in 1958. The colony members have preserved the traditional Hutterite production methods, culture, language, and religion. Guided tours of the colony are available to visitors.

Local sports teams include the Leader Expos (baseball) and the Leader Flyers (hockey). Other sports organizations include the Leader Minor Ball Club, Leader Minor Hockey Club and the Leader Skating Club.

Leader's local government consists of a town council, composed of an elected mayor and six councillors. The current mayor is Craig Tondevold. In provincial politics, Leader is in the constituency of Cypress Hills. It is currently represented by of the Saskatchewan Party. Federally, Leader is in the constituency of Cypress Hills—Grasslands, currently represented by of the Conservative Party of Canada.

Leader is located at the junction of highways 21 and 32. The former Canadian Pacific Railway line also runs through the town; it is currently operated by the Great Sandhills Railway Leader has an airport with an asphalt runway.

Electricity is provided by SaskPower and natural gas is provided by SaskEnergy. The town maintains its own water supply system, including a pump house and filtration plant. Telephone and internet service is provided by SaskTel.