Spiritwood is a town in the boreal forest of central Saskatchewan, Canada with a population of approximately 1,000. Its location is 125 km west of Prince Albert and about 110 km northeast of North Battleford at the junction of Highway 3, Highway 24 and Highway 376. As the largest community in the region, the community functions as the major supply, service, and administrative headquarters for the trading area population which includes several First Nation reserves including Witchekan Lake, Big River and Pelican Lake. History The district began to be settled around 1911–12; however, growth in the area was slow until the coming of the railway in the late 1920s. The first settlers primarily engaged in ranching. The Spiritwood post office, which had been established in 1923, was named after Spiritwood Lake, North Dakota, the hometown of the first postmaster, Rupert J. Dumond. After the railway arrived, settlers of diverse origins poured into the district and many businesses were established. On October 1, 1935, Spiritwood was incorporated as a village and, by September 1, 1965, the community had grown large enough to attain town status. This was the scene of the two deaths of RCMP officers in 2006, where after a 12-day manhunt, the suspect surrendered without incident. Demographics In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Spiritwood had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. Economy Mixed farming predominates and consists primarily of grain production. A Spiritwood company with global connections that focuses on pig genetics, producing breeding stock and commercial swine, has roughly 50 employees. There is some forestry in the region north of Spiritwood. Attractions The town has a range of recreational facilities. Once hometown of the annual Silverbuckle Rodeo, a mid-summer attraction for many years, the grandstands are no more. "SpiritFest" is held annually in August. Spiritwood Museum is open seasonally throughout the summer months. The museum showcases the community's history, including an exhibition of antique farm tractors all freshly restored and in running condition. Campground facilities available with 12 sites. Spiritwood is located in the centre of an area that features six golf courses (three grass greens and three sand greens), six regional parks and 35 lakes, all within a 60-minute drive. The lakes have fishing for perch,