Southend is located 222 km north of La Ronge and can be accessed by gravel road. It’s found on the southern end of Reindeer Lake, the ninth largest lake in Canada.
The community has no airport or landing strip so Cameco employees commute to La Ronge to fly to our northern worksites, the closest of which is our Key Lake operation 174 km NW, by air.
Approximately 1,100 people, primarily Cree, reside in this community in north eastern Saskatchewan.
Southend belongs to the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation that has 20,000 square miles of traditional territory. The Cree name is Assin’skowitiniwak which means “people of the rocky area,” referring to the Precambrian Shield that is primarily muskeg, lakes and thin soil with bare rockface.
Fishing is an important industry in Southend and the immense lake supports commercial fishing for many different species. It also draws sport fisherman to the area. Outfitting, the Nobel Bay mine and a few private businesses are the other main industries in Southend.
The community provides health care programs and 24-hour emergency care through the Arthur Morin Memorial Health Centre. Doctors are flown in from La Ronge two days a week. Children are able to attend school from kindergarten to Grade 12.