Why the small town of Bulyea is celebrating 110 years when so many others have faded away

You might miss Bulyea, Sask., as you drive along Highway 20 near Last Mountain Lake.

The community, located 70 kilometres northwest of Regina, follows a familiar recipe for a small prairie town: community hall, post office, Co-op, elementary school, skating rink, curling rink and ball diamonds.

In 1925, the town became home to the province's first Saskatchewan Wheat Poolgrain elevator. But itclosed in 2000. Then came the demise of the credit union, followed by the local tech business and rental shop.

Closures like these have heralded the demise of many small towns, but by attracting young families, volunteerism and collaboration with surrounding communities, Bulyea might be reversing the trend.

HaNmer Seeds Limited recently bought and rejuvenated the elevator. The hotel reopened in February. The curling rink and community hall are booked regularly. And that Co-op store? It's described by residents as the best, most well-stocked hardware store west of Regina.

Perhaps most importantly, several new houses have been built recently. The town's population grew by 10 per cent from 2011 to 2016.

More young families are moving to Bulyea and the area because they like the small-town life and accessibility to Last Mountain Lake and other beaches, while still being close to Regina.

Colin and Amy McLeod built a home on 10 acres of land Colin got from hisgrandmother for the price of a good bottle of Scotch. The McLeods had the opportunity to raise their family in Regina, but they chose Bulyea to distance themselves from the hustle and bustle of the big city.

Amy prefers small-town life even though she grew up in Regina. She likes being closer to family, who live in the area. She has been commuting to Regina for work for nearly a decade.

"I long to come home everyday. I long to be in my community. It's a beautiful place to be."

Amy said a lot of young families are moving back to Bulyea because their parents are there.

"They know what this life is like and it is what it's all cracked up to be."

A town's rise and fall

Colin grew up near Gibbs, about 10 kilometres south of Bulyea.

In its heyday, Gibbs was a rural hub with 130 residents. Now it's one of 129 ghost towns in Saskatchewan. Population: three.

Doug Slough's grandparents settled in a homestead near Gibbs in 1905 and he still lives nearby. Growing up, Slough rode his bike 5.5 kilometres every day to school because he lived "too close" to be bused.

Gibbs had a flag station, a hardware store, a poolroom, two grocery stores, a hall and a couple of grain elevators. According to the history book What's In A Name, Gibbs had almost 31,000 acres being farmed at its peak.

The local school closed midway through the 20th century, with students being sent to Bulyea or Strasbourg instead. The post office and community hall closed in the 1960s. That same decade, despite the Strasbourg Fire Brigade's best efforts, the Gibbs General Store burned down. It wasn't rebuilt. The elevator was shuttered around 1975.

"So when you lose the school, the store, the post office and the elevator, it doesn't leave a whole lot left," said Slough. "And there was maybe only 40 people and Gibbs at that time."

When Gibbs faded, families took their business to the next nearest centre: Bulyea.

Technology's impact on small town development

George Hoffman, a sessional history lecturer at the University of Regina, said the establishment of the wheat economy created hundreds of these small communities across the province, largely driven by the necessity for grain elevators connected by the rail system.

Advancements in the same industry that prompted the birth of these communities also contributed to their decline. Once there were paved highways and large trucks, farmers could haul grain greater distances themselves, without relying on rail.

"You do not need an elevator at every six or eight miles [anymore]. So it really became uneconomical to keep that going," Hoffman said .

The makeup of a typical operation has changed drastically, too. Ranches would have about 10-12 cows. Now a typical ranch has 100 or more cattle.

"So there is naturally going to be decline and disappearance and some of these inevitably would become ghost towns," said Hoffman.

He estimated about one of three communities survived.

One factor that has determined survival, he said, is the will of local government. Bulyea has been a fighter.

Bulyea's battle to keep school open

In 2006, the Horizons School Board was considering closing Bulyea Elementary School because of low projected enrolment, according to the Watrous Manitou newspaper.

Local residents banded together to prove their school would be viable. Amy McLeod was one of the parents who knocked on doors to find families who intended to send their children, from babies to five years of age, to Bulyea Elementary.

"It was a very emotional time. People were very upset about, but instead of getting mad we did our research and we did our due diligence," Amy said.

According to the school board's minutes from Sept. 21, 2012, Bulyea School was removed from the review process for the 2012-2013 academic year.

"Facts are facts and proof is proof and we had it. So when we presented it and we had people present it in a very professional way and our fight was won," Amy said.

As of September 2018, there were 68 students were enrolled in Bulyea Elementary.

"I don't see Bulyea school going anywhere anytime soon," Amy said.

That community spirit has helped preserve other elements of the town as well.

Ross Parkin, who grew up in Bulyea, moved back to his hometown several years ago. It was a no-brainer for him to raise his family there.

"There are some darn good teachers and we got some darn good parents involved in all the extra-curricular activities," Parkin said.

Parkin attributes the quality of life to the people. He's a member of the local Lion's Club, which raised money to help with upkeep of the curling rink.

"Most of our winter is spent going to these fundraisers in either Bulyea or the surrounding communities. There's generally lots of food and lots to drink and some good stories."

There's also a committee that keeps an eye out on maintenance issues around town.

"We've been making small improvements. It helps to keep things going and because there comes a time when if something's not taken care of for so many years it's eventually just going to be gone and it got close to that," said Colin.

Greg Coutts, who has lived in Bulyea all of his life and chaired the curling club for 20 years,said there's a sense of community pride that comes from everyone banding together to keep the town healthy.

"When you can look back and see what some of the accomplishments that you made from being there it makes you kind of proud to say you're part of it."

He's optimistic about his hometown's future.

"I've seen it when there were downturns. I think things are so much brighter."