Town of Canora

Welcome to Canora!

Welcome to Canora, a progressive community with traditional values.

Endless recreational opportunities, tourism activities and economic possibilities all complement Canora’s wide range of services and low cost of living, to provide a quality of life that makes this a great place to visit or call home.

There really is something here for everyone, making it an ideal place to raise a family or simply retire.

With its abundance of community spirit and friendly atmosphere, you don’t have to be a lifelong resident to feel safe and at home in this neat, attractive rural town.

As you browse our website, please keep in mind that it provides only the highlights of our fair community. If you would like more information, feel free to contact us, or better yet, visit Canora in person.

Town profile

Canora is nestled into the junction of highways No. 5 and 9 in east-central Saskatchewan. Centrally located on the corners of four adjacent rural municipalities, the community is home to approximately 2,000 residents and draws upon a substantial trading area.

Canora is known as the “Heart of Good Spirit Country” as a result of its proximity to several lakes and parks, including Crystal Lake, Good Spirit Lake and Duck Mountain Provincial Park. The area is host to Saskatchewan’s greatest number of golf courses per capita and boasts one of the highest traffic counts in the province.

The Town of Canora received a 2008 Saskatchewan Municipal Award in the category of Environmental Stewardship. The award resulted from the Town's source water protection project to preserve the community's quality water supply. The undertaking, for which the Town partnered with Ducks Unlimited, saw many acres of former farm land restored to its natural state.

The community was named one of the top 10 places in Canada to retire by CARP Magazine and was the only Saskatchewan community to make the list for 2006. Canada's Association for the 50 Plus considered many factors in compiling its list, including: climate, quality of life, cost of living, transportation, retail services, health care, community services, cultural, educational and recreational activities and crime and public safety.

The town was also judged to have the best-tasting municipal water in Canada at the 13^th annual international water tasting competition held in 2003 in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, USA. Canora’s water, supplied by several ground wells northeast of the community, also placed fourth internationally at the competition that received entries from eight countries and 23 states. Free samples of this great-tasting water are available at the CN Station House Museum during the summer months.

Recreational facilities in the community include a serviced campground, cross country ski trails, tennis courts, ball diamonds, curling and ice skating rinks, soccer pitches, skate park, beach volleyball court, community halls, swimming pool, parks, playgrounds and a nine-hole grass green golf course. A walking tour of the community, featuring its museums and other attractions, has been developed. With an abundance of nearby lakes, rivers and rural landscapes, Canora is literally only minutes away from some of the best hunting and fishing opportunities in the province.

“Ca-No-Ra”, which became a village in 1905 and was incorporated as a town in 1910, was named using the first two letters of “Canadian Northern Railway”. A CN Station House Museum, traditional Ukrainian welcome statue, Ukrainian Heritage Museum and fully-restored Ukrainian Orthodox church, officially designated a heritage site, recognize and preserve the community’s diverse heritage. An ongoing mural program has also been initiated.

To maximize the well-being of its residents, Canora features an acute-care hospital, nursing home, doctor’s office, ambulance service, chiropractor, optometrist, home care, public health services and massage therapy clinic. We are currently seeking the services of a dentist and veterinarian.

Policing services are delivered by an in-town RCMP detachment and a fully-equipped volunteer fire brigade provides fire and rescue services.

Students can attend kindergarten to Grade 12 at Canora’s two schools. Children as young as three years old may attend Canora Nursery School and those wishing to obtain further or specialized learning can access a wide variety of programs through the local branch of the Parkland Regional College.

What's new...

(September, 2008) The Town of Canora's 2008 Waterworks Rate Policy and Capital Investment Strategy is available at the town office. For more information, visit the Public Works section of the town's website or click here.

(May, 2008) Canora received a 2008 Saskatchewan Municipal Award in the category of Environmental Stewardship.

(May, 2008) Council adopted its 2008 budget with a municipal tax rate of 23.8 mills.

(May, 2008) The Town of Canora's water quality and sample submission compliance record for 2007 is available to the public. Saskatchewan Environment regulations require that waterworks owners provide this notification to consumers on an annual basis. The information is available for inspection at the town office during regular business hours.

(January, 2008) Council updated its commercial lot sale policy to encourage development of commercial properties.

(November, 2007) Council set its 2008 tax concession policy which provides for reduced property taxes on certain types of new construction and/or commercial properties. Information regarding the policy is available at the town office.

(May, 2006) Canora was named one of the 10 best places in Canada to retire by CARP Magazine.

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