Biggar, Saskatchewan: History, Things to Do and Travel Guide
Biggar is a west-central prairie town in Saskatchewan’s West Central region, where Highways 4, 14 and 51 meet grain country and railway history. The town is compact, service-focused and easy to recognize by its best-known line: New York Is Big But This Is Biggar.
For travellers, Biggar works as a prairie stop with more local texture than its highway size suggests. The visit is strongest when it connects the railway story, downtown, museum, parks, golf and the town symbols that residents have kept visible.
How Biggar Started
The Town of Biggar traces its start to the railways. The Canadian Pacific Railway steel passed through the district in 1907, and the Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad arrived in 1908. The settlement took its name from W. H. Biggar, general counsel for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway.
Biggar incorporated as a village in 1909. In 1910, the Grand Trunk Pacific made it a divisional point, which brought construction, workers and a population jump. The town became a home terminal where train crews changed, and the station was one of the largest in the west.
Biggar became a town in 1911. By the early 1920s, its population had passed 2,000, and railway service remained central to local work, movement and identity.
What Biggar Is Like Today
Statistics Canada counted 2,133 residents in Biggar in the 2021 census. The town still presents itself as a railway and prairie service community, with Canadian National Railway activity, local businesses, schools, health services, recreation facilities and regional agriculture all shaping daily life.
The official town history highlights three public symbols: the Hanson Buck, Sandra Schmirler’s curling legacy and the New York Is Big But This Is Biggar slogan. Tourism Saskatchewan adds Main Street, parks, sports facilities, the museum, golf and regional camping to the visitor picture.
Modern Biggar feels like a working prairie town that understands its story. It is practical first, but the museum, sign, parks and Main Street give travellers enough local anchors for a real stop.
Things to Do and Places Nearby
Start with the Biggar Museum, Gallery and Tourist Information Centre. The museum preserves and presents Biggar and area history, and Tourism Saskatchewan notes displays tied to the Majestic Theatre, Sandra Schmirler, the Hanson Buck, local archives and visitor information.
Biggar and District Regional Park sits just north of town, with camping and nearby golf. Tourism Saskatchewan also points to the Biggar Golf Course, the Sandra Schmirler Olympic Gold Park, Rec Valley and a walkable Main Street with older prairie-town character.
If time is short, make a simple loop: photograph the town sign, walk Main Street, visit the museum, then continue to the regional park or golf course. That keeps the stop grounded in Biggar rather than making it only a fuel break.
Quick Facts
- Province: Saskatchewan
- Region: West Central
- Municipality type: town
- 2021 census population: 2,133
- Official website: townofbiggar.com
- Main setting: prairie railway town at Highways 4, 14 and 51
- Good for: railway history, Biggar Museum, town sign, regional park, golf, Main Street and prairie services
- Key routes: Highways 4, 14 and 51
Travel Notes
Biggar is easiest by car. Check museum hours, campground seasons, golf availability, winter road conditions and local event dates before travelling, especially if the museum or regional park is the main reason for stopping.