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The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan

The single largest educational publishing project in Saskatchewan’s History

Won at the 2005 Saskatchewan Book Awards

  • Award for Publishing sponsored by Saskatchewan Culture, Youth and Recreation
  • Award for Publishing in Education sponsored by the University of Regina Bookstore
  • Award for Scholarly Writing sponsored by Luther CollegeReader’s Choice Award

The Encyclopedia is published by the Canadian Plains Research Center (CPRC) at the University of Regina. Nine years in development, the ambitious project has been a labour of love for the CPRC, a University of Regina-based institution that has supported social, historical and environmental research on the Canadian plains for over 30 years.

The Encyclopedia is the most comprehensive source of information on Saskatchewan ever produced in a single volume. Benefiting from the services of a distinguished 26 member editorial board and over 800 writers, it includes 2,200 individual entries and features 21 in-depth essays covering all aspects of life in Saskatchewan. Liberally illustrated with more than 1,000 maps, charts, and photographs (many in full colour), each alphabetical chapter begins with a stunning colour image by world-renowned photographer, Courtney Milne.

According to David Gauthier, Publisher and General Manager of the Encyclopedia, the sheer scope of the project required that they invest the time to get it right.
“We were most fortunate in having a very strong editorial board made up of experts in all the various fields. It has taken a tremendous amount of time and work to achieve consensus on the themes and direction of the book. On top of that, seeking out the writers, deciding which articles to include and editing the thousands of submissions has all been a lengthy and meticulous job.”
One of the main goals of the editorial board has been to make the completed work accessible to the general public.

“We wanted to reach as wide an audience as possible”, says Gauthier. “Certainly, the encyclopedia will be useful to researchers, but we wanted to be sure that the language was accessible enough so that high school students and casual readers would appreciate it as well.”

 “My favourite book this year inspires in me pure Alberta envy and lust, and not just because 
it is fat, wide, thick and remarkably beautiful. The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan covers the whole 
history, past, present, and pride of our neighbour province.  From Aberdeen to Zooplankton, the
Saskatchewan kind, this amazing Encyclopedia celebrates that  province’s 100th birthday with hefty 
aplomb.  That the quiet, unassuming province to our left  published this mighty tome is a slapshot that outdistances every Alberta goal.  Bravo Saskatchewan!”
       Aritha van Herk
       Calgary Herald