MAPLE CREEK

town, southwestern Saskatchewan, Canada, on Maple Creek, in the northern foothills of the Cypress Hills on the Trans-Canada Highway, near the Alberta border, 193 mi (311 km) west-southwest of Moose Jaw. Named for the maple trees that line the banks of the creek, the town originated after 1875, when a division of the North West Mounted Police established barracks (Fort Walsh, now restored within a national historic park) nearby. After the railroad arrived in 1882, Maple Creek grew as a ranching town and cattle-shipping station, and, in addition, it is now a grain and dairy centre. It has a historical museum and is a gateway to Cypress Hills Provincial Park, 18 miles (29 km) south. Inc. village, 1896; town, 1903. Pop. (1991) 2,334.