Positioned at the junction of Highway 48 and the Trans-Canada Highway in southeast Saskatchewan, White City sits within the White Butte region, a short distance from the provincial capital. The community neighbours Balgonie, Pilot Butte, and Regina, and its population is made up largely of people who travel into Regina for work each day. Its motto, “Your Way of Life,” reflects its character as a commuter town closely tied to the capital.
Origins and Growth
The land that would become White City originally comprised 80 acres owned by Johnston Lipsett, a resident of Pilot Butte. The community was formally organised as a hamlet on April 26, 1959. It progressed to village status on March 1, 1967, and was eventually incorporated as a town on November 1, 2000. The name itself has an unusual origin: local store owner John Kadannek persuaded Lipsett to name the community after White City, London, England, the home of Kadannek’s favourite aunt.
Population and Land Area
White City has seen considerable growth over recent census periods. In the 2016 Census, Statistics Canada recorded a population of 3,099 people living in 998 of its 1,036 private dwellings, across a land area of 7.52 km². That figure represented a 63.2% increase from the 2011 adjusted population of 1,899. By the 2021 Census, the amended count placed the population at 3,821 people living in 1,211 of its 1,235 total private dwellings, reflecting a further adjusted increase of 23.3% from 2016. The town’s 2021 population density stood at roughly 489.7 people per km², calculated across its 7.56 km² of land. In terms of services, the town has a public library and a Canada Post office. Local schooling covers kindergarten through grade 8 at École White City School and Emerald Ridge Elementary School, while students in grades 9 through 12 are bused to Greenall School in nearby Balgonie, a trip of approximately 10 minutes to the northeast.