It's no secret that southwest Saskatchewan is home to several ghost towns, one such place stands as a nostalgic reminder of the past, tucked away in the corner of the province and abandoned, save for a few long-time residents.
Robsart, founded in 1910 after the Canadian Pacific Railway purchased a parcel of land, was named after Amy Robsart, the heroine from the book Kenilworth, written by Sir Walter Scott.
The unincorporated hamlet is located in the Rural Municipality of Reno, situated at the junction of Highway 13 and Highway 18.
According to Prairie Past, Robsart's population had boomed to roughly 350 residents with roughly 50 businesses around 1920.
The grain elevator burned down in 1929, followed by a second fire in 1930, which desecrated a significant portion of the community. As the Great Depression, or the dirty thirties, settled over the southwest, the fall of Robsart seemed set in stone.
A few notable buildings still in Robsart include the Beaver Lumber Co., Robsart Hospital, Robsart Community Hall, an automotive shop, the remains of a Great Western Railway station, and more.
Craig Baird from Discover Your Saskatchewan Backyard noted that despite having only several residents during the 1980s, locals came together to support the restoration of the community hall, which is still standing today.
In 2002, the community's status as a village was changed to an unincorporated hamlet. Today, only two or three residences appear to be occupied.
