The Rural Municipality of Excel No. 71 (2016 population: 391) is a rural municipality (RM) in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within Census Division No. 3 and SARM Division No. 2. It is located in the south-central portion of the province.

History

The RM of Excel No. 71 incorporated as a rural municipality on January 1, 1913.

Geography

Communities and localities

The following unincorporated communities are within the RM.

Organized hamlets

• Ormiston

Localities

• Crane Valley
• Maxwellton
• Readlyn, dissolved as a village, December 31, 1955
• Verwood, dissolved as a village, December 31, 1954
• Viceroy, dissolved as a village, May 10, 2002

Dryboro/ Burn Lake IBA

Dryboro/ Burn Lake (SK 029) is an Important Bird Area (IBA) of Canada within the RM of Excel. The IBA is located 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) west of Ormiston and covers an area of 25.62 km (9.89 sq mi) in the Missouri Coteau region. Dryboro and Burn Lakes are part of a larger complex of connected intermittent salt lakes in a semi-arid landscape surrounded by hilly terrain that is part of a federal Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration. The lakes are an important habitat for the endangered piping plover and are protected from development up to the high water mark. Other birds found in the area include the Baird's sparrow, Sprague's pipit, chestnut-collared longspur, clay-coloured sparrow, and the horned lark.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the RM of Excel No. 71 had a population of 411 living in 129 of its 169 total private dwellings, a change of 5.1% from its 2016 population of 391. With a land area of 1,093.31 km (422.13 sq mi), it had a population density of 0.4/km (1.0/sq mi) in 2021.

In the 2016 Census of Population, the RM of Excel No. 71 recorded a population of 391 living in 124 of its 177 total private dwellings, a -8.4% change from its 2011 population of 427. With a land area of 1,122.02 km (433.21 sq mi), it had a population density of 0.3/km (0.9/sq mi) in 2016.

Government

The RM of Excel No. 71 is governed by an elected municipal council and an appointed administrator that meets on the first Tuesday of every month. The reeve of the RM is Arnold Montgomery while its administrator is Jan McDonald. The RM's office is located in Viceroy.

Transportation

The Red Coat & Rail Ltd. operates a short-line railway through the rural municipality. It is primarily used for the transport of agricultural products.