The Rural Municipality of Benson No. 35 (2016 population: 472) is a rural municipality (RM) in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within Census Division No. 1 and SARM Division No. 1. It is located in the southeast portion of the province.

History

The RM of Benson No. 35 incorporated as a rural municipality on December 13, 1909.

Heritage properties

There is one historical property within the RM.

• St. Luke's Lutheran Church - Constructed in 1929, in the hamlet of Woodley, Saskatchewan.

Geography

Communities and localities

The following unincorporated communities are within the RM.

Localities

• Benson
• Bryant
• Cullen
• Woodley

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the RM of Benson No. 35 had a population of 450 living in 171 of its 212 total private dwellings, a change of -4.7% from its 2016 population of 472. With a land area of 808.53 km (312.18 sq mi), it had a population density of 0.6/km (1.4/sq mi) in 2021.

In the 2016 Census of Population, the RM of Benson No. 35 recorded a population of 472 living in 177 of its 196 total private dwellings, a -3.7% change from its 2011 population of 490. With a land area of 836.39 km (322.93 sq mi), it had a population density of 0.6/km (1.5/sq mi) in 2016.

Economy

Agriculture plays an important role in the rural municipality with 207,200 acres (95%) of land in under cultivation. There are also 300 oil wells in the municipality.

Government

The RM of Benson No. 35 is governed by an elected municipal council and an appointed administrator that meets on the first Friday of every month. The reeve of the RM is David Hoffort while its administrator is Chantel Walsh. The RM's office is located in Benson.

Transportation

The two airports within the rural municipality are the Estevan (Blue Sky) Aerodrome and Estevan/Bryant Airport.