Highway 39 is a provincial, paved, highway in the southern portion of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan connecting North Portal and Moose Jaw in the north. This is a primary Saskatchewan highway maintained by the provincial and national governments and providing a major trucking and tourism route between the United States via Portal, Burke County, North Dakota, and North Portal, Saskatchewan. On July 3, 2000, Highways and Transportation Minister Maynard Sonntag officiated at the ribbon cutting ceremony opening the new duty-free shop and the twinned highway at Saskatchewan's busiest border crossing. Highway 39 is one of Canada's busiest highways, facilitating transport for $6 billion in trade goods via approximately 100,000 trucks over the year. The entire length of highway 39 is paved. The CanAm Highway comprises Saskatchewan Highways Hwy 35, Hwy 39, Hwy 6, Hwy 3, as well as Hwy 2. of Saskatchewan Highway 39 contribute to the CanAm Highway between Weyburn and Corinne. Highway 39 is divided or twinned in two areas at North Portal as well as north of Weyburn for . The junction of Hwy 39 with the Trans–Canada divided four-lane highway is done via a "Parclo" or partial cloverleaf interchange.
Travel route
Starting in the south-east is North Portal or the Port of North Portal customs which is the province's only duty-free shop. The Rural Municipality of Coalfields No. 4 is dependent upon its grazing lands, oil wells and coal mining. The land on either side of the Souris River is too stony for agricultural purposes. The little hamlet of Pinto comprises post office and rail siding. Roche Percée, an unorganized area is named after a geophysical feature of the area. Short Creek Cairn is near the Roche Percee turn-off from Highway 39. Located just off of Sk Hwy 39, are two arches created by limestone rocks upon which historic animals, and initials are carved. The local first nation found this site to be a power centre. This Short Creek Cairn is also a resting place for the North-West Mounted Police in 1874 on the Great March West. Henri Julien of the NWMP ride wrote in 1874, that the base was and about high. Although the underground coal mines which lined the Souris River valley have closed, there are two large dragline surface coal mines still operating supplementing agricultural income for residents of Bienfait and Roche Percee.
Estevan, the power centre and eighth largest city of Saskatchewan offers tours of the Rafferty Dam, Boundary Dam Power Station, Boundary Dam Mine, the Shand Power Station, and Shand Greenhouse. The city of Estevan is nicknamed Saskatchewan's Energy Capital, as it is provided with coal, natural gas, and oil resources. Prairie Mines & Royalty Ltd. (PMRL) operates the two large coal mines, The Boundary Dam Mine and Bienfait Mine supplying 6.1 million cubic tons of coal to the Shand Power Station and Boundary Dam Power Station. Estevan Heritage Walking Tour and the Historic Driving Tour through the Souris Valley brochures are both available at the Saskatchewan Visitor Information booth. Woodlawn Regional Park features the Souris Valley Theatre which puts on live plays.
Weyburn, the opportunity city, has also been dubbed the Soo Line City due its connection with Chicago on the Soo Line of the Canadian Pacific Railway CPR. The city of 9,433 people is on Sk Hwy 35, Sk Hwy 39, and Sk Hwy 13. The small towns of Exon and Converge have been absorbed into the city of Weyburn today. The Pasqua branch or the Souris, Arcola, Weyburn, Regina CPR branch, Portal Section CPR on the Soo Line, Moose Jaw, Weyburn, Shaunavon, Lethbridge section CPR, The Brandon, Marfield, Carlyle, Lampman, Radville, Willow Bunch sectionCNR, and the Regina, Weyburn, Radville, Estevan, Northgate section CNR have all run through Weyburn. Weyburn is located astride the Williston geological Basin which contains oil deposits, and several wells operate in the vicinity. Weyburn features roadside attractions of a large Lighthouse Water Tower, Wheat sheaves and Prairie Lily. Weyburn is near the upper delta of the long Souris River. The Souris River continues south-east through North Dakota eventually meeting the Assiniboine River in Manitoba. In the 19th century this area was known as an extension of the Greater Yellow Grass Marsh. "Extensive flood control programs have created reservoirs, parks and waterfowl centres along the Souris River." Between 1988 and 1995, the Rafferty-Alameda Project was constructed to alleviate spring flooding problems created by the Souris River.
Rouleau was the host town for the popular Canadian sitcom, Corner Gas, which aired from 2004 - 2009. The show was set in the fictional town of Dog River, Saskatchewan.