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Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
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Prince Albert is the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is situated in the centre of the province on the banks along the North Saskatchewan River. The city is known as the "Gateway to the North" because it is the last major centre along the route to the resources of northern Saskatchewan.
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Encyclopedia
Prince Albert is the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is situated in the centre of the province on the banks along the North Saskatchewan River. The city is known as the "Gateway to the North" because it is the last major centre along the route to the resources of northern Saskatchewan. Prince Albert National Park is located just 51 km north of the city and contains a huge wealth of lakes, forest, and wildlife. The city itself is located in a transition zone between the aspen parkland and boreal forest biomes.
Demographics
The city of Prince Albert ranked as the 122 largest Census subdivision (municipality) in the country of Canada.
- 2006 Census Population: 34,138
- 2006 Sask Health Population:40,140
- 2001 Median Age: 31.9 for males, 35.0 for females
- Total Private Dwellings: 14,029
- Dwellings occupied by permanent residents: 13,240
History
The area was named by the Cree as kistahpinanihk a Cree word which translates to sitting pretty place a great meeting place or meeting place
The first white man to come through the area that is now Prince Albert was Henry Kelsey in 1692. The first establishment in the area was a trading post set up by Peter Pond, which the area is now named after (1776).
James Isbister, an Anglo-Metis employee of the Hudson's Bay Company settled on the site of the current city in 1862. He farmed there until 1866, and had been joined by a number of families who called the site Isbister's Settlement. He later moved back to Prince Albert and lived out his remaining days there.
The community was founded in 1866, by Rev. James Nisbet, a Canada Presbyterian Church minister who came to establish a mission for the Cree. It was Nisbet who named the community after Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, husband of Queen Victoria, who had died just five years before. In 1879 the Presbyterian Church brought out Lucy Margaret Baker to run the mission school.
1879 also marks the year that local Freemasons established the first lodge in what is now the province of Saskatchewan: Kinistino Lodge No. 1, which still exists.
In 1884, Honore Jaxon and James Isbister were involved in the movement which brought Louis Riel back to Canada.
In the Northwest Rebellion of the following year, Prince Albert Volunteers bore the heaviest casualties of the fighting at the Battle of Duck Lake, and surrounding settlers took refuge with the North-West Mounted Police in a hastily improvised stockade at Prince Albert fearing an attack by Gabriel Dumont which never came.
After the Battle of Batoche, Major General Frederick Middleton marched on to Prince Albert to relieve the town.
1885 also marks the year that Prince Albert was incorporated as a town under its first mayor, Thomas McKay.
In 1904, the settlement was incorporated as the city of Prince Albert. Its government is of a council-mayor type.
Prince Albert was the capital of the District of Saskatchewan, a regional administrative division of what then constituted the Northwest Territories. The District of Saskatchewan was formed on May 8, 1882. This ended in 1905 when Saskatchewan became a province and Regina was designated the provincial capital.
By odd political coincidence, the federal constituency of Prince Albert has been represented by three prime ministers of Canada:
The Prince Albert Sanitorium was completed in 1930 and treated tuberculosis patients.
There are three historical museums in Prince Albert. The combined The Evolution of Education Museum and Rotary Museum of Police and Corrections are located at the tourist information centre just off of Highway #2 South. The second museum, the Historical Society Museum, is located in an old Fire Hall at the north end of Central Avenue on River Street. The John G. Diefenbaker house is a historic site open to the public and is found on 249 19th Street West. The Prince Albert Heritage Museum (c. 1911) is a Municipal Heritage Property on the Canadian Register of Historic Places. Across from the Historical Society Museum, is the site of Diefenbaker's constituency office that is not open to the public. Among the other heritage, historic and protected sites of Prince Albert are the Blockhouse from the 1885 Rebellion & First Presbyterian Church/School, Historic St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, Honeywood (Dr. A.J. Porter) Heritage Nursery, Keyhole Castle, La Colle Falls Dam, Oldest Downtown Store, and The Cathedral Church of St. Alban the Martyr.
Prince Albert was one of the rival candidates to house either the University of Saskatchewan or the Saskatchewan Federal Penitentiary. The university was built in Saskatoon and the penitentiary was built in Prince Albert in 1911.
Climate
In Prince Albert, the coldest month on average is January with an average low of -25.2 °C, and July is the hottest month with an average high of 23.9 °C. The highest temperature ever recorded in Prince Albert was 39.4 °C on July 19, 1941. Meanwhile, the coldest temperature ever recorded in Prince Albert was -56.7 °C on February 1, 1893.
Interesting facts
- The first recorded stagecoach robbery in what is now Saskatchewan occurred in 1886, when a lone outlaw held up a carriage near Prince Albert.
- In 1884, 500 people turned up to hear Louis Riel speak. One month before this speech he had just returned from the United States following a political exile resulting from the Red River Rebellion in 1869 - 1870.
- In February 2007 Prince Albert was selected as one of four cities in Saskatchewan to provide free-of-charge wireless Internet access. The free Internet access, made possible through the Government of Saskatchewan's "", will be available to the City's downtown area, as well as the .
- The St. Louis Light is a commonly visited, supposedly paranormal, phenomenon occurring south of the city.
- Prince Albert is a short distance west of Fort de la Corne, the furthest westward post of the French Empire in North America (see New France).
Sports
The city is home to the Prince Albert Raiders of the Western Hockey League. The Raiders, who won the Memorial Cup in 1985, play out of the 3,571 seat Art Hauser Centre.
The city is also home to the Prince Albert Mintos of the Midget AAA Hockey League. They won the 2006 and 2007 Telus Cup. They also play out of the Art Hauser Centre.
A few of the sporting events of the Prince Albert area include the Bull Riders Challenge, Canadian Challenge Dog Sled Race, Canoe tours on the North Saskatchewan, Celtic Games (By McDowell), Chuck wagon and Chariot Races, Fresh Air Experience Road Race, Potash Golf Tournament, Rotary Club Ice Fishing Derby, and Sask-Loppett. The Sports Hall of Fame honours Prince Albert and area athletes, builders and teams of notable merit.
The Alfred Jenkins Soccer Field House budgeted at 11.1 million dollars, should be operational in 2009.
Arts and entertainment
Music scene
Metal
One of the first metal bands of the Prince Albert area were known as "The Blood Sucking Pigeons From Hell". The group released three albums on the independent Heavy Metal Connection label. The first, self-titled album was released in 1986 and was followed up in 1988 by Boy You Gotta Big C*** and finally by Brutallica Live in the same year. The group never officially disbanded but has been relatively inactive since the early 1990s.
Prince Albert has housed a steady metal scene that has been consistent for the past few years. Although, it remains primarily a teenage gathering, the metal scene continues to gain steam due to the efforts of local production groups (Built Low and another unnamed production). Some of the more prominent bands are Cessate, Dead Like God, Symbiote, and The Never Was. Because of this steady growing metal scene, Prince Albert has the chance to see many struggling underground bands of the genre from all throughout the country.
Punk rock
In the 1990s the local punk band Oswald's Walking Connection enjoyed some prominence being featured on a continental compilation CD and releasing a few independent recordings before breaking up. For a short time, the punk band Counter-State emerged, playing only once to a small crowd. Before the band's demise in late 2005, they were able to release the EP Fighting For Our Lives. Basing heavy influences on bands like Aus Rotten and Leftöver Crack, 2 Minute Hate is also a well known punk band in the later 1990s that rocked the punk music scene in Prince Albert. They did a number of shows in the city sharing the stage with other bands such as Shed. 2 Minute Hate had some of the biggest turnouts at their shows in Prince Albert, hitting the scene when the punk fashion/genre was really getting popular. Members of 2 Minute Hate still reside in Prince Albert (Will Yannacoulias and Barrett Prokopie) and are working on other projects, while lead singer/guitar Trevor Bremner now resides in Winnipeg, Manitoba and is working on a CD release. Another up and coming Punk/Metal band one the rise is The Never Was, who blend styles of Metal and hardcore Punk bands such as Pennywise and Propaghandi.
Rave/electronic
In the late 1990s and early turn of the century Prince Albert had a relatively vibrant electronic dance music scene. Local groups such as 3thos Productions (pronounced 'ethos') and Da Funk Squad (DFS) were responsible for the majority of events put on in the city during this period. The scene began to dwindle after public perception of these events began to emerge in favour of a viewpoint that 'raves' were facilitating the use of elicit substances. The combination of this viewpoint and changing trends in society played a role in the highly decreased prevalency of these events in Prince Albert and elsewhere.
Alternative rock
Two members of former Prince Albert band "Inches Away", Steve Adams and Rob Macintosh, helped form Saskatoon rock band "Black Book Value" in 2007. They recorded a demo at the home Studio of Rob Dyck, drummer for fellow Saskatoon band "Hurricane Cletis", which they have released on their myspace page.
Country
Prince Albert's Country North Show has featured such local performers as
Jessica Robinson and Donny Parenteau. After a stint as a Neal McCoy fiddle player, Parenteau returned home to launch his own solo career. Other artists stay in the city and become well known throughout the local country music scene. Heidi Munro, Rick Martin (sometimes alongside his band Country Connection), Steppin' Out, among others. But Steppin' Out has been known to play rock also and not just country.
- Parenteau and country/gospel artist Rick Martin have won Saskatchewan Country Music Awards in their respective categories.
Concerts
- The Northern Lights Casino also helps to bring in many small independent and major country and native bands to the city. Some artists include Freddy Fender, Donny Parenteau, Michelle Wright, among others.
- In the summer of 2005 Tom Cochrane did a live free show promoting the Live 8 concert later in the year. It was held in Prime Ministers Park.
- 12th Street Station is a venue at the Prince Albert Winter Festival. It showcases a variety of genres such as blues, rock, jazz, among others. It has grown in popularity each year.
- Since the E.A. Rawlinson Centre for the Arts was built, Prince Albert is now able to bring in bigger more well known acts. The first show at the Rawlinson Centre was on April 2, 2003 and Chantal Kreviazuk was the headliner. Other acts to perform in the Rawlinson Centre include Adam Gregory, Colin James, Rita MacNeil, Theresa Sokyrka, Arrogant Worms, Canadian Brass, Doc Walker and David Usher.
Drama
Carlton High School is known for its productions dealing with topics such as Nazism, dark Gothic romances and light hearted children's plays. Every year, three productions are put on with one being the children's play that tours the public elementary schools in November. The next play is put on in early March and is a contestant in the region 7 drama festival. The final play is often presented in early May, consisting of a large cast and crew. Most often this play is of Shakespearean orient but with a strange modernized twist. As well, the drama club often does a short film to complement the final play.
Carlton High School also has a French drama group called Les Solipsistes, directed by Michael Bowden, a French immersion and core French teacher. The group performs two plays every year, one Christmas play, directed towards children, and a competition play for the drama festival.
Prince Albert is also home to the Odyssey Dinner Theatre, which puts on two or three plays a year, which are always accompianied by a dinner.
Over the last three years Shakespeare in the Park has been performed in in Kinsmen Park, and produced by Prince Albert's ShortStuff Productions. ShortStuff Productions is a local theatre group started by Joan and Desmond Short. Their past shows have included Jesus Christ Superstar, Baba & Gido's 50th Wedding Anniversary and The Rocky Horror Show.
Festivals
Every year Prince Albert has a variety of festivals, fairs, shows, etc. Different times of the year yield different festivals.
- Aboriginal Music & Arts Festival - October 4-8, 2007- Music & Performing Arts & Artist Showcases - Industry Trade Show - followed by major international pow wow.
- Canada Day celebrations - July 1 - Prince Albert in the park.
- Canadian Challenge International Sled Dog Race - The longest all-Canadian sled dog race - January 31-February 4,2007
- Downtown Street Fair - Prince Albert - held in June
- Farm Fair
- Focus on Women- Annual Trade Show -
- Founder's Day- June - on the North Saskatchewan river bank - Prince Albert.
- James Smith Annual Pow Wow- James Smith Cree Nation - first weekend of August.
- Kidzfest - held in July
- Prince Albert International Childrens Festival
- Lifestyles Annual Trade Show -900 CKBI - held late October.
- Metis Fall Festival - 3 Day Festival honoring Metis Heritage - held in September
- Muskoday Rodeo & Chuckwagon Races- Muskoday First Nations - Held in June
- Muskoday Pow Wow- Muskoday First Nation - held in August.
- Prince Albert Exhibition & Summer Fair
- Prince Albert Winter Festival - February 7-25, 2007 - Largest in Western Canada.
- SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival - Holds concerts in conjunction with this provincial event
- Shakespeare in the Park- Kinsmen Park - by Short Stuff Productions of Prince Albert.
- Sturgeon Lake Pow Wow- Sturgeon Lake First Nations - held in July.
- Taste of Prince Albert - Restaurants provide samples of their cuisine for a small price - Entertainment - held in the Kinsmen Park.
- Thanksgiving Annual International Pow Wow- October 5-8,2007 - More than 1500 dancers.
- Vintage Power Machines Threshing Festival- held in July.
- Waskesiu Festival- Waskesiu - PA National Park - held in July.
Economy
Prince Albert is situated on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River with rich agricultural land to the south and the boreal forest to the north. Although Prince Albert is centrally located in Saskatchewan it is the most northern city in the province. This physical location has led to the creation of the slogan "Gateway to the North."
After being established as a mission center, the main impetus for growth was speculation that the Transcontinental Railway would travel north from the Red River Valley along Hind's fertile belt through to Edmonton. When the Canadian Pacific Railway chose a more southerly route Prince Albert's community growth collapsed. The La Colle Falls hydroelectric power dam project was an attempt to provide affordable electricity to attract industry.
By 1927, the project was abandoned as the city was just about bankrupt. In 1945, Prince Albert National Park was established, and the tourism sector helped to again revive Prince Albert's economy.
The city's location has benefited the community in many ways through the years as an agriculture, forestry, tourism, mining, retail, and service centre for the immediate market and the northern communities. Prince Albert has a total trade area of 140,000 people, including an additional 12,000 that can be included if Flin Flon and The Pas are accounted for. The major contributing factor to this is the role of Prince Albert as a retail and service centre to these northern communities.
There are a number of major developments that are happening around Prince Albert. Diamond exploration is currently going on east of the City in the Fort à la Corne region and it is expected a mine may go up around 2010-2011. Bio-fuels are also playing a significant role to the area. The Prince Albert region is one of the richest areas in the province for agriculture and with the current emphasis on bio-fuel technology from the provincial and federal governments, it is expected that this economic sector will only grow. Uranium is also expected to play a bigger role in the future development of Prince Albert. There is speculation that, because of the proximity to the uranium mining in northern Saskatchewan, that this area could be ideal for a value-added type of business.
The forestry industry is also a major contributor to the economy of Prince Albert. Prince Albert currently hosts the Provincial Forestry Centre, a building that hosts significant wood and forestry related types of businesses and associations. With the closure of the Weyerhaeuser mill, new opportunities will undeniably come from the availability of the forest. Prince Albert Pulp co. is the areas largest employer.
Prince Albert is also still heavily reliant on its government service sector, which accounts for about 11% of the workforce. In addition, the Prince Albert Grand Council and local First Nations groups contribute significantly to the local economy.
Historic trails
In 1866, Prince Albert was established as a mission post, and a trail to Fort Carlton arose. This trail connected the growing community to the Carlton Trail, the main land transportation route in Western Canada of the nineteenth century. The trail followed along the current Lily Plain grid road in Saskatchewan to the ferry service at Lilly Plain post office. The Qu'Appelle (Troy) - Prince Albert Trail was in use from 1883 transporting mail and freight goods from the rail depot at Qu'Appelle (Troy) across the ferry at St.Louis to Prince Albert.
Railway
Canadian Northern & Grand Trunk Pacific
The railway arrived in Prince Albert October 1890. The original rail lines to service Prince Albert were the Grand Trunk Pacific (GTP) and the Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR). The Grand Trunk Pacific branchline cut north from Young and up through St. Louis north into Prince Albert. The Canadian Northern chose a different route, branching off north of Saskatoon and entering Prince Albert on the West Flat. The Canadian northern also crossed the river, heading west towards Shellbrook. Later both rail lines were nationalized, eventually becoming the Canadian National Railway (CN).
Canadian National & Canadian Pacific
For years the Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National dominated the city of Prince Albert, operating on both sides of 15th St. The Canadian Pacific Railway branched off at Lanigan moving north up to Hagen, then under trackage rights with CN curved towards the north east end of Prince Albert. In 1991 CPR decided to shut down rail line operations in Prince Albert and area. Many small branch lines extended past Prince Albert hauling primarily grain, these lines proved ineffective and through the 1990s many were abandoned. Lines that have been abandoned are: Paddockwood Spur, CPR to Meath Park, CPR to Lanigan,CN to Shellbrook, and CN to St. Louis. As years went on grain was able to be stored and sorted in much larger elevators, and a state of the art Inland elevator was built, located north of Prince Albert. This was owned by Saskatchewan Wheat Pool (succeeded by Viterra)and the smaller Elevator located in the CN yards -owned by United Grain Growers (Succeeded by Agricore United which was succeeded by Viterra)- operated in P.A. until recently when Viterra announced it's discontinuance of operations on April 1 2008. Today only the Inland Terminal owned by Viterra located in White Star stands. In Dec, 1997 CN announced the branchline was up for sale due to lack of productivity. The engines primarly used by CN were GMD1s for short haul and yard shunting, and EMD SD40-2Ws for long haul trips. CP chose to use switchers such as the RS-23; built by Montreal Locomotive Works.
Carlton Trail Railway
OmniTRAX, an American shortline railway company,bought the former CN line and named it Carlton Trail Railway(CTRW or CTR). Currently Carlton Trail Railway resides in the old CN yard, storing tank cars for Procor, transporting grain, and refurbishing diesel engines for other OmniTRAX lines. Carlton Trail has recently discussed abandoning several parts of the shortline due to increasing costs and poor track condition In 2001 CTRW announced the abandonment of the Birch Hills branchline, but the City of Prince Albert intervened citing the possibility of an Ethanol plant. In 2008 Carlton Trail announced the Meadow Lake line would be abandoned by April 1, 2009. Carlton Trail primarly operates EMD GP10's for switching and long haul transport.
Highway
Prince Albert is located on SK 2, SK 3, SK 11, SK 55, and SK 302. Prince Albert demarks the change of name for SK 2. The stretch of Highway 2 from Moose Jaw to Prince Albert was designated in 2005 as Veterans Memorial Highway. The renaming coincided with Veterans Week 2005. of Saskatchewan Highway 2 contribute to the CanAm Highway between Prince Albert and La Ronge. The CanAm highway south of Prince Albert is designated on Sk 3 between Melfort and Prince Albert. SK 11 connects Saskatchewan's three largest cities: Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert. On June 20, 2001 the entire length of Saskatchewan Highway 11 was re-named the Louis Riel Trail at a ceremony which took place at the Duck Lake Regional Interpretive Centre. The Louis Riel Trail connects major sites of the 1885 North-West Rebellion.
Transit
Prince Albert Transit is the local city bus service with Saskatchewan Transportation Company providing intercity service for passengers and freight throughout Saskatchewan, with connecting service to national bus routes.
Education
Anglican Bishop John McLean opened Emmanuel College on November 1, 1879, the first University of the District of Saskatchewan, NWT. A federal act incorporated Emmanuel college as the University of Saskatchewan. Emmanuel College moved to Saskatoon in 1907 to become a part of the provincial University of Saskatchewan, following the inception of Saskatchewan as a province in 1905.
The city has a total of five high schools. St. Mary High School, and Rivier Academy (private, all-girls) are part of the Prince Albert Catholic School Division, while Carlton Comprehensive High School (largest high school in Saskatchewan), Wesmor (Acronym of the rural elementary schools Wildrose, East Central, Spruce Home, Meath Park, Osborne, and Redwing), and P.A.C.I (Prince Albert Collegiate Institute) are in the Saskatchewan Rivers School Division.
The Saskatchewan Rivers School Division operates 33 schools and the Prince Albert Catholic School Division operates nine schools.
Post-secondary schools found in Prince Albert include the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) Woodland Campus, First Nations University of Canada (Northern Campus), Gabriel Dumont Institute, Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT), and Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program (SUNTEP).
- Carlton Comprehensive High School was the first school in Prince Albert to create the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) club in the city. The GSA has been functioning since 2005 and continues to sponsor local school events such as school dances.
Royal visits
Prince Albert has welcomed the following members of Canada's Royal Family:
Local media
Radio stations
Television stations
Newspapers
Notable Prince Albertans
Fabulous people from Prince Albert include sprinter Harry Jerome, singer Jon Vickers, and ice hockey player Johnny Bower. Prince Albert was also for a time home to Lucy Maud Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables. As well, Boris Karloff, famous for his roles in horror films portraying characters like Frankenstein's Monster and The Mummy, resided in Prince Albert during the early 20th century.
Notable persons who were born, grew up or lived in Prince Albert:
See also
Book references
External links
- - History of the use as stratospheric balloon launch base of the Grass Field airport between 1985 and 1990
- Saskatchewan's 4 Season Adventure Playground
- - in Prince Albert National Park
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