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Saskatoon is a city located in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River, with a metropolitan population of 233,923. Saskatoon is the most populous city in the province of Saskatchewan, and has been since the mid-1980s when it surpassed the provincial capital of Regina. Residents of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians.
Saskatoon is known as "Bridge City" for its seven river crossings. The name comes from the Cree inanimate noun "misâskwatôminihk," which refers to the sweet, violet-coloured berry that grows in the area.
first permanent settlement of Saskatoon was established in 1883 when Toronto Methodists, wanting to escape the liquor trade in that city, decided to set up a "dry" community in the rapidly-growing Prairie region.
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Encyclopedia
Saskatoon is a city located in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River, with a metropolitan population of 233,923. Saskatoon is the most populous city in the province of Saskatchewan, and has been since the mid-1980s when it surpassed the provincial capital of Regina. Residents of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians.
Saskatoon is known as "Bridge City" for its seven river crossings. The name comes from the Cree inanimate noun "misâskwatôminihk," which refers to the sweet, violet-coloured berry that grows in the area.
History
The first permanent settlement of Saskatoon was established in 1883 when Toronto Methodists, wanting to escape the liquor trade in that city, decided to set up a "dry" community in the rapidly-growing Prairie region. The settlers, led by John Lake, arrived on the site of what is now Saskatoon having traveled by railway from Ontario to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, completing the final leg via horse-drawn cart (the railway had yet to be completed to Saskatoon). The city, however, celebrated its centennial in 1982, as the initial location for the settlement was identified in 1882.
In 1885 the Northwest Rebellion affected the tiny community in a variety of ways. Chief Whitecap and Charles Trottier passed through the present day University campus on their way to join Louis Riel's armed forces at Batoche, Saskatchewan. Following the fighting at the Battle of Fish Creek, and the Battle of Batoche, wounded Canadian soldiers convalesced at the Marr Residence which is today a historic site. A few died in care and were buried in the Pioneer Cemetery near the Exhibition Grounds.
A town charter for the west side of the river was obtained in 1903 (Nutana became a village in that year). In 1906 Saskatoon became a city with a population of 4,500, which included the communities of Saskatoon, Riversdale, and Nutana. In 1955 Montgomery Place and in 1956 the neighbouring town of Sutherland were annexed by the fast growing City of Saskatoon.
Demographics
The 2006 census listed Saskatoon as the largest city of Saskatchewan with a residential population of 202,340, which grew 2.8 per cent from 2001. As of 2005, the civic government of Saskatoon claimed a population of approximately 220,000. The above land area figure was provided by the City of Saskatoon in January 2006 and takes into account recent annexations. Currently, the City of Saskatoon claims a population of 208,300.
The most recent data suggests Saskatoon's population has fallen about 3,000 people over the last year, as more people move out of the city proper and into "bedroom communities". Although this is controversial, with some believing the high number of vacant real estate listings suggesting a second wave of exodus from Saskatchewan.
According to the 2006 census, 17.7 per cent of the population consists of youths under the age of 15, while those over 65 constitute only 13 per cent of the population. The median age of Saskatoon residents is 35.5 years of age, four years younger than Canada as a whole. The 2006 census lists the residential population of Saskatoon as 202,340.
Ethno-cultural Groups in Metropolitan Saskatoon, out of 222,635 (number includes those who reported multiple ethnicities)
- German: 65,090
- English: 56,020
- Canadian: 53,960
- Scottish: 42,735
- Irish: 34,750
- Ukrainian:34,385
- French: 27,025
- North American Indian: 14,970
- Norwegian:14,180
- Polish: 12,580
In terms of race, according to the 2001 census , 190,120 or 85.39% of the city's population were white Canadians, 19,900 or 8.93% were Aboriginals, with less than five percent belonging to other visible minorities such as Han Chinese, South Asians, etc. combined.
The majority of Saskatoon's inhabitants profess to be of Christian faith. A large contingent of people also do not profess a religious faith at all. Some 78.5% profess to be Christian, mostly Protestant and Roman Catholic. Minority faiths include Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, Atheist, and Islam, who do not constitute 1 per cent combined.
First Nations
The Saskatoon area was inhabited long before any permanent settlement was established, to which the ongoing archæological work at Wanuskewin Heritage Park and other locations bears witness. Canada's First Nations population has been increasingly urbanized, and nowhere is that more apparent than in Saskatoon, where the First Nations population increased by 382% from 1981 to 2001; however, a portion of this increase, possibly as much as half, is believed to be due to more people identifying themselves as Aboriginal in the census rather than migration or birth rate. Saskatoon has a higher percentage of First Nations population than any other major Canadian city at nearly 9%, although Winnipeg and Regina both exceed 8%; in certain neighbourhoods such as Pleasant Hill, this percentage exceeds 40%.
Economy
Recent Growth
Saskatoon grew rapidly in 2008. This was largely due to the increasing prices for primary resources, such as potash and uranium; as well as an influx of people moving to the region for career opportunities and higher quality of life.
Over 1000 new commercial or home-based businesses set up shop in Saskatoon in 2008, along with numerous expansions of existing companies. Over $900 Million was invested in residential and non-residential buildings in the past year, and nearly $2 Billion has been invested since 2006.
The year 2008 saw growth in residential and non-residential construction in the city and surrounding areas, which drove gains in many other sectors, including the wholesale and retail trade sector, as well as the financial, insurance and real estate sectors. Rising commodity prices also contributed to increases in the GDP for the agriculture, mining, oil and gas, and utilities sector.
Population Growth & cost of living : In 2006-2007 Saskatoon has increased growth due to the influx of inter-provincial migrants, who were drawn to the previously low cost of living in the region. This has caused housing starts to hit their highest level in over 30 years as of February 2008. Saskatoon's overall economic output was predicted to have increased by 4.7% in 2007, however, the new Statistics Canada numbers above show actual growth was much less than predicted, at 2.8% and real estate costs have risen about 50% in 2007 alone, decreasing the previous cost of living advantage, however housing in Saskatoon is still relatively affordable compared to cities such as Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary while wages in Saskatoon remain significantly lower than Calgary, Edmonton, Regina and Winnipeg. The rising house costs have caused great strain to lower income families who can no longer afford the higher living costs. Many renters have been forced out of their place of residence due to recent condo conversions and rental vacancy rates have dropped to 0.6% as of October 2007. However, Saskatoon's housing market has significantly cooled in recent months (from May 2008). House prices have dropped 10% after hitting the peak in June 2008 and sales have plummeted by 34%, ending a year long boom in the housing market. Finally, while wages grew at just over 20% total between 2000 and 2005, Saskatchewan still has the third lowest annual wages of any Canadian province, exceeding only Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick according to data released May 1, 2008. Wages in Saskatoon have traditionally been significantly lower than nearby Regina.
Projections for 2008 and beyond : According to the above-cited Conference Board outlook, "Although output growth in Saskatoon will cool to 3.5 per cent in 2008, following 2007’s 5.5 per cent outburst, it will still be strong by
historical standards. Employment will post similarly slower but still-positive growth. Accordingly, net in-migration will continue, but at a more sustainable pace. Prices, especially for real estate, are jumping; 2008 will see the Consumer Price Index advance 3.6 per cent, the fastest rate since 1991". Though these predicitons are also controversial, with most real estate experts, blogs and insiders admitting to a real estate stagnation or possibly decline in prices at least until 2010 . GDP growth was actually only 2.8% in Saskatchewan in 2007 well below expectations, below BC, Alberta and Manitoba, and barely above the 2.7% national average. This actual year end 2007 data from Statistics Canada discredits earlier Conference Board "predictions"
Housing
The housing "boom" in Saskatoon has cooled, with inventory up 4 times year over year, and sales down slightly, still housing in Saskatoon is among Canada's most expensive, with an average house taking 4.6 years of income to purchase. This compares to only 4.2 years in Edmonton, 3.5 years in Regina, 3.4 years in Ottawa and a scant 3.0 years in Winnipeg, and also moves Saskatoon housing into the "seriously unaffordable" category. Still, Saskatoon house prices are down some 15% from June 2008 to December 2008 in Saskatoon [granted this means housing was likely above 5 years of income back in June] and with inventory up so much year over year, and prices falling in other Canadian cities, many are predicting at least another 15% drop in Saskatoon house prices, with no signs of increase or correction for quite some time.
Scientific research
Saskatoon has an agricultural biotechnology research base. Some of this research takes place at Innovation Place Research Park and the University of Saskatchewan (U of S). The U of S hosts the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) that conducts infectious diseases research to develop infectious diseases controls for humans and animals.
The University of Saskatchewan is also home to the Saskatchewan Isotope Laboratory, which studies environmental and climate change around the world. These studies provide secular records of environmental change that are critical to developing more accurate models of future environmental and climate variability that will dictate the economic well-being of the Prairie Provinces over the coming decades.
The U of S campus is the major employer in the city. As well, the campus is home to the Canadian Light Source, which is the largest scientific project completed in Canada in over 50 years. The 179 million dollar project resulted in a national synchrotron radiation facility that is used for a wide range of world-class scientific research.
Mining
The world's largest publicly traded uranium company, Cameco, and the world's largest potash producer, PotashCorp, have corporate headquarters in Saskatoon. Nearly two-thirds of the world's recoverable potash reserves are located in the Saskatoon region. Uranium plays an important role in Saskatoon's economy, with the city also hosting AREVA NC Canadian headquarters (a subsidiary of France-based AREVA). Many medium-sized mining companies also have their head office or regional offices in Saskatoon, such as Shore Gold, Denison Mines, Great West Exploration, and Claude Resources. Recently, lay offs in Saskatoon area Potash have neared 2,000 to add to hundreds each lay offs in oil and gas, uranium and gold/diamonds.
Oil
Recently it had been hoped Saskatoon could be a northern hub for oil and gas exploration, but oil leading the recent commodity crash has made Saskatchewan's northern oil reserves not economically feasible, due to remote location, low quality and technical difficulty in extracting. Unless oil prices rebound significantly, the province's oil industry is likely in for a prolonged slow down.
Food processing
Food processing is an important industry in Saskatoon. The city is the headquarters of Mitchell's Gourmet Foods, formerly known as Intercontinental Packers, which produces the Olympic Fine Meats line of products and is one of Canada's largest meat processors, employing more than 1,400 people. However, in late 2006, Maple Leaf Foods, owners of Mitchell's, announced it would be closing down its major plant in Saskatoon resulting in the loss of approximately 450 local jobs, along with an additional 350 jobs that were expected to be created by the construction of a new Mitchell's "kill plant" in the city's north end. Maple Leaf still operates a large sausage factory and is constructing a major distribution centre in the Marquis Industrial Area.
Flour milling was always a traditional industry in Saskatoon and the two large mills stand high and prominent on Saskatoon's skyline. The mills were at one time run by Quaker Oats and Robin Hood, but processing here now takes place under the companies of Horizon Milling GP and Dover Mills.
At one time Saskatoon was a notable beer brewing city with both Labatt's and Carling O'Keefe having breweries in the city, but both companies are now gone from the city.
Great Western Brewing Company makes its products at the old Carling O'Keefe plant. Cargill Canada operates a canola seed crushing facility just east of the city.
Technology and manufacturing
Saskatoon is home to several manufacturing companies such as Hitachi Canadian Industries, a large CNH Global (Case New Holland) factory, Cover-All Building Systems, Siemens Laserworks Inc, Akzo Nobel, and Centennial Foods, as well as several companies in the Information Technology and telecom fields. Robin Hood flour is milled in Saskatoon. Design and printing of tickets for companies such as Air Canada, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, the NBA, the NFL, and concerts (Ticketmaster) is done in Saskatoon by Mercury Graphics.
SED Systems, Vecima Networks, Saskatchewan Research Council, AMEC North America, Bayer Crop Science, Becker Underwood, and General Electric Healthcare all have a significant presence in Saskatoon, most located at Innovation Place. Saskatoon also hosts a Marriott International call centre which opened in 2005. First Nations Bank of Canada and Federated Co-operatives Limited executive offices are located in Saskatoon. In March 2008, Hatch Ltd announced it would open an office in Saskatoon employing 200 people. Many of the technology companies are located in Innovation Place Research Park.
By 2005, however, Saskatoon was in the midst of another growth boom with construction under way on no fewer than four major residential areas , plus early planning launched on several proposed business parks and the Blairmore Suburban Development Area, also known as the "West Sector", a large recently annexed area on the city's west side which is expected to include seven residential communities, a business park, and a "suburban centre" in the coming years. (Construction of the suburban centre, which includes two major high schools and necessitated the realignment of Highway 7, began in 2006.)
Retail
In terms of commercial development, Saskatoon was slow in embracing the big-box store format that replaced the traditional shopping mall in the mid-to-late 1990s, with the city's first true "power centre" not opening until the early 2000s. One of the city's main commercial districts, 8th Street East, experienced an influx of new businesses in the early 2000s after a number of automobile dealerships relocated to a new "" on the city's south side, leaving large vacancies along 8th Street. The opening of the city's first power centre, Preston Crossing, in 2002–2003 saw several major retailers such as Wal-Mart Canada and Canadian Tire leave their original shopping mall locations in favour of the new site, requiring the malls to scramble to find replacement tenants.
Construction of a second power centre on the city's south side is under way. The development of these larger centres has led to something of a decrease in services in the downtown areas, with the few grocery stores in that region going out of business or closing their doors in favour of the larger stores in the peripheral regions of the city.
However, both these "power centers" are quite small, and combined still trail Regina's Victoria Avenue East as Saskatchewan's dominant commercial hub.
The downtown core is seeing increased development with projects such as River Landing, lofts and entertainment going ahead [River Landing project is delayed due to slowed housing demand and problems securing financing for additional condos]. Located in the downtown core, Midtown Plaza is the largest shopping centre in the city with Sears Canada and The Bay as anchors. The city is also home to Market Mall and The Centre on the east side, Confederation Mall on the west side and The Mall at Lawson Heights in the north end.
Urban Reserves
Saskatoon is the home of Canada's first urban reserve, or Indian reserve created within existing city limits. (Other reserves had been absorbed into adjacent cities before this.) As part of the land claim process that was started in the 1950s and finalised in the 1992 Treaty Land Entitlement Framework Agreement, the Muskeg Lake First Nation claimed a vacant tract east of the Sutherland Industrial neighbourhood in 1984; the area was Crown land that had been intended for a correctional facility but never used. Following negotiations between the band, the City of Saskatoon, and the federal government, the area was designated as an Indian Reserve in 1988.
The City and the band formed an Urban Reserve Partnership, where the land is managed by the band but serviced by the City. The reserve is known as the McKnight Commercial Centre and is completely integrated into the neighbouring industrial area. It includes three buildings, with more than of floor space, that house over 40 businesses employing over 300 people, and further expansion due in 2007–2008. Instead of the businesses paying municipal taxes to the City, the band collects these taxes (which by agreement are the same as they would be anywhere else in the City) as well as the sales taxes; the band then pays the City a "fee for municipal services", which equals the amount of the municipal taxes, and remits the sales taxes to their respective governments. In return, the City built all the infrastructure needed to develop and service the land, including additional road access, and provides all services, including snow removal, policing, and utilities. This ensures that on-reserve businesses do not receive a tax advantage, although their Status Indian employees benefit because on-reserve income is non-taxable. (Status Indians are also exempt from paying sales taxes on a reserve.) The reserve includes a mixture of Aboriginal- and non-Aboriginal-owned businesses.
Following the success of the Muskeg Lake urban reserve, and following the same model, 28 more urban reserves have been created in Saskatchewan, including three each in Prince Albert, Yorkton and Fort Qu'Appelle.
The Sounding Sky urban reserve is the second urban reserve in Saskatoon. Owned by the One Arrow First Nation, it houses the Fire Creek gas station and confectionery at 20th Street and Avenue P. This land was declared an urban reserve in November 2005 and developed in 2006, replacing a small strip mall. There are three more parcels of land in Saskatoon that are owned by First Nations and expected to receive urban reserve status: Canterbury Towers (owned by the Yellow Quill First Nation) and Avord Towers (owned by The Battlefords Tribal Council), both office towers in the Central Business District; and an office complex in the Airport Business Area owned by the English River First Nation.
Queen Elizabeth Power Station
The city receives its power from the main SaskPower power grid. Within the original 1958 boundaries of the city power is distributed by Saskatoon Light & Power while in the remainder of the system power distribution is handled by SaskPower. The city's nearest power generation plant is located on Saskatoon's southwestern outskirts on Spadina Crescent (south of the city dump entrance on Power Road). The station was built in the 1950s and named after Queen Elizabeth II in 1959. This is a natural gas fired station to meet peak demand. SaskPower base load facilities are primarily hydro electric and coal fired.
Climate
Saskatoon is in a dry-prairie/savanna biome and experiences warm summers and very cold winters. The city has four distinct seasons. Extreme temperatures range from -50°C in winter to 41°C (-58°F to 104°F) in summer. Saskatoon is fairly dry; the average annual precipitation is 347.2 mm (13.7in), with the summer being the wettest season. A positive aspect of the low precipitation is that Saskatoon is sunnier than average in Canada as a result, averaging 2,381 hours of bright sunshine annually. The extreme temperatures are also more tolerable on account of the typically low humidity. The same can be said for the summer months as there are usually only a few hot days over 30°C each summer, and most summer days are quite mild in comparison to the rest of populated North America.
Thunderstorms are common in the summer months and can be severe with torrential rain, hail, high winds, intense lightning and occasional tornadic activity. The frost-free growing season generally lasts from mid-May to mid-September, but due to Saskatoon's northerly location, damaging frosts have occurred well into June and again as early as August.
The lowest temperature ever recorded in Saskatoon was -50°C in 1893. The lowest wind chill ever recorded was -61.9°C. The highest temperature ever recorded in Saskatoon was 40.6°C on 5 June 1988.
The "Blizzard of 2007" was described by many residents as the worst they had seen and paralyzed the city with its low visibility, extreme cold and large volume of snow. Many area residents took refuge overnight at area work places, shopping centres, hospitals and the university.
Geography
Saskatoon lies on a long belt of rich, potassic chernozem in middle-southern Saskatchewan and is found in the Aspen parkland biome. The lack of surrounding mountainous topography gives the city a relatively flat grid, though the city does sprawl over a few hills and into a few valleys. The lowest point in the city is the river, while the highest point is disputed between the suburb of Sutherland in the east side and the Silverwood-River Heights areas in the city's north end. Saskatoon, on a cross-section from west to east, has a general decline in elevation above sea level heading towards the river, and on the east bank of the river, the terrain is mostly level until outside the city, where it begins to decrease in elevation again.
Saskatoon is divided into east and west sides by the South Saskatchewan River. It is then divided into Suburban Development Areas (SDA) which are composed of neighbourhoods.
Safety
Historically, Saskatoon has had a high crime rate. However, crime statistics produced by the Saskatoon Police Service shows that crime is on the decline. In fact, Canada's 'murder capital' saw a 71% drop in murders last year (a total of 2, compared to 7 in 2007). However, despite this drop in the murder rate, a March 5, 2009 Maclean's article still considered Saskatoon Canada's "Most Dangerous City" due to its current high per capita crime rate. This article was based on data from 2007.
In 2008:
| Total Crimes Against the Person fell by 8.06%
Total Crimes Against Property fell by 8.22% |
A full breakdown of the 2008 crime statistics is available from the Saskatoon Police Service.
The 2006 census crime data, released July 18, 2007, has Saskatoon leading Canada in violent crime, with 1,606 violent crimes per 100,000 residents annually. Saskatoon leads the country in sexual assaults as well. Maclean's Magazine, a national publication, rated Saskatoon as the second most dangerous city in the country, next to Regina, and stated that Regina, Saskatoon and Winnipeg would be among the ten most dangerous American cities in violent crime and robberies. Saskatoon also led Canada in violent crime again for 2007 and adds murder capital of Canada (tied with Winnipeg) to its previous title (2006) of sexual assault capital of Canada. Although a recent increase in crimes involving firearms, and increasingly powerful first nations gangs are both challenges Saskatoon must overcome if it wishes to shed its "Violent Crime Capital of Canada" label.
Landmarks
One of the city's landmarks is the Delta Bessborough Hotel, known to locals as the Bezz. Built by the Canadian National Railway, it was among the last railway hotels to be started before the Great Depression of the 1930s brought their era to a close. Although the building was completed in 1932, it did not open its doors until 1935 due to the Depression. The Bessborough and the Mendel Art Gallery are currently the only major structures located on the river side of Spadina Crescent. One of the most frequently-circulated photographs depicting Saskatoon is of the hotel framed in one of the arches of the Broadway Bridge.
The Meewasin Valley Trail follows the South Saskatchewan River through Saskatoon. Summer activities include cycling, jogging and walking through parks and natural areas. Cross-country skiing is popular during the winter months, along with skating in Kiwanis Memorial Park. Access points are found throughout the city with interpretive signage and washrooms located along the route. There are parks throughout the Meewasin Valley, with washrooms, picnic facilities, and lookout points along the river bank.
In the winter the Meewasin Skating Rink is open free to the public; it is located in Kiwanis Memorial Park beside the Delta Bessborough hotel. The outdoor rink has been open since 1980.
The city is currently redeveloping the south downtown region of River Landing which previously included the Saskatoon Arena, Riverview Collegiate (also headquarters of the Saskatoon Board of Education) and the city's main branch of the Royal Canadian Legion. This redevelopment will result in the development of a Hotel/Spa in the south-west downtown core, new theater complex, similar to the existing Galaxy in Regina, with twelve theatres with stadium-style seating owned by Cineplex Entertainment which opened in the Summer of 2006, parkland, a new facility for Persephone Theatre (currently located outside the downtown core), and a year round home for the Saskatoon Farmers Market. It is hoped this will open up the downtown area to 20 th street, which has struggled with high crime and image problems in gaining acceptance as part of downtown's commercial district.
Transportation
Saskatoon is located on the Yellowhead Highway spur of the Trans-Canada Highway system, also known as Highway 16, which connects Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, and British Columbia. Highways 5, 7, 11, 12, 14, 219, 684, and 762 all meet at Saskatoon, with highways 60 and 41 terminating just west and east of the city limits, respectively.
The following bridges cross the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon (in order from upstream):
Construction of Saskatoon's ring road, Circle Drive, began in the mid-1960s, and is yet to be completed as of 2008. The missing link is in the southwest; on June 20, 2008, the mayor announced that funding for the $300 million project from the federal, provincial and city governments is now in place to build a six-lane bridge and 7 km of freeway to complete the road. The project is expected to be completed in 2012.
The Canadian Pacific Railway and the Canadian National Railway have connections to Saskatoon. Saskatoon is a stop on The Canadian passenger transcontinental rail route operated by VIA Rail. The Saskatoon railway station is located in the west end of the city; it was opened in the late 1960s as a replacement for Saskatoon's original main station which was located on 1st Avenue downtown -- the relocation of the station sparked a major redevelopment of the downtown that included the construction of the Midtown Plaza, TCU Place (aka Centennial Auditorium) and other developments. The many provincial transportation connections and geographic location of Saskatoon give it one of its nicknames The Hub City. The Saskatchewan Railway Museum is located just outside the city. Recent debates about moving all the railways out of the city are raising questions about a future LRT system, but the city's Mayor says the population is too small.
Saskatoon/John G. Diefenbaker International Airport provides scheduled and charter airline service for the city, and is a significant hub for mining and remote locations in Northern Saskatchewan. Non-stop scheduled destinations include Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa/Montreal, Minneapolis, Denver and Las Vegas. Seasonal and Charter service is provided to Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Churchill, MB. Air Canada, Westjet and Purolator Courier all have cargo facilities at the airport. Saskatoon/Corman Air Park is a general aviation airport located 15 km south-east of Saskatoon.
Transit services in Saskatoon are provided by Saskatoon Transit. The route system was revamped on July 2, 2006, creating increased access to most parts of the city.
Education
Saskatoon has a number of higher education institutions:
Saskatoon has 78 elementary schools and 14 high schools (with three more under construction), serving about 37,000 students. Saskatoon has two school boards, The Saskatoon Public School Division and the Saskatoon Catholic School Division.
Saskatoon is home to five units of the Canadian Cadet Movement:
- 45 Sea Cadet Corps
- 107 Air Cadet Squadron
- 328 Medical Cadet Corps -
- 702 Air Cadet Squadron
- 2293 The North Saskatchewan Regiment Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps -
The western annexation of what is now called the Blairmore SDA also brought the Yarrow Youth Farm within the city limits; operated by the Province of Saskatchewan, this is a correction facility for at-risk youth. The City's current Projected Growth Map indicates that the farm is expected to be incorporated within planned development of the region.
Arts and culture
Galleries and museums
The Mendel Art Gallery is situated on the bank of the South Saskatchewan River. Its permanent collection exceeds 5,000 works of art. In 2005, it began a major renovation project that will expand the size of the gallery by seventy per cent. In September 2005, however, the City of Saskatoon announced that it had entered discussions with the Mendel to the end of having the Mendel abandon its renovation/expansion project in favor of instead relocating the facility to a new arts and culture centre that is planned for the south downtown area; the Mendel has reportedly rejected this suggestion.
The Ukrainian Museum of Canada is also located on the banks of the South Saskatchewan River. The foremost attraction for Ukrainian culture in Saskatoon, it houses various artifacts such as textiles, tools, musical instruments and clothing, and displays them for public viewing. It has branches in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg and Toronto.
The Meewasin Valley Centre, in Friendship Park, has information on Saskatoon's history, the South Saskatchewan River, and the future of the Meewasin Valley.
Saskatoon is also home of the Saskatchewan Western Development Museum. This museum, one of four throughout the province, documents early pioneer life in Saskatchewan. It is noted for its interior recreation of a "Boom Town" main street, including one original building relocated from its original site. The Saskatchewan Railway Museum is located just outside the city and includes displays of rolling stock and historic railway buildings from various parts of the province.
The Forestry Farm Park and Zoo is a National Historic Site situated in the north east region of the city. The Forestry Farm was a historic nursery (dating from 1913) responsible for growing many of the trees planted within the prairie provinces. In 1966 the nursery operations were discontinued and part of the region turned into a municipal park. The city zoo is also housed within the park and features over 80 species of animals.
is a National Historic Site situated five km to the north of Saskatoon. It is an Aboriginal archaeological site and features displays, special events, and activities, recent renovations are on hold due to a lack of funds during the renovations.
Events and festivals
Saskatoon's major arts venue is TCU Place, which is located adjacent to Midtown Plaza downtown. Since opening in 1967, it has hosted scores of concerts, theatrical performances, live events such as the Telemiracle telethon, high school graduation and university convocation ceremonies, and conventions. It is also home to the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra. It recently underwent a multi-million dollar renovation to its main theatre (named in honor of former mayor and senator Sidney Buckwold).
For rock concerts and major shows, Credit Union Centre is the main venue. It is Saskatchewan's largest arena, with a capacity of 11,300 for sporting events and 14,000 for concerts. Musical acts from Saskatoon include Wide Mouth Mason and The Northern Pikes.
Saskatoon hosts many festivals and events in the summer, including the Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan Festival, the Jazz Festival, the Saskatchewan Children's Festival, the Saskatoon Fringe Theatre Festival (a showcase of alternative theatre), (a cultural festival), and the .
For over 25 years, Saskatoon has hosted a gathering of antique automobiles, (mainly from the 1960s) that has grown into an event called "Cruise Weekend". The event is usually held on the last weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) in August. Activities include a poker derby, dances, and a show 'N' shine with over 800 cars from all over western Canada. No admission is charged and everyone is free to walk around and enjoy the atmosphere.
The city's annual exhibition (now called the Saskatoon Exhibition but also known in previous years as Pioneer Days and "The Ex") is held every August at Prairieland Park. In the late 1990s, the Saskatoon Exhibition was rescheduled to August so that it no longer was in direct competition with the Calgary Stampede, which frequently overlapped the event.
Saskatoon was the 2007 host city for the Juno Awards, Canada's foremost music industry honours.
Saskatoon was the 2008 host city for the Warped Tour.
Live Theatre
Live theatre is a central, vibrant part of Saskatoon's culture. Saskatoon is host to a number of live theatre venues such as the Off Broadway Arts Centre, The Refinery, Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company and Persephone Theatre. Saskatoon is also home to performance groups such as Live Five, Troup du Jour, Saskatoon Gateway Players, . Local improv groups such as The No-No's and Saskatoon Soaps have weekly performances at various venues around the city.
Saskatoon also boasts the only burlesque group in the Prairies, the Rosebud Burlesque.
Movie theatres
As noted by Star-Phoenix columnist Les MacPherson in an article in the early 2000s, Saskatoon, for its population, has few movie theatres. There is only one single-screen theatre in the city - the Broadway Theatre (Saskatoon), which primarily shows arthouse films - while the two-screen Roxy (formerly the Towne Cinema) is an "atmospheric-style" second-run theatre that recently reopened after sitting unused for over a decade. The remainder of the city's theatres are multiplexes. The only movie theatre in the downtown core is the Galaxy Cinemas; the Capitol 4 shut down on April 3, 2008. The city's other movie theatres are the Rainbow (a second-run cinema) and the Centre Cinemas, located adjacent to each other in The Centre mall on the city's east side. Located just east of Saskatoon is one of Western Canada's last remaining operational drive-in movie theatres, the Sundown Drive-In on Highway 5, which was still operational as of the fall of 2008.
Royal presence
Saskatoon has welcomed members of Canada's Royal Family since 1919. Queen Elizabeth most recently visited for the a gala concert at Credit Union Centre, before a live audience of 12,000 and television viewers nationwide in 2005. The Queen was presented with the key to the city on the same visit, after touring the Canadian Light Source Synchrotron and greeting thousands of well-wishers on a walkabout at the University of Saskatchewan. Sovereigns and consorts who have visited include Edward VIII as Prince of Wales in 1919, King George Vl and Queen Elizabeth in 1939, and Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, as Princess Elizabeth in 1951 and afterwards as Queen in 1959, 1978, 1987 and 2005. Other members of the Royal Family who have visited include Princess Margaret in 1980, the Prince of Wales (Charles) in 2001, the Princess Royal (Anne) in 1982 and 2004, the Duke and Duchess of York (Andrew and Sarah) in 1989, and the Earl of Wessex as Prince Edward in 1978. Governors General and Lieutenant Governors also pay regular visits to Saskatoon. Saskatonian Ramon John Hnatyshyn is credited with popularising his office as Governor General from 1990 to 1995. Lieutenant Governors Barnhart, Fedoruk, McNab, Monroe, Porteous and Worobetz were all former residents of Saskatoon.
Connections to the crown include the royal namesakes of about one hundred neighbourhoods, parks, streets, schools and other places. These include King George, Queen Elizabeth and Massey Place neighbourhoods, and Victoria, Coronation and Princess Diana parks. It was at one time considered that Saskatoon's Broadway Bridge would be renamed George V Bridge. Landmarks and institutions also have connections and these include the Royal University Hospital, one of four royal designations in Saskatchewan. Grade schools named for royals include Ecole Victoria School, King George School, Queen Elizabeth School, Prince Philip School and Princess Alexandra School. Existing and historic hotels with royal namesakes include the King George Hotel, the King Edward Hotel, the Queen's Hotel and the Patricia Hotel. The Hotel Bessborough was named for a Canadian Governor General who visited the landmark under construction in the 1930s. The Prince of Wales Promenade along the South Saskatchewan River is a focal point on the riverfront trails. In 2002, 378 Saskatoon residents were presented with Canada's Golden Jubilee Medal by vice-regals to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne.
Sports and recreation
Ice hockey is one of the most popular sports in Saskatoon and is home to many strong amateur teams such as the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL, who host their games in Credit Union Centre (formerly known as Saskatchewan Place). As well Saskatoon is home to many amateur teams at the Junior B and Midget AAA levels, as well as several youth teams. The biggest chance for professional hockey came in 1982. Bill Hunter, a local sports promoter, attempted to purchase the St. Louis Blues of the NHL and move it to Saskatoon, but the move was prevented by the league. This was due to Saskatchewan's and especially Saskatoon's small size in relation to both St. Louis and the other cities in the NHL at the time. However, it did cause the building of the Credit Union Centre, on the city's northern edge. Credit Union Centre Seats approximately 11,000 people for ice hockey
As for women's hockey, there is a strong youth female hockey presence in Saskatoon with a Midget AAA team and several youth teams in the city.
Canadian football is one of the most successful on field sports in Saskatoon. The Saskatoon Hilltops of the Canadian Junior Football League host their games at Gordie Howe Bowl. The Hilltops have won 12 national junior championships throughout their history. As well, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies are one of the top University football programs in Canada. The Huskies have played in four of the last five Vanier Cup games, including the 2006 Vanier Cup held in Saskatoon. As well, many Saskatonians support the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL. The Roughriders play in Regina but are notable for their strong support from all areas of the province.
The Saskatoon Yellow Jackets college summer league baseball team is a member of the Western Major Baseball League and play their games at Cairns Field. They are not affiliated with any Major League Baseball team nor do they carry any professional players. In the past other teams have attempted to grace Saskatoon's professional sports landscape including the Saskatoon Riot, Saskatoon Smokin' Guns, Saskatoon Stallions and the latest being the Saskatoon Legends, who folded during the 2003 season. However, there is hope that the Golden Baseball League will find an owner for its proposed Saskatoon franchise and begin play in 2008 or 2009 at Cairns Field.
The University of Saskatchewan Huskies play Canadian Interuniversity Sport league games at the University Campus. Their facilities include 4,997 seat Griffiths Stadium, 700 seat Rutherford Arena, and a partially new state-of-the-art Physical Activity Complex, with the exception of a small swimming pool which was not updated, that opened in August 2003 with the opening of the new College of Kinesiology Building. The Huskies participate in twelve sports at the CIS level and have been most successful in men's hockey and football, however, as of late, the football team has fallen on hard times, losing out in the first round of the play offs to lower ranked teams in both 2007 and 2008, possibly due to the loss of Paul Waldu, stand out defensive back whose 2006 interception got them to their last CIS championship game - which weak offense lost for them.
In 2007, two new sports teams came into being in Saskatoon, the Saskatchewan SWAT of the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League and the Saskatoon Accelerators in the Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League. The Accelerators play at Credit Union Centre, while the SWAT split their games between Credit Union Centre and Kinsmen Arena. The SWAT play Tier I, Junior B lacrosse and will play their inaugural season in early 2007. The indoor soccer franchise intends to begin full operations in 2008.
Motor racing is a popular sport in Saskatoon. Saskatchewan International Raceway has been in operation for over 40 years; SIR is home to 1/4 mile NHRA drag racing and holds racing events from May to September. As well, just north of the city lies Auto Clearing Motor Speedway; the track is home to local stock car racing, as well as races for several different Western Canadian series.
For horse racing fans, Marquis Downs at Prairieland Park offers live horse racing from May to October.
On the recreation side, Lions Skatepark was built in the Riversdale area in 2003. As well Saskatoon is home to several golf courses and various parks which include tennis courts, ball diamonds and soccer pitches for spring, summer and fall use and outdoor rinks for winter use. Blackstrap Ski Hill is also located 30 minutes south of the city, however, has been closed for both 2006 and 2007 seasons due to financial difficulty.
See: List of Sports Franchises in Saskatoon
Facilities and services
Local media
Shopping centres
Law and order
Hospitals
Sister cities
Umeå (Västerbotten, Sweden)
Shijiazhuang (Hebei, China)
Tampere (Pirkanmaa, Finland)
Chernivtsi (Ukraine)
Kitahiroshima (Japan)
Kabul (Afghanistan)
Notables
Notable persons who were born, grew up or lived in Saskatoon:
- Mark Abley - writer
- Kaare Andrews - comic book artist
- Mel Angelstad - professional ice hockey player
- Colby Armstrong - NHL hockey player - Atlanta Thrashers
- Brent Ashton - Former NHL Hockey Player
- Mike Babcock - NHL head coach - Detroit Red Wings
- Lorne Babiuk - Director, VIDO
- Jon Ballantyne - NYC Jazz musician Composer, Artist
- Wade Belak - NHL player - Florida Panthers
- Allan Blakeney - former Premier of Saskatchewan
- Derek Boogaard - NHL hockey player - Minnesota Wild
- Dave Brown - Former NHL player
- Sidney Buckwold - former Mayor of Saskatoon
- Sandy Burnett - record producer
- Ethel Catherwood - Olympic medalist
- Hugh Cairns (VC) - World War I soldier awarded the Victoria Cross
- John Diefenbaker - former Prime Minister of Canada
- Dan Ellis - NHL Goaltender - Nashville Predators
- Shane Endicott - NHL hockey player Dallas Stars
- Sylvia Fedoruk - scientist, former Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
- Don Freed - singer/songwriter
- Dawna Friesen - NBC journalist
- Gayleen Froese - author
- Michael Garnett - former NHL Goaltender with the Atlanta Thrashers
- Joanna Glass - playwright
- Glenda Goertzen - author
- Tom Grummett - comic book artist
- Chris Hajt - professional ice hockey player - Lukko
- Stu Hart - professional wrestling patriarch
- Ray Hnatyshyn - former Governor General of Canada
- Gordie Howe - former NHL elite hockey player
- Bill Hunter - ice hockey entrepreneur
- Miklos Kanitz - Holocaust survivor
- Dave King - university and NHL hockey coach
- Regan Lauscher - Canadian luge champion
- Catriona LeMay Doan - speed skater, Olympic medalist
- Curtis Leschyshyn - former NHL hockey player
- Keith Magnuson - former NHL hockey player, Chicago Blackhawks (died 2003)
- Tyler Mane -ex pro wrestler and actor
- Yann Martel - Booker Prize winning author
- Mike Maurer - CFL fullback
- Chris McAllister - Former NHL hockey player
- Dr. Michael D. Mehta - professor, author, Director of SaskPower and Canadian Blood Services
- Andrea Menard - musician, actress
- Cameron Mitchell - actor
- Joni Mitchell - musician, artist
- Allan Moffat - Racing car driver and 4 time winner of the Bathurst 1000
- Keith Morrison - former NBC television news anchor
- Farley Mowat - novelist
- Carey Nelson - long-distance runner
- Darin Nesbitt - professor at Douglas College
- Jim Pattison - billionnaire businessman
- Michaela Pereira - KTLA Morning Show co-anchor
- Northern Pikes - Rock Band
- Rich Pilon - former NHL hockey player
- Roy Romanow - former Premier of Saskatchewan
- Drew Remenda - TV Color Analyst for the San Jose Sharks
- Dr. W.A.S. Sarjeant, a.k.a. Antony Swithin - geology professor and author
- Luke Schenn - NHL hockey player - Toronto Maple Leafs
- Theresa Sokyrka - musician, artist
- Brent Sopel - NHL hockey player - Chicago Blackhawks
- Don Sparrow - illustrator
- Neil Stonechild - high profile victim of a starlight tour
- David Sutcliffe - actor
- Brian Skrudland - former NHL hockey forward / 2 time Stanley Cup Champion.
- Arthur Slade - author
- Jarret Stoll - NHL hockey player - Edmonton Oilers
- Anne Szumigalski - poet
- Roderick Toombs, a.k.a. Rowdy Roddy Piper - WWE wrestler
- Shannon Tweed - actress and one-time Playboy Playmate of the Year, partner of Gene Simmons of Kiss and mother of his kids
- Guy Vanderhaeghe - author
- Cam Ward - NHL hockey goaltender - Carolina Hurricanes
- Wide Mouth Mason - Rock Band
- Ed Whalen - host, Stampede Wrestling
- Grant Wilson - actor
- The Deep Dark Woods - Alt-country Band
- Henry Woolf - actor
- Janet Wright - actress and cast member of Corner Gas
- Kyle Riabko - actor and musician
Saskatoon in popular culture
Books
- In Mark Twain's novel, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court avoids being burned at the stake as a heretic by "conjuring" a solar eclipse. Midway through the string of nonsense that he spouts as an incantation is the phrase, "Saskatoon, Saskatchewan." This gaga appears in the film based on the novel, released in 1949 and starring Bing Crosby.
Movies and television
- At one point in the 2007 movie Hannibal Rising, a prequel to The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal is said to be looking for someone in a small town south of Saskatoon.
- In a "Simpsons" episode, Homer, upon obtaining Canadian health cards in order to get cheap drugs, is told that he can buy enough drugs "to make Regina look like Saskatoon."
- "The Final Sacrifice", an episode of "Mystery Science Theatre 3000" references Saskatoon when Tom Servo sings a Canadian tribute song.
- In an episode of "8 Simple Rules" where Kerry is caught with marijuana, C.J. says that he can smell where the drugs came from, and mentions Saskatoon as a possibility.
Music
- In the title song of Medeski Martin & Wood's children's album "Let's Go Everywhere": "Cancun, Saskatoon...."
- Rock band Wide Mouth Mason, who hail from Saskatoon, have a song titled "Unfolding" that contains the lyric "It's a lazy afternoon on the eastside of Saskatoon."
- Canadian rock group The Guess Who recorded a song called "Running Back To Saskatoon."
- Johnny Cash co-wrote and recorded a song called "Girl in Saskatoon."
- A verse in country singer Sammy Kershaw's song "Anywhere But Here" goes "Well I hear it's cold up in Saskatoon but it couldn't be colder than our bedroom."
- A verse in City and Colour's song "Comin' Home" goes "I've been through the Rockies, I've seen Saskatoon."
- Punk band No Fun At All's song "My Extraordinary Mind" contains the lyrics "Sunday afternoon, I was bending every spoon/Stopping all the clocks in Saskatoon."
- The opening line of the Tragically Hip song "Wheat Kings" refers to Saskatoon: "Sundown in the Paris of the Prairies . . ."
- In the movie Slap Shot, Sonny James sings a song called "A Little Bit South of Saskatoon."
- Soul Coughing in their song "Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago," proclaims, "Saskatoon is in the room."
- Old Crow Medicine Show in their song "Don't Ride That Horse" Saskatoon is mentioned.
- In his song, "West St. James", Winnipeg singer Greg Macpherson mentions Saskatoon: "After a 7 hour delay in Saskatoon yesterday."
- The Men They Couldn't Hang in their song "Grave Robbing in Gig Harbour" refer to a dead beauty queen and the man who loved her: "She was extricated from her tomb / By a broken man from Saskatoon"
- Grindcore band Agoraphobic Nosebleed, released a split-CD entitled The Poacher Diaries with Converge containing dialogue between songs mentioning Saskatoon
- The song "Little City" by local roots/acoustic/country band Heartstrings is about Saskatoon.
Podcasts
- The 404, a podcast within the CNET community, holds a strong fanbase within Saskatoon, despite their constant queriers into whether or not it actually exists.
Surrounding Communities
Footnotes
External links
- as of October 13, 2005. (PDF format).
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