St. Louis, Saskatchewan
Encyclopedia


St. Louis is a Canadian village in the province of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....

, south of Prince Albert
Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
Prince Albert is the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is situated in the centre of the province on the banks of 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...

 and northeast of Batoche. It was founded by Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...

 settlers in the late 19th century, and is the northernmost Southbranch Settlement
Southbranch Settlement
Southbranch Settlement was the name ascribed to a series of French Métis settlements on the Canadian prairies in the 19th Century, in what is today the province of Saskatchewan...

, a series of communities which range from Fish Creek
Fish Creek, Saskatchewan
Fish Creek is a tributary of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatchewan, Canada, northeast of Saskatoon.It is most famous as the site of the Battle of Fish Creek during the Northwest Rebellion of 1885 between General Frederick Middleton of the Canadian Militia and Gabriel Dumont, adjutant general...

 in the south along the South Saskatchewan River
South Saskatchewan River
The South Saskatchewan River is a major river in Canada that flows through the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan....

 through Batoche and St. Laurent
St. Laurent de Grandin, Saskatchewan
St. Laurent de Grandin is an area of Métis settlement along the South Saskatchewan River. It is just east of Duck Lake, Saskatchewan, and at present is the site of the St. Laurent Ferry, as well as the Roman Catholic Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes...

 to St. Louis. St. Louis is within the boundaries of the rural municipality
Rural municipality
A rural municipality, often abbreviated RM, is a form of municipality in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, perhaps best comparable to counties or townships in the western United States...

 St. Louis No. 431
St. Louis No. 431, Saskatchewan
St. Louis No. 431 is a rural municipality in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, located in the Census Division 15. The seat of the municipality is located in the Hamlet of Hoey.-Demographics:...

. The village has a mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

 to govern civic infrastructure and municipal policy. St. Louis is also within SARM Division No. 5
SARM Division No. 5
SARM Division No. 5 is a division of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities within the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. It is located in the north central area of the province. There are 57 rural municipalities in this division. The current Director for Division 5 is Murray...

 and Census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

 Division No. 15, Saskatchewan
Division No. 15, Saskatchewan
Division No. 15, Saskatchewan, Canada, is one of the eighteen census divisions within the province, as defined by Statistics Canada. It is located in the north-central part of the province. The most populous community in this division is Prince Albert....

. St. Louis is located in the aspen parkland
Aspen parkland
Aspen parkland refers to a very large area of transitional biome between prairie and boreal forest in two sections; the Peace River Country of northwestern Alberta crossing the border into British Columbia, and a much larger area stretching from central Alberta, all across central Saskatchewan to...

 biome.

History

St. Louis is home to a large archaeological site of aboriginal artifacts predating those found at Wanuskewin near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Key discoveries at the site have included new species of wolf and buffalo approximately 25% larger than modern species and a bead that indicates decoration of clothing about 1000 years earlier than previously thought.

St. Louis is just northeast of Southbranch House, one of many small trading posts from fur trading days; this post was attacked and burnt by the Atsina in the 18th century in retaliation for the company's supplying their enemies the Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...

 and Assiniboine with guns and goods.

The first post office was founded under the name of Boucher, Saskatchewan
District of Saskatchewan
The District of Saskatchewan was a regional administrative district of Canada's Northwest Territories. Much of the area was incorporated into the province of Saskatchewan. The western part became part of Alberta, and the eastern part is now part of Manitoba. Its capital was Prince Albert...

 NWT
Territorial evolution of Canada
The federation of Canada was created in 1867 when three colonies of British North America were united. One of these colonies split into two new provinces, three other colonies joined later...

 on 1 February 1888 with the first post master being Reverend Eugene Lecoq. The post master was succeeded by Jean Baptiste Boucher Sr who homesteaded at Sec.11, Twp.45, R.27, W2 which happened to also be the location of the post office. In 1897-05-01 the post office changed names to St. Louis, Saskatchewan
District of Saskatchewan
The District of Saskatchewan was a regional administrative district of Canada's Northwest Territories. Much of the area was incorporated into the province of Saskatchewan. The western part became part of Alberta, and the eastern part is now part of Manitoba. Its capital was Prince Albert...

 NWT
Territorial evolution of Canada
The federation of Canada was created in 1867 when three colonies of British North America were united. One of these colonies split into two new provinces, three other colonies joined later...

. Historically it was bordered by the Anglo-Métis
Anglo-Métis
A 19th-century community of the Métis people of Canada, the Anglo-Métis, more commonly known as Countryborn, were children of fur traders; they typically had Orcadian, Scottish, or English fathers and Aboriginal mothers. Their first languages were generally those of their mothers: Cree, Saulteaux,...

 settlements of Halcro
Halcro, Saskatchewan
Red Deer Hill has an elementary school called Osborne. It is located on Osborne Road and is a part of the Saskatchewan Rivers School Division.Osborne opened in the late 60's. It at one time had over 200 hundred students. It is now down to about 95.-Religion:...

 and Red Deer Hill
Red Deer Hill, Saskatchewan
Red Deer Hill has an elementary school called Osborne. It is located on Osborne Road and is a part of the Saskatchewan Rivers School Division.Osborne opened in the late 60's. It at one time had over 200 hundred students...

 to the north.

Geography

The nearest community of size is Prince Albert
Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
Prince Albert is the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is situated in the centre of the province on the banks of 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...

 a twenty-minute drive to the north. St. Louis is located at an intersection of Highway 2
Saskatchewan Highway 2
Highway 2 is a provincial highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is the longest Saskatchewan Highway, at 809 km . The highway is partially divided and undivided. However, only about near Moose Jaw, near Chamberlain, and near Prince Albert are divided highway...

 north/south and Highway 25
Saskatchewan Highway 25
Highway 25 is a provincial highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is long and runs from Highway 2 in St. Louis to Highway 3 near Birch Hills.-External links:* -- Scroll down to find Highway 25....

. The grid road Highway 782
Saskatchewan Highway 782
Highway 782 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from Highway 11 near Duck Lake to Highway 2 near St. Louis. Highway 782 is about 38 km long....

 continues westerly along the South Saskatchewan River
South Saskatchewan River
The South Saskatchewan River is a major river in Canada that flows through the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan....

 to arrive at Duck Lake.

Area statistics

  • Lat (DMS) 52° 55' 00" N
  • Long (DMS) 105° 49' 00" W
  • Dominion Land Survey
    Dominion Land Survey
    The Dominion Land Survey is the method used to divide most of Western Canada into one-square-mile sections for agricultural and other purposes. It is based on the layout of the Public Land Survey System used in the United States, but has several differences...

    Section 11 - Township 45 - Range 27 West of the 2nd Meridian
    102nd meridian west
    The meridian 102° west of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, North America, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....

  • Time zone (cst) UTC-6


Locally it is known also for the St. Louis Light
St. Louis Light
The St. Louis Light, St. Louis Ghost Light, or St. Louis Ghost Train is a supposedly paranormal phenomenon seen near St. Louis, Saskatchewan, Canada....

, an allegedly paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...

 phenomenon, the historic St. Louis Bridge
St. Louis Bridge
The St. Louis Bridge is a Canadian traffic bridge that spans the South Saskatchewan River in St. Louis, Saskatchewan. It crosses the river from St. Louis into the Rural Municipality of Prince Albert No. 461....

 and the picturesque beauty of the South Saskatchewan River
South Saskatchewan River
The South Saskatchewan River is a major river in Canada that flows through the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan....

.

Infrastructure

As is the case with many small towns in Saskatchewan, the lack of economic growth is a concern. The province has announced that the original St. Louis Bridge
St. Louis Bridge
The St. Louis Bridge is a Canadian traffic bridge that spans the South Saskatchewan River in St. Louis, Saskatchewan. It crosses the river from St. Louis into the Rural Municipality of Prince Albert No. 461....

 will be closed down in the future and a new bridge will be constructed. The new bridge, however, will be located more than a mile from the edge of the village. Thus, many residents and businesses are concerned about the possible financial impact on the village.

St. Louis remains a vibrant community. It has:
  • an elementary school
  • a high school
  • a gas station / corner store
  • a bar
  • a health spa
  • a car wash
  • 2 retirement homes
  • an alcohol treatment centre
  • a local butcher shop
  • a picnic ground and several campsites (Free!)
  • the French Cultural Centre
  • hockey rink
  • curling rink
  • large bison sculpture of an extinct species that was 25% larger than modern bison.
  • eBay
    EBay
    eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...

     store
  • A grocery store (under construction)
  • An arcade (under construction)
  • Internet Based Sign Business WholesaleSigns.com


The community sponsors many events throughout the year. These include:
  • an annual community barbecue
    Barbecue
    Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...

  • New Years fireworks and hot chocolate
  • a community garage sale
    Garage sale
    A garage sale, also known as a yard sale, rummage sale, tag sale, lawn sale, attic sale, moving sale, or junk sale, is an informal, irregularly scheduled event for the sale of used goods by private individuals, in which "block sales" are allowed, so that sellers are not required to obtain business...

     day

Demographics

N/A = Data Not Available


Although English is the predominant language in the community now, there is still a large Métis and French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...

 population today.

Notable people from St. Louis

  • Howard Adams
    Howard Adams
    Howard Adams was an influential twentieth century Metis academic and activist. He was born in St. Louis, Saskatchewan, Canada, on September 8, 1921, the son of a French Métis mother and an English Métis father. In his youth he briefly joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police...

    , 1960s Métis Marxist academic and writer who taught at the University of California, Berkeley
    University of California, Berkeley
    The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...

     and wrote Prison of Grass: Canada from a Native Point of View
  • John Boucher (deceased), Métis senator, who attracted attention to the Métis cause by publicly tying a ceinture fléchée
    Ceinture fléchée
    The ceinture fléchée is a type of colorful sash, a traditional piece of French-Canadian clothing of the 19th century...

     on Nelson Mandela
    Nelson Mandela
    Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...

     during his visit to Canada in the 1990s.
  • Maxime Lepine
    Maxime Lépine
    Maxime Lépine was a Canadian businessman and political figure of Métis origin. He represented St. Francois Xavier East in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1874 to 1878....

    , Métis friend of Louis Riel's, Northwest Rebellion participant and counsellor in the Exovedate
    Exovedate
    Exovedate is the name coined by Métis leader Louis Riel and given by him to his council of the Provisional Government of Saskatchewan during the North-West Rebellion in Canada. Ten years prior to this date on December 8, 1875 after attending a mass in Washington, D. C., Riel had a religious vision...

  • Louis Schmidt, French Métis bureaucrat, intellectual and community leader who supported his friend Louis Riel
    Louis Riel
    Louis David Riel was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political and spiritual leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government and its first post-Confederation Prime Minister, Sir John A....

     in the Red River Rebellion
    Red River Rebellion
    The Red River Rebellion or Red River Resistance was the sequence of events related to the 1869 establishment of a provisional government by the Métis leader Louis Riel and his followers at the Red River Settlement, in what is now the Canadian province of Manitoba.The Rebellion was the first crisis...

     of 1869-70 but stayed in Prince Albert and backed the government in the Northwest Rebellion of 1885
  • Marcel Lussier, Saskatchewan provincial and Canadian karate champion
  • Rich Pilon
    Rich Pilon
    Richard Brian Pilon is a retired NHL ice hockey player. A stay-at-home defenceman, Pilon played for three teams throughout his 15-year NHL career, the New York Islanders, New York Rangers and St...

    , retired NHL hockey player
  • Joey Tetarenko
    Joey Tetarenko
    Joseph Tetarenko is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player.-Bio:Tetarenko was drafted by the Florida Panthers 82nd overall in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft...

    , NHL hockey player

See also


External links

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