Saskatchewan
Encyclopedia
Saskatchewan is a prairie province
in Canada
, which has an area of 588276 square kilometre. 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
.
As of April 2011, the population of Saskatchewan was estimated at 1,053,960. Residents primarily live in the southern half of the province. Of the total population, 257,300 live in the province's largest city, Saskatoon
, while 210,000 live in the provincial capital, Regina
. Other major cities include Prince Albert
, Moose Jaw, Yorkton, Swift Current and North Battleford.
Saskatchewan was first explored by Europeans in 1690 and settled in 1774, having also been inhabited for thousands of years by various indigenous groups. It became a province in 1905. Saskatchewan's current premier is Brad Wall
and its lieutenant-governor is Gordon Barnhart
. Its major industries are agriculture, mining, and energy. "In 1992, the federal and provincial governments signed an historic land claim agreement with Saskatchewan First Nations
. Under the Agreement, the First Nations received money to buy land on the open market. As a result, about 761,000 acres have been turned into reserve land and many First Nations continue to invest their settlement dollars in urban areas", including Saskatoon.
The province's name is derived from the Saskatchewan River
. Earlier, the river was designated kisiskāciwani-sīpiy ("swift flowing river") in the Cree language
.
. However, because of its size, the 49th parallel boundary and the 60th northern border appear curved. Additionally, the eastern boundary of the province is partially crooked rather than following a line of longitude, as correction lines were devised by surveyors prior to the homestead program
(1880–1928).
Saskatchewan is part of the Western Provinces and is bounded on the west by Alberta
, on the north by the Northwest Territories
, on the east by Manitoba
, and on the south by the American states
of Montana
and North Dakota
. Saskatchewan has the distinction of being the only Canadian province
for which no borders correspond to physical geographic features (i.e. they are parallels and meridians). Along with Alberta, Saskatchewan is one of two provinces that are land-locked.
The overwhelming majority of Saskatchewan's population is located in the southern third of the province, south of the 53rd parallel.
Saskatchewan contains two major natural regions: the Canadian Shield
in the north and the Interior Plains
in the south. Northern Saskatchewan is mostly covered by boreal forest except for the Lake Athabasca Sand Dunes, the largest active sand dunes in the world north of 58°, and adjacent to the southern shore of Lake Athabasca
. Southern Saskatchewan contains another area with sand dunes known as the "Great Sand Hills" covering over 300 square kilometres (115.8 sq mi). The Cypress Hills, located in the southwestern corner of Saskatchewan and Killdeer Badlands (Grasslands National Park
), are areas of the province that remained unglaciated during the last glaciation period
.
The province's highest point, at 1468 metres (4,816.3 ft), is located in the Cypress Hills and is the highest geographical point above sea-level
between the Rocky Mountains
and Quebec
. The lowest point is the shore of Lake Athabasca, at 213 metres (698.8 ft). The province has fourteen major drainage basin
s made up of various rivers and watersheds draining into the Arctic Ocean
, Hudson Bay
and the Gulf of Mexico
.
(Köppen type Dfb
) in the central and most of the eastern part as well as the Cypress Hills, drying off to a semi-arid
steppe climate (Köppen type BSk) in the southern and southwestern part of the province. The northern parts of Saskatchewan — from about La Ronge
northward — have a subarctic climate
(Köppen Dfc). Summers can be very hot, with temperatures sometimes above 32 °C (89.6 °F) during the day, and humidity decreasing from northeast to southwest. Warm southern winds blow from the United States during much of July and August, while winters can be bitterly cold, with high temperatures not breaking -17 °C for weeks at a time. Warm chinook winds often blow from the west, bringing periods of mild weather. Annual precipitation averages 30 to 45 centimetres (12 to 18 inches) across the province, with the bulk of rain falling in June, July, and August.
The hottest temperature ever recorded in Canada happened in Saskatchewan. The temperature rose to 45 degrees Celsius in Midale and Yellow Grass. The coldest ever recorded was −56.7 degrees Celsius in Prince Albert, which is north of Saskatoon.
Saskatchewan has been populated by various indigenous peoples of North America, including members of the Athabaskan, Algonquian
, Atsina, Cree
, Saulteaux
and Sioux
tribes. The first European to enter Saskatchewan was Henry Kelsey
in 1690, who travelled up the Saskatchewan River in hopes of trading fur with the province's indigenous peoples. The first permanent European settlement was a Hudson's Bay Company
post at Cumberland House
, founded in 1774 by Samuel Hearne
.
In 1803 the Louisiana Purchase
transferred from France to the United States part of what is now Alberta
and Saskatchewan. In 1818 it was ceded to the United Kingdom
. Most of what is now Saskatchewan, though, was part of Rupert's Land
and controlled by the Hudson's Bay Company, which claimed rights to all watersheds flowing into Hudson Bay
, including the Saskatchewan
, Churchill
, Assiniboine
, Souris
, and Qu'Appelle River
systems.
In the late 1850s and early 1860s, scientific expeditions led by John Palliser
and Henry Youle Hind
explored the prairie region of the province.
In 1870, Canada acquired the Hudson's Bay Company's territories and formed the North-West Territories to administer the vast territory between British Columbia
and Manitoba
. The Crown also entered into a series of numbered treaties
with the indigenous peoples of the area, which serve as the basis of the relationship between First Nations
, as they are called today, and the Crown. Since the late twentieth century, land losses and inequities as a result of those treaties have been subject to negotiation for settlement between the First Nations in Saskatchewan
and the federal government, in collaboration with provincial governments.
In 1885, post-Confederation Canada's first "naval battle" was fought in Saskatchewan, when a steamship engaged the Métis
at Batoche in the North-West Rebellion
.
A seminal event in the history of what was to become Western Canada
was the 1874 "March West" of the federal government's new North-West Mounted Police. Despite poor equipment and lack of provisions, the men on the march persevered and established a federal presence in the new territory. Historians have argued that had this expedition been unsuccessful, the expansionist United States
would have been tempted to expand into the political vacuum. The construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway
would likely have been delayed or taken a different, more northerly route, stunting the early growth of towns like Brandon, Regina, Medicine Hat and Calgary—had these existed at all. Failure to construct the railway could also have forced British Columbia
to join the United States.
In 1876, following their defeat of United States Army forces at the Battle of the Little Bighorn
in Montana Territory
in the United States, the Lakota Chief Sitting Bull
led several thousand of his people to Wood Mountain. Survivors and descendants founded Wood Mountain Reserve in 1914.
European-Canadian settlement of the province started to take off as the Canadian Pacific Railway was built in the early 1880s, and the Canadian government divided up the land by the Dominion Land Survey
and gave free land to any willing settlers.
The North-West Mounted Police set up several posts and forts across Saskatchewan, including Fort Walsh
in the Cypress Hills, and Wood Mountain Post in south-central Saskatchewan near the United States border.
Many Métis people, who had not been signatories to a treaty, had moved to the Southbranch Settlement
and Prince Albert
district north of present-day Saskatoon following the Red River Rebellion
in Manitoba in 1870. In the early 1880s, the Canadian government refused to hear the Métis' grievances, which stemmed from land-use issues. Finally, in 1885, the Métis, led by Louis Riel
, staged the North-West Rebellion
and declared a provisional government. They were defeated by a Canadian militia brought to the Canadian prairies
by the new Canadian Pacific Railway. Riel, who surrendered and was convicted of treason in a packed Regina courtroom, was hanged on November 16, 1885. Since then, the government has recognized the Métis as an aboriginal people with status rights, and provided them with various benefits related to that status.
permitted settlers to acquire one quarter of a square mile of land to homestead and offered an additional quarter upon establishing a homestead. Immigration peaked in 1910, and in spite of the initial difficulties of frontier life—distance from towns, sod homes, and backbreaking labour—new settlers established a European-Canadian style of prosperous agrarian society
.
In 1913, the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association was established as Saskatchewan's first ranchers' organization. At its the founding convention in 1913, the members established three goals: to watch over legislation; to forward the interests of the stock growers in every honourable and legitimate way; and to suggest to parliament legislation to meet changing conditions and requirements. Its farming equivalent, the Saskatchewan Grain Growers Association, was the dominant political force in the province until the 1920s; it had close ties with the governing Liberal party.
In the late 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan
, imported from the United States and Ontario, gained brief popularity in nativist circles in Saskatchewan and Alberta. The Klan, briefly allied with the provincial Conservative party because of their mutual dislike for Premier James G. "Jimmy" Gardiner and his Liberals (who ferociously fought the Klan), enjoyed about two years of prominence. It declined and disappeared, subject to widespread political and media opposition, plus internal scandals involving the use of the organization's funds.
In 1970, the first annual Canadian Western Agribition
was held in Regina. This farm-industry trade show, with its strong emphasis on livestock, is rated as one of the five top livestock shows in North America, along with those in Houston
, Denver
, Louisville
and Toronto
.
The province celebrated the 75th anniversary of its establishment in 1980, with Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
, presiding over the official ceremonies. In 2005, 25 years later, her sister, Queen Elizabeth II, attended the events held to mark Saskatchewan's centennial.
Since the late twentieth century, First Nations have become more politically active in seeking justice for past inequities, especially related to government taking of indigenous lands. The federal and provincial governments have negotiated on numerous land claims, and developed a program of "Treaty Land Entitlement", enabling First Nations to buy land to be taken into reserves with money from settlements of claims.
On 15 October, 2011 the Occupy Movement
officially came to Saskatchewan starting with rallies in Regina
and Saskatoon
and culminating in month-long protest tent communities and ongoing revolutionary strategizing for social and economic reforms.
, the largest ethnic group
in Saskatchewan is German (30.0%), followed by English (26.5%), Scottish
(19.2%), Irish
(15.3%), Ukrainian (13.6%), French
(12.4%), First Nations
(12.1%), Norwegian (7.2%), Polish (6.0%), Métis
(4.4%), Dutch
(3.7%), Russian (3.7%) and Swedish (3.5%) - although 18.1% of all respondents also identified their ethnicity as "Canadian".
The largest denominations by number of adherents according to the 2001 census were the Roman Catholic Church
with 286,815 (30%); the United Church of Canada
with 187,450 (20%); and the Lutherans
with 78,520 (8%). 148,535 (15.4%) responded "no religion".
This list does not include Lloydminster
, which has a total population of 24,028 but straddles the Alberta–Saskatchewan border. As of 2006, only 8,118 people lived on the Saskatchewan side, which would make it Saskatchewan's 11th largest municipality. All of the listed communities are considered cities by the province, with the exception of Corman Park, which is a rural municipality
. Municipalities in the province with a population of 5,000 or more can receive official city status.
; however, increasing diversification has meant that now agriculture, forestry
, fishing
, and hunting
together make up only 6.8% of the province's GDP. Saskatchewan grows a large portion of Canada's grain. Wheat
is the most familiar crop and the one most often associated with the province (there are sheafs of wheat depicted on the coat of arms of Saskatchewan
), but other grains like canola
, flax
, rye
, oat
s, pea
s, lentil
s, canary seed, and barley
are also produced. Beef cattle
production in the province is only exceeded by Alberta. Mining
is also a major industry in the province, with Saskatchewan being the world's largest exporter of potash
and uranium
. In the northern part of the province, forestry is also a significant industry.
Oil
and natural gas
production is also a very important part of Saskatchewan's economy, although the oil industry
is larger. Only Alberta exceeds the province in overall oil production. Heavy crude is extracted in the Lloydminster-Kerrobert-Kindersley areas. Light crude is found in the Kindersley-Swift Current areas as well as the Weyburn-Estevan fields. Natural gas is found almost entirely in the western part of Saskatchewan, from the Primrose Lake
area through Lloydminster, Unity, Kindersley, Leader, and around Maple Creek areas.
Saskatchewan's GDP in 2006 was approximately C$45.922 billion, with economic sectors breaking down in the following way:
A list of the top 100 companies includes The Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan
, Federated Cooperatives Ltd.
and IPSCO
.
Major Saskatchewan-based Crown corporations are Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI)
, SaskTel
, SaskEnergy
(the province's main supplier of natural gas), and SaskPower
. Bombardier
runs the NATO Flying Training Centre at 15 Wing, near Moose Jaw. Bombardier was awarded a long-term contract in the late 1990s for $2.8 billion from the federal government
for the purchase of military aircraft and the running of the training facility. SaskPower
since 1929 has been the principal supplier of electricity in Saskatchewan, serving more than 451,000 customers and managing $4.5 billion in assets. SaskPower is a major employer in the province with almost 2,500 permanent full-time staff located in 71 communities.
The Tabulated Data covers each fiscal year (e.g. 2010-2011 covers April 1, 2010 - March 31, 2011).
All data is in $1,000s.
1 These values reflect the estimated population at the beginning of the fiscal year.
2 These values reflect the debt of the General Revenue Fund alone at the end of the fiscal year. They do not reflect the debt of Government Service Organizations (Health Authorities, Crop Insurance Corporation, etc.).
3 These values reflect the combined debt of the Government Service Enterprises (Crown Corporations) at the end of the fiscal year. SaskPower, SaskEnergy, and SaskTel account for 63.1%, 21.6%, and 9.3% of Crown Debt, respectively (as of March 31, 2011).
4 The highest rate of provincial corporate income tax was reduced from 17% to 14% on July 1, 2006. It was further reduced to 13% on July 1, 2007, and finally to 12% on July 1, 2008. The tax on paid-up capital was reduced from 0.6% to 0.3% on July 1, 2006, to 0.15% on July 1, 2007, and abolished altogether on July 1, 2008. These displayed values were obtained by adding the corporate income tax for each year with the corporate capital tax.
5 The Provincial Sales Tax (PST) rate was reduced from 7% to 5% on October 28, 2006.
6 These values are the credit ratings from Standard and Poor's as of the end of the Fiscal Year.
Source: Government of Saskatchewan.
), premier
, and a unicameral legislature
.
For many years, Saskatchewan has been one of Canada's more progressive provinces, reflecting many of its citizens' feelings of alienation from the interests of large capital. In 1944 Tommy Douglas
became premier of the first avowedly socialist
regional government in North America. Most of his Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) represented rural and small-town ridings. Under his Cooperative Commonwealth Federation government, Saskatchewan became the first province to have Medicare
. In 1961, Douglas left provincial politics to become the first leader of the federal New Democratic Party
.
Provincial politics in Saskatchewan is dominated by the New Democrats
and the Saskatchewan Party
. Numerous smaller political parties also run candidates in provincial elections, including the Green Party
, Liberal Party, and the Progressive Conservative Party
, but none is currently represented in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
. After 16 years of New Democratic governments under premiers Roy Romanow
and Lorne Calvert
, the recent 2007 provincial election
was won by the Saskatchewan Party under Brad Wall
.
Recent federal elections have been dominated by the Conservative Party
since the party currently represents 13 of 14 federal ridings in Saskatchewan, while the Liberal Party of Canada represents one federal riding.
While both Saskatoon and Regina (Saskatchewan's largest cities) are roughly twice the population of an urban riding in Canada, both are split into multiple ridings that blend them with rural communities.
Correctional facilities
settlers. There were only a few missionary or trading post schools established in Rupert's Land
— – later known as the North West Territories
.
The first 76 North-West Territories school districts and the first Board of Education meeting formed in 1886. The pioneering boom formed ethnic bloc settlements
. Communities were seeking education for their children similar to the schools of their home land. Log cabin
s, and dwellings were constructed for the assembly of the community, school, church, dances and meetings.
The prosperity of the Roaring Twenties
and the success of farmers in proving up on their homesteads helped provide funding to standardize education. Text books, normal schools for educating teachers, formal school curricula and state of the art school house
architectural plan
s provided continuity throughout the province. English as the school language helped to provide economic stability, because one community could communicate with another and goods could be traded and sold in a common language. The number of one-room school house districts across Saskatchewan totalled approximately 5,000 at the height of this system of education in the late 1940s.
Following World War II, the transition from many one-room school houses to fewer and larger consolidated modern technological town and city schools occurred as a means of ensuring technical education. School buses, highways, and family vehicles create ease and accessibility of a population shift to larger towns and cities. Combines and tractors mean that the farmer could successfully manage more than a quarter section of land, so there was a shift from family farm
s and subsistence crops to cash crops grown on many sections of land.
School vouchers have been newly proposed as a means of allowing competition between rural schools and making the operation of co-operative schools practicable in rural areas.
and private medicine in the UK, Saskatchewan sets a statutory tariff for medical services which may not be exceeded.
Transportation in Saskatchewan includes an infrastructure system of roads, highways, freeways, airports, ferries, pipelines, trails, waterways and railway systems serving a population of approximately 1,003,299 (according to 2007 estimates) inhabitants year-round. It is funded primarily with local and federal
government funds. The Saskatchewan Department of Highways and Transportation estimates that 80% of traffic is carried on the 5,031-kilometre principal system of highways.
The Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation
operates over 26000 kilometres (16,155.7 mi) of highways and divided highways
. There are also municipal roads which comprise different surfaces. Asphalt concrete pavements comprise almost 9000 kilometres (5,592.4 mi), granular pavement almost 5000 kilometres (3,106.9 mi), non structural or thin membrane surface TMS are close to 7000 kilometres (4,349.6 mi) and finally gravel highways make up over 5600 kilometres (3,479.7 mi) through the province. In the northern sector, ice road
s which can only be navigated in the winter months comprise another approximately 150 kilometres (93.2 mi) of travel.
Saskatchewan has over 250,000 kilometres (150,000 mi) of roads and highways, the highest amount of road surface of any Canadian province. The major highways in Saskatchewan are the Trans Canada expressway
, Yellowhead Highway
northern Trans Canada route, Louis Riel Trail
, CanAm Highway
, Red Coat Trail
, Northern Woods and Water route
, and Saskota travel route
.
The first Canadian transcontinental railway was constructed by the Canadian Pacific Railway
between 1881 and 1885. After the great east-west transcontinental railway was built, north-south connector branch lines were established.
The 1920s saw the largest rise in rail line track as the CPR
and CNR
fell into competition to provide rail service within ten kilometres. In the 1960s there were applications for abandonment of branch lines. Today the only two passenger rail services in the province are The Canadian
and Winnipeg – Churchill train, both operated by Via Rail
. The Canadian is a transcontinental service linking Toronto with Vancouver.
The main Saskatchewan waterways are the North Saskatchewan River
or South Saskatchewan River
routes. In total, there are 3,050 bridges maintained by the Department of Highways in Saskatchewan. There are currently twelve ferry services operating in the province, all under the jurisdiction of the Department of Highways.
The Saskatoon Airport (YXE) was initially established as part of the Royal Canadian Air Force
training program during World War II
. It was renamed the John G. Diefenbaker Airport in the official ceremony, June 23, 1993. Roland J. Groome Airfield is the official designation for the Regina International Airport
(YQR) as of August 3, 2005; the airport was established in 1930. Under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), twenty Service Flying Training Schools (RAF) were established at various Saskatchewan locations in World War II
. 15 Wing Moose Jaw is home to the Canadian Forces formation aerobatics team, the Snowbirds.
Airlines offering service to Saskatchewan are Air Canada, WestJet Airlines, Transwest Air, Norcanair Airlines, La Ronge Aviation Services Ltd, La Loche Airways, Osprey Wings Ltd, Buffalo Narrows Airways Ltd, Skyservice Airlines, Île-à-la-Crosse Airways Ltd, Voyage Air, Pronto Airways, Venture Air Ltd, Pelican Narrows Air Service, Jackson Air Services Ltd, and Northern Dene Airways Ltd.
The Government of Canada
has agreed to contribute $20 million for two new interchanges in Saskatoon
. One of them being at the Sk Hwy 219
/ Lorne Ave intersection with Circle Drive, the other at the Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge (Idylwyld Freeway) and Circle Drive. This is part of the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative to improve access to the Canadian National Railway's
intermodal freight terminal thereby increasing Asia-Pacific trade. Also, the Government of Canada
will contribute $27 million to Regina
to construct a Canadian Pacific Railway CPR
intermodal facility and improve infrastructure transportation to the facility from both national highway networks, Sk Hwy 1, the TransCanada Highway
and Sk Hwy 11, Louis Riel Trail
. This also is part of the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative to improve access to the CPR terminal and increase Asia-Pacific trade.
Artist-run centres
Artists
Canadian television
sitcoms Corner Gas
and Little Mosque on the Prairie
are both set in small Saskatchewan towns. The novels of W. O. Mitchell
, Sinclair Ross
, Frederick Philip Grove
, Guy Vanderhaeghe
, Michael Helm
and Gail Bowen
are also frequently set in Saskatchewan, as are children's novels of Farley Mowatt. The English naturalist "Grey Owl
" spent much of his life living and studying in what is now Prince Albert National Park
.
The Arrogant Worms
' song "The Last Saskatchewan Pirate" about a disgruntled farmer who takes up piracy on the namesake river mentions various parts of the province such as Saskatoon, Regina and Moose Jaw. Popular Québécois
band Les Trois Accords
recorded a song in French called "Saskatchewan" on its first album, Gros Mammouth Album
. It was the third single of that album and met moderate success in French Canada
. The region is also referenced in the titular Buffy Sainte-Marie
cover "Saskatchewan", by British Band Red Box; it was released as a single in 1984 and a reworked version appeared on their 1986 début album The Circle & the Square
.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders
are the province's only major professional sports franchise, and are extremely popular across Saskatchewan. The team's fans are also found to congregate on game days throughout Canada, and collectively they are known as "Rider Nation".
In 2006, the founder of One Red Paperclip
, Kyle MacDonald, ended his trading-game after swapping a movie role in the film Donna on Demand for a two-story farmhouse in Kipling, Saskatchewan
.
The flag of Saskatchewan
was officially adopted on 22 September 1969. The flag features the provincial shield
in the upper quarter nearest the staff, with the floral emblem
, the Prairie Lily
, in the fly. The upper green (in forest green) half of the flag represents the northern Saskatchewan forest lands, while the golden lower half of the flag symbolizes the southern wheat fields and prairies. A province-wide competition was held to design the flag, and drew over 4,000 entries. The winning design was by Anthony Drake, then living in Hodgeville
.
In 2005, Saskatchewan Environment held a province-wide vote to recognize Saskatchewan's centennial year, receiving more than 10,000 on-line and mail-in votes from the public. The walleye
was the overwhelming favourite of the six native fish species nominated for the designation, receiving more than half the votes cast. Other species in the running were the lake sturgeon
, lake trout
, lake whitefish
, northern pike
and yellow perch
.
Saskatchewan's other symbols include the tartan, the license plate, and the provincial flower. Saskatchewan's official tartan
was registered with the Court of Lord Lyon King of Arms
in Scotland
in 1961. It has seven colours: gold, brown, green, red, yellow, white and black. The provincial licence plates display the slogan "Land of Living Skies". The provincial flower of Saskatchewan is the Western Red Lily.
issued a commemorative five-dollar coin depicting Canada's wheat fields as well as a circulation 25-cent coin
of a similar design. Queen Elizabeth II
and the Duke of Edinburgh
visited Regina
, Saskatoon
and Lumsden
, and the Saskatchewan-reared Joni Mitchell
issued an album in Saskatchewan's honour.
Lists:
Canadian Prairies
The Canadian Prairies is a region of Canada, specifically in western Canada, which may correspond to several different definitions, natural or political. Notably, the Prairie provinces or simply the Prairies comprise the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, as they are largely covered...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, which has an area of 588276 square kilometre. Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, on the north by the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
, on the east by Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
and North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
.
As of April 2011, the population of Saskatchewan was estimated at 1,053,960. Residents primarily live in the southern half of the province. Of the total population, 257,300 live in the province's largest city, Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
, while 210,000 live in the provincial capital, Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
. Other major cities include 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...
, Moose Jaw, Yorkton, Swift Current and North Battleford.
Saskatchewan was first explored by Europeans in 1690 and settled in 1774, having also been inhabited for thousands of years by various indigenous groups. It became a province in 1905. Saskatchewan's current premier is Brad Wall
Brad Wall
Bradley John "Brad" Wall, MLA is a Canadian politician who has been the 14th Premier of Saskatchewan since November 21, 2007....
and its lieutenant-governor is Gordon Barnhart
Gordon Barnhart
-See also:*Monarchy in Saskatchewan*Government House - External Links :* -Sources:* by Sarah Macdonald, The Leader-Post, July 31, 2006, retrieved August 1, 2006,* retrieved December 18, 2006,***-References:...
. Its major industries are agriculture, mining, and energy. "In 1992, the federal and provincial governments signed an historic land claim agreement with Saskatchewan First Nations
First Nations in Saskatchewan
First Nations in Saskatchewan constitute many nations. First Nations ethnicities in the province include the Cree, Assiniboine, Saulteaux, Dene and Dakota. Historically the Atsina and Blackfoot could also be found at various times....
. Under the Agreement, the First Nations received money to buy land on the open market. As a result, about 761,000 acres have been turned into reserve land and many First Nations continue to invest their settlement dollars in urban areas", including Saskatoon.
The province's name is derived from the Saskatchewan River
Saskatchewan River
The Saskatchewan River is a major river in Canada, approximately long, flowing roughly eastward across Saskatchewan and Manitoba to empty into Lake Winnipeg...
. Earlier, the river was designated kisiskāciwani-sīpiy ("swift flowing river") in the Cree language
Cree language
Cree is an Algonquian language spoken by approximately 117,000 people across Canada, from the Northwest Territories and Alberta to Labrador, making it the aboriginal language with the highest number of speakers in Canada. It is also spoken in the U.S. state of Montana...
.
Geography
Viewed on a map, Saskatchewan appears to be a quadrilateralQuadrilateral
In Euclidean plane geometry, a quadrilateral is a polygon with four sides and four vertices or corners. Sometimes, the term quadrangle is used, by analogy with triangle, and sometimes tetragon for consistency with pentagon , hexagon and so on...
. However, because of its size, the 49th parallel boundary and the 60th northern border appear curved. Additionally, the eastern boundary of the province is partially crooked rather than following a line of longitude, as correction lines were devised by surveyors prior to the homestead program
Dominion Lands Act
The Dominion Lands Act was an 1872 Canadian law that aimed to encourage the settlement of Canada's Prairie provinces. It was closely based on the United States Homestead Act, setting conditions in which the western lands could be settled and their natural resources developed...
(1880–1928).
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, on the north by the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
, on the east by Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, and on the south by the American states
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
and North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
. Saskatchewan has the distinction of being the only Canadian province
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
for which no borders correspond to physical geographic features (i.e. they are parallels and meridians). Along with Alberta, Saskatchewan is one of two provinces that are land-locked.
The overwhelming majority of Saskatchewan's population is located in the southern third of the province, south of the 53rd parallel.
Saskatchewan contains two major natural regions: the Canadian Shield
Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield, also called the Laurentian Plateau, or Bouclier Canadien , is a vast geological shield covered by a thin layer of soil that forms the nucleus of the North American or Laurentia craton. It is an area mostly composed of igneous rock which relates to its long volcanic history...
in the north and the Interior Plains
Interior Plains
The Interior Plains is a vast physiographic region that spreads across the Laurentian craton of central North America.-Geography:The Interior Plains are an extensive physiographic division encompassing 8 distinct physiographic provinces, the Interior Low Plateaus, Great Plains, Central Lowland,...
in the south. Northern Saskatchewan is mostly covered by boreal forest except for the Lake Athabasca Sand Dunes, the largest active sand dunes in the world north of 58°, and adjacent to the southern shore of Lake Athabasca
Lake Athabasca
Lake Athabasca is located in the northwest corner of Saskatchewan and the northeast corner of Alberta between 58° and 60° N.-History:The name in the Dene language originally referred only to the large delta formed by the confluence the Athabasca River at the southwest corner of the lake...
. Southern Saskatchewan contains another area with sand dunes known as the "Great Sand Hills" covering over 300 square kilometres (115.8 sq mi). The Cypress Hills, located in the southwestern corner of Saskatchewan and Killdeer Badlands (Grasslands National Park
Grasslands National Park
Grasslands National Park is one of Canada's newer national parks, located in southern Saskatchewan, and one of 43 parks and park reserves in Canada's national park system...
), are areas of the province that remained unglaciated during the last glaciation period
Wisconsin glaciation
The last glacial period was the most recent glacial period within the current ice age occurring during the last years of the Pleistocene, from approximately 110,000 to 10,000 years ago....
.
The province's highest point, at 1468 metres (4,816.3 ft), is located in the Cypress Hills and is the highest geographical point above sea-level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
between the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. The lowest point is the shore of Lake Athabasca, at 213 metres (698.8 ft). The province has fourteen major drainage basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
s made up of various rivers and watersheds draining into the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
, Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...
and the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
.
Climate
Saskatchewan receives more hours of sunshine than any other Canadian province. The province lies far from any significant body of water. This fact, combined with its northerly latitude, gives it a warm summer version of humid continental climateHumid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
(Köppen type Dfb
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
) in the central and most of the eastern part as well as the Cypress Hills, drying off to a semi-arid
Semi-arid
A semi-arid climate or steppe climate describes climatic regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not extremely...
steppe climate (Köppen type BSk) in the southern and southwestern part of the province. The northern parts of Saskatchewan — from about La Ronge
La Ronge, Saskatchewan
La Ronge is a community of about 2,700 people in Northern Saskatchewan, Canada, 250 km north of Prince Albert. There are an additional 2,000 people living in the Lac La Ronge First Nation bordering the town, and another 1,000 people living in the neighbouring community of Air Ronge...
northward — have a subarctic climate
Subarctic climate
The subarctic climate is a climate characterized by long, usually very cold winters, and short, cool to mild summers. It is found on large landmasses, away from the moderating effects of an ocean, generally at latitudes from 50° to 70°N poleward of the humid continental climates...
(Köppen Dfc). Summers can be very hot, with temperatures sometimes above 32 °C (89.6 °F) during the day, and humidity decreasing from northeast to southwest. Warm southern winds blow from the United States during much of July and August, while winters can be bitterly cold, with high temperatures not breaking -17 °C for weeks at a time. Warm chinook winds often blow from the west, bringing periods of mild weather. Annual precipitation averages 30 to 45 centimetres (12 to 18 inches) across the province, with the bulk of rain falling in June, July, and August.
The hottest temperature ever recorded in Canada happened in Saskatchewan. The temperature rose to 45 degrees Celsius in Midale and Yellow Grass. The coldest ever recorded was −56.7 degrees Celsius in Prince Albert, which is north of Saskatoon.
| City | July (°C) | July (°F) | January (°C) | January (°F) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estevan | 27/13 | 81/55 | -9/-20 | 16/-4 |
| Weyburn | 26/12 | 79/54 | -10/-21 | 14/-6 |
| Moose Jaw | 26/12 | 79/54 | -8/-19 | 18/-2 |
| Regina Regina, Saskatchewan Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox... |
26/11 | 79/52 | -10/-22 | 14/-8 |
| Saskatoon Saskatoon Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344.... |
25/11 | 77/52 | -12/-22 | 10/-8 |
| Melville Melville, Saskatchewan Melville is a small Canadian city located in the east-central portion of Saskatchewan. It was declared a city by the province in 1960. The city is north east of the provincial capital of Regina and south west of Yorkton. According to The World Gazetteer, it has a 2004 population of approximately... |
25/11 | 77/52 | -12/-23 | 10/-9 |
| Swift Current | 25/11 | 77/52 | -7/-17 | 19/1 |
| Humboldt Humboldt, Saskatchewan Humboldt is a Canadian city located in the province of Saskatchewan, 113 km east of Saskatoon at the junction of Highway 5 and Highway 20. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Humboldt No... |
24/11 | 75/52 | -12/-23 | 10/-9 |
| Melfort Melfort, Saskatchewan Melfort is a small Canadian city in Saskatchewan, approximately southeast of Prince Albert, northwest of Saskatoon and north of Regina.According to The World Gazetteer, its population as of 2004 was 5,400... |
24/11 | 75/52 | -14/-23 | 7/-9 |
| North Battleford | 24/11 | 75/52 | -12/-22 | 10/-8 |
| Yorkton | 24/11 | 75/52 | -13/-23 | 9/-9 |
| Lloydminster Lloydminster Lloydminster is a Canadian city which has the unusual geographic distinction of straddling the provincial border between Alberta and Saskatchewan... |
23/11 | 73/52 | -10/-19 | 14/-2 |
History
Algonquian peoples
The Algonquian are one of the most populous and widespread North American native language groups, with tribes originally numbering in the hundreds. Today hundreds of thousands of individuals identify with various Algonquian peoples...
, Atsina, 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...
, Saulteaux
Saulteaux
The Saulteaux are a First Nation in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, Canada.-Ethnic classification:The Saulteaux are a branch of the Ojibwe nations. They are sometimes also called Anihšināpē . Saulteaux is a French term meaning "people of the rapids," referring to...
and Sioux
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
tribes. The first European to enter Saskatchewan was Henry Kelsey
Henry Kelsey
Henry Kelsey , aka the Boy Kelsey, was an English fur trader, explorer, and sailor who played an important role in establishing the Hudson's Bay Company. Kelsey was born and married in East Greenwich, south-east of central London...
in 1690, who travelled up the Saskatchewan River in hopes of trading fur with the province's indigenous peoples. The first permanent European settlement was a Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
post at Cumberland House
Cumberland House, Saskatchewan
Cumberland House is a village in Census Division No. 18 in north-eastern Saskatchewan, Canada on the Saskatchewan River. It is the oldest community in Saskatchewan and has a population of about 2000 people...
, founded in 1774 by Samuel Hearne
Samuel Hearne
Samuel Hearne was a an English explorer, fur-trader, author, and naturalist. He was the first European to make an overland excursion across northern Canada to the Arctic Ocean, actually Coronation Gulf, via the Coppermine River...
.
In 1803 the Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
transferred from France to the United States part of what is now Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
and Saskatchewan. In 1818 it was ceded to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Most of what is now Saskatchewan, though, was part of Rupert's Land
Rupert's Land
Rupert's Land, or Prince Rupert's Land, was a territory in British North America, consisting of the Hudson Bay drainage basin that was nominally owned by the Hudson's Bay Company for 200 years from 1670 to 1870, although numerous aboriginal groups lived in the same territory and disputed the...
and controlled by the Hudson's Bay Company, which claimed rights to all watersheds flowing into Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...
, including the Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan River
The Saskatchewan River is a major river in Canada, approximately long, flowing roughly eastward across Saskatchewan and Manitoba to empty into Lake Winnipeg...
, Churchill
Churchill River (Hudson Bay)
The Churchill River is a major river in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Canada. From the head of the Churchill Lake it is 1,609 km long. It was named after John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and governor of the Hudson's Bay Company from 1685 to 1691...
, Assiniboine
Assiniboine River
The Assiniboine River is a river that runs through the prairies of Western Canada in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It is a tributary of the Red River. The Assiniboine is a typical meandering river with a single main channel embanked within a flat, shallow valley in some places and a steep valley in...
, Souris
Souris River
The Souris River or Mouse River is a river in central North America. It is about 700 km in length and drains about . It rises in the Yellow Grass Marshes north of Weyburn, Saskatchewan...
, and Qu'Appelle River
Qu'Appelle River
The Qu'Appelle River is a Canadian river that flows 430 km east from Lake Diefenbaker in southwestern Saskatchewan to join the Assiniboine River in Manitoba, just south of Lake of the Prairies, near the village of St. Lazare....
systems.
In the late 1850s and early 1860s, scientific expeditions led by John Palliser
John Palliser
John Palliser was an Irish-born geographer and explorer. Born in Dublin, Ireland, he was the son of Colonel Wray Palliser and a brother of Major Sir William Palliser , all descendants of Dr William Palliser, Archbishop of Cashel .From 1839 to 1863, Palliser served in the Waterford Militia,...
and Henry Youle Hind
Henry Youle Hind
Henry Youle Hind was a Canadian geologist and explorer. He was born in Nottingham, England, and immigrated to Toronto, Ontario in 1846. He taught chemistry and geology at Trinity College in Toronto....
explored the prairie region of the province.
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. The Crown also entered into a series of numbered treaties
Numbered Treaties
The numbered treaties are a series of eleven treaties signed between the aboriginal peoples in Canada and the reigning Monarch of Canada from 1871 to 1921. It was the Government of Canada who created the policy, commissioned the Treaty Commissioners and ratified the agreements...
with the indigenous peoples of the area, which serve as the basis of the relationship between First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
, as they are called today, and the Crown. Since the late twentieth century, land losses and inequities as a result of those treaties have been subject to negotiation for settlement between the First Nations in Saskatchewan
First Nations in Saskatchewan
First Nations in Saskatchewan constitute many nations. First Nations ethnicities in the province include the Cree, Assiniboine, Saulteaux, Dene and Dakota. Historically the Atsina and Blackfoot could also be found at various times....
and the federal government, in collaboration with provincial governments.
In 1885, post-Confederation Canada's first "naval battle" was fought in Saskatchewan, when a steamship engaged the 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...
at Batoche in the North-West Rebellion
North-West Rebellion
The North-West Rebellion of 1885 was a brief and unsuccessful uprising by the Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel against the Dominion of Canada...
.
A seminal event in the history of what was to become Western Canada
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
was the 1874 "March West" of the federal government's new North-West Mounted Police. Despite poor equipment and lack of provisions, the men on the march persevered and established a federal presence in the new territory. Historians have argued that had this expedition been unsuccessful, the expansionist United States
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny was the 19th century American belief that the United States was destined to expand across the continent. It was used by Democrat-Republicans in the 1840s to justify the war with Mexico; the concept was denounced by Whigs, and fell into disuse after the mid-19th century.Advocates of...
would have been tempted to expand into the political vacuum. The construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
would likely have been delayed or taken a different, more northerly route, stunting the early growth of towns like Brandon, Regina, Medicine Hat and Calgary—had these existed at all. Failure to construct the railway could also have forced British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to join the United States.
In 1876, following their defeat of United States Army forces at the Battle of the Little Bighorn
Battle of the Little Bighorn
The Battle of the Little Bighorn, also known as Custer's Last Stand and, by the Indians involved, as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, was an armed engagement between combined forces of Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho people against the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army...
in Montana Territory
Montana Territory
The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 28, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Montana.-History:...
in the United States, the Lakota Chief Sitting Bull
Sitting Bull
Sitting Bull Sitting Bull Sitting Bull (Lakota: Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake (in Standard Lakota Orthography), also nicknamed Slon-he or "Slow"; (c. 1831 – December 15, 1890) was a Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux holy man who led his people as a tribal chief during years of resistance to United States government policies...
led several thousand of his people to Wood Mountain. Survivors and descendants founded Wood Mountain Reserve in 1914.
European-Canadian settlement of the province started to take off as the Canadian Pacific Railway was built in the early 1880s, and the Canadian government divided up the land by the 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...
and gave free land to any willing settlers.
Fort Walsh
Fort Walsh is a National Historic Site of Canada that was a North-West Mounted Police fort and the site of the Cypress Hills Massacre. Administered by Parks Canada, it forms a constituent part of Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park....
in the Cypress Hills, and Wood Mountain Post in south-central Saskatchewan near the United States border.
Many Métis people, who had not been signatories to a treaty, had moved to the 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...
and 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...
district north of present-day Saskatoon following 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...
in Manitoba in 1870. In the early 1880s, the Canadian government refused to hear the Métis' grievances, which stemmed from land-use issues. Finally, in 1885, the Métis, led by 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....
, staged the North-West Rebellion
North-West Rebellion
The North-West Rebellion of 1885 was a brief and unsuccessful uprising by the Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel against the Dominion of Canada...
and declared a provisional government. They were defeated by a Canadian militia brought to the Canadian prairies
Canadian Prairies
The Canadian Prairies is a region of Canada, specifically in western Canada, which may correspond to several different definitions, natural or political. Notably, the Prairie provinces or simply the Prairies comprise the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, as they are largely covered...
by the new Canadian Pacific Railway. Riel, who surrendered and was convicted of treason in a packed Regina courtroom, was hanged on November 16, 1885. Since then, the government has recognized the Métis as an aboriginal people with status rights, and provided them with various benefits related to that status.
20th century
As more settlers came to the prairies on the railway, the population grew. On September 1, 1905, Saskatchewan became a province, with inauguration day held September 4. The Dominion Lands ActDominion Lands Act
The Dominion Lands Act was an 1872 Canadian law that aimed to encourage the settlement of Canada's Prairie provinces. It was closely based on the United States Homestead Act, setting conditions in which the western lands could be settled and their natural resources developed...
permitted settlers to acquire one quarter of a square mile of land to homestead and offered an additional quarter upon establishing a homestead. Immigration peaked in 1910, and in spite of the initial difficulties of frontier life—distance from towns, sod homes, and backbreaking labour—new settlers established a European-Canadian style of prosperous agrarian society
Agrarian society
An agrarian society is a society that depends on agriculture as its primary means for support and sustenance. The society acknowledges other means of livelihood and work habits but stresses the importance of agriculture and farming, and was the most common form of socio-economic oganization for...
.
In the late 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
, imported from the United States and Ontario, gained brief popularity in nativist circles in Saskatchewan and Alberta. The Klan, briefly allied with the provincial Conservative party because of their mutual dislike for Premier James G. "Jimmy" Gardiner and his Liberals (who ferociously fought the Klan), enjoyed about two years of prominence. It declined and disappeared, subject to widespread political and media opposition, plus internal scandals involving the use of the organization's funds.
In 1970, the first annual Canadian Western Agribition
Canadian Western Agribition
The Canadian Western Agribition is a large agricultural marketplace, trade show and rodeo held annually in Regina, Saskatchewan. Agribition takes place in late November at Evraz Place .-External links:*...
was held in Regina. This farm-industry trade show, with its strong emphasis on livestock, is rated as one of the five top livestock shows in North America, along with those in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
and Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
The province celebrated the 75th anniversary of its establishment in 1980, with Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II and the younger daughter of King George VI....
, presiding over the official ceremonies. In 2005, 25 years later, her sister, Queen Elizabeth II, attended the events held to mark Saskatchewan's centennial.
Since the late twentieth century, First Nations have become more politically active in seeking justice for past inequities, especially related to government taking of indigenous lands. The federal and provincial governments have negotiated on numerous land claims, and developed a program of "Treaty Land Entitlement", enabling First Nations to buy land to be taken into reserves with money from settlements of claims.
"In 1992, the federal and provincial governments signed an historic land claim agreement with Saskatchewan First Nations. Under the Agreement, the First Nations received money to buy land on the open market. As a result, about 761,000 acres have been turned into reserve land and many First Nations continue to invest their settlement dollars in urban areas", including Saskatoon. The money from such settlements has enabled First Nations to invest in businesses and other economic infrastructure.
On 15 October, 2011 the Occupy Movement
Occupy movement
The Occupy movement is an international protest movement which is primarily directed against economic and social inequality. The first Occupy protest to be widely covered was Occupy Wall Street in New York City, taking place on September 17, 2011...
officially came to Saskatchewan starting with rallies in Regina
Regina
Regina is a Late Latin feminine name meaning "queen" from the Latin, Italian and Romanian word meaning the same.-Given name:*Regina , 8th century French concubine of Charlemagne*Regina , Slovenian singer...
and Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
and culminating in month-long protest tent communities and ongoing revolutionary strategizing for social and economic reforms.
Demographics
According to the 2006 Canadian censusCensus in Canada
The Census in Canada is a census that takes place every five years. The census is conducted by Statistics Canada. The census provides demographic and statistical data that is used to plan public services including health care, education, and transportation, determine federal transfer payments, and...
, the largest ethnic group
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
in Saskatchewan is German (30.0%), followed by English (26.5%), Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
(19.2%), Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
(15.3%), Ukrainian (13.6%), 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...
(12.4%), First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
(12.1%), Norwegian (7.2%), Polish (6.0%), 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...
(4.4%), Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
(3.7%), Russian (3.7%) and Swedish (3.5%) - although 18.1% of all respondents also identified their ethnicity as "Canadian".
| Year | Population | Five-year % change |
Ten-year % change |
Rank among provinces |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 91,279 | n/a | n/a | 8 |
| 1911 | 492,432 | n/a | 439.5 | 3 |
| 1921 | 757,510 | n/a | 53.8 | 3 |
| 1931 | 921,785 | n/a | 21.7 | 3 |
| 1941 | 895,992 | n/a | ||
| 3 | ||||
| 1951 | 831,728 | n/a | ||
| 5 | ||||
| 1956 | 880,665 | 5.9 | n/a | 5 |
| 1961 | 925,181 | 5.1 | 11.2 | 5 |
| 1966 | 955,344 | 3.3 | 8.5 | 6 |
| 1971 | 926,242 | |||
| 0.1 | 6 | |||
| 1976 | 921,325 | |||
| 3.6 | 6 | |||
| 1981 | 968,313 | 5.1 | 4.5 | 6 |
| 1986 | 1,009,613 | 4.3 | 9.6 | 6 |
| 1991 | 988,928 | |||
| 2.1 | 6 | |||
| 1996 | 976,615 | |||
| 6 | ||||
| 2001 | 978,933 | 0.2 | ||
| 6 | ||||
| 2006 | 985,386 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 6 |
The largest denominations by number of adherents according to the 2001 census were the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
with 286,815 (30%); the United Church of Canada
United Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
with 187,450 (20%); and the Lutherans
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada's largest Lutheran denomination, with 152,788 baptized members in 624 congregations, with the second largest, the Lutheran Church–Canada, having 72,116 baptized members...
with 78,520 (8%). 148,535 (15.4%) responded "no religion".
Municipalities
Ten largest municipalities by population| Municipality | 1996 | 2001 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saskatoon Saskatoon Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344.... |
193,653 | 196,861 | 202,340 |
| Regina Regina, Saskatchewan Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox... |
180,404 | 178,225 | 179,246 |
| 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... |
34,777 | 34,291 | 34,138 |
| Moose Jaw | 32,973 | 32,131 | 35,689 |
| Yorkton | 15,154 | 15,107 | 15,038 |
| Swift Current | 14,890 | 14,821 | 14,946 |
| North Battleford | 14,051 | 13,692 | 13,190 |
| Estevan | 10,752 | 10,242 | 10,084 |
| Weyburn | 9,723 | 9,534 | 9,433 |
| Corman Park Corman Park No. 344, Saskatchewan The area's German Canadian population is much higher proportionately than the national or provincial averages: 43.4% .-Government of the RM:... |
7,142 | 8,043 | 8,349 |
This list does not include Lloydminster
Lloydminster
Lloydminster is a Canadian city which has the unusual geographic distinction of straddling the provincial border between Alberta and Saskatchewan...
, which has a total population of 24,028 but straddles the Alberta–Saskatchewan border. As of 2006, only 8,118 people lived on the Saskatchewan side, which would make it Saskatchewan's 11th largest municipality. All of the listed communities are considered cities by the province, with the exception of Corman Park, which is a 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...
. Municipalities in the province with a population of 5,000 or more can receive official city status.
Economy
Saskatchewan's economy is associated with agricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
; however, increasing diversification has meant that now agriculture, forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, and hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
together make up only 6.8% of the province's GDP. Saskatchewan grows a large portion of Canada's grain. Wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
is the most familiar crop and the one most often associated with the province (there are sheafs of wheat depicted on the coat of arms of Saskatchewan
Coat of arms of Saskatchewan
The first part of the Coat of Arms of the Province of Saskatchewan , was the shield, which was assigned by royal warrant of King Edward VII on 25 August 1906. It uses the provincial colours, green and gold.On the gold chief is a lion passant or leopard, a royal symbol of England...
), but other grains like canola
Canola
Canola refers to a cultivar of either Rapeseed or Field Mustard . Its seeds are used to produce edible oil suitable for consumption by humans and livestock. The oil is also suitable for use as biodiesel.Originally, Canola was bred naturally from rapeseed in Canada by Keith Downey and Baldur R...
, flax
Flax
Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent...
, rye
Rye
Rye is a grass grown extensively as a grain and as a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe and is closely related to barley and wheat. Rye grain is used for flour, rye bread, rye beer, some whiskeys, some vodkas, and animal fodder...
, oat
Oat
The common oat is a species of cereal grain grown for its seed, which is known by the same name . While oats are suitable for human consumption as oatmeal and rolled oats, one of the most common uses is as livestock feed...
s, pea
Pea
A pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the pod fruit Pisum sativum. Each pod contains several peas. Peapods are botanically a fruit, since they contain seeds developed from the ovary of a flower. However, peas are considered to be a vegetable in cooking...
s, lentil
Lentil
The lentil is an edible pulse. It is a bushy annual plant of the legume family, grown for its lens-shaped seeds...
s, canary seed, and barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
are also produced. Beef cattle
Beef cattle
Beef cattle are cattle raised for meat production . The meat of cattle is known as beef. When raised in a feedlot cattle are known as feeder cattle. Many such feeder cattle are born in cow-calf operations specifically designed to produce beef calves...
production in the province is only exceeded by Alberta. Mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
is also a major industry in the province, with Saskatchewan being the world's largest exporter of potash
Potash
Potash is the common name for various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. In some rare cases, potash can be formed with traces of organic materials such as plant remains, and this was the major historical source for it before the industrial era...
and uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
. In the northern part of the province, forestry is also a significant industry.
Oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
and natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
production is also a very important part of Saskatchewan's economy, although the oil industry
Petroleum industry
The petroleum industry includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transporting , and marketing petroleum products. The largest volume products of the industry are fuel oil and gasoline...
is larger. Only Alberta exceeds the province in overall oil production. Heavy crude is extracted in the Lloydminster-Kerrobert-Kindersley areas. Light crude is found in the Kindersley-Swift Current areas as well as the Weyburn-Estevan fields. Natural gas is found almost entirely in the western part of Saskatchewan, from the Primrose Lake
Primrose Lake
Primrose Lake is a large lake in Saskatchewan and Alberta, Canada. The lake straddles the Alberta/Saskatchewan border, with most of the water surface in Saskatchewan. It is close to the better known Cold Lake, Alberta....
area through Lloydminster, Unity, Kindersley, Leader, and around Maple Creek areas.
Saskatchewan's GDP in 2006 was approximately C$45.922 billion, with economic sectors breaking down in the following way:
| % | Sector |
|---|---|
| 17.1 | finance, insurance, real estate, leasing |
| 13.0 | mining, petroleum |
| 11.9 | education, health, social services |
| 11.7 | wholesale and retail trade |
| 9.1 | transportation, communications, utilities |
| 7.7 | manufacturing |
| 6.8 | agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting |
| 6.5 | business services |
| 5.8 | government services |
| 5.1 | construction |
| 5.3 | other |
A list of the top 100 companies includes The Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan
Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan
The Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc. , also referred to as PotashCorp, is a Canadian corporation based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The company is the world's largest potash producer and the third largest producers of nitrogen and phosphate, three primary crop nutrients used to produce...
, Federated Cooperatives Ltd.
Federated Co-operatives
Federated Co-operatives Limited , is a co-operative federation, established in 1955, providing procurement and distribution to member co-operatives in Western Canada. Federated Co-operatives is owned by about 265 member co-operatives across the region...
and IPSCO
SSAB
SSAB Swedish Steel AB , or simply SSAB is a Swedish company, formed in 1978 and specialised in processing raw material to steel. Industrivärden is the largest shareholder.-Swedish operations:...
.
Major Saskatchewan-based Crown corporations are Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI)
Saskatchewan Government Insurance
Created in 1945, Saskatchewan Government Insurance is a provincial Crown corporation that has been developed over the years into two linked operations....
, SaskTel
SaskTel
Saskatchewan Telecommunications is a provincial Crown Corporation operating under the authority of the Saskatchewan Telecommunications Act. It is the only remaining Crown Corporation in the Canadian telecommunications industry....
, SaskEnergy
SaskEnergy
SaskEnergy is a Crown corporation of the Saskatchewan government which delivers natural gas to 92% of the province through a 67,000 kilometre distribution system to over 347,000 customers...
(the province's main supplier of natural gas), and SaskPower
SaskPower
Since 1929, SaskPower has been the principal supplier of electricity in Saskatchewan, Canada. Today, it serves more than 473,000 customers and manages $5.3 billion in assets...
. Bombardier
Bombardier Aerospace
Bombardier Aerospace is a division of Bombardier Inc. and is the third-largest airplane manufacturer in the world. It is headquartered in Dorval, Quebec, Canada.- History :...
runs the NATO Flying Training Centre at 15 Wing, near Moose Jaw. Bombardier was awarded a long-term contract in the late 1990s for $2.8 billion from the federal government
Politics of Canada
The politics of Canada function within a framework of parliamentary democracy and a federal system of parliamentary government with strong democratic traditions. Canada is a constitutional monarchy, in which the Monarch is head of state...
for the purchase of military aircraft and the running of the training facility. SaskPower
SaskPower
Since 1929, SaskPower has been the principal supplier of electricity in Saskatchewan, Canada. Today, it serves more than 473,000 customers and manages $5.3 billion in assets...
since 1929 has been the principal supplier of electricity in Saskatchewan, serving more than 451,000 customers and managing $4.5 billion in assets. SaskPower is a major employer in the province with almost 2,500 permanent full-time staff located in 71 communities.
Provincial finances
| Fiscal Year | Population1 | Gov't Debt2 | Crown Debt3 | Budget Surplus | GFSF Balance | Pers. Inc. Tax Revenue | Corp. Inc. Tax Revenue4 | PST Revenue5 | Resource Revenue | Health Expense | Credit Rating6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–2012 | 1,053,960 | ||||||||||
| AAA | |||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | 1,041,729 | 4,135,226 | 3,982,386 | 96,000 | 1,006,000 | 1,795,788 | 1,155,273 | 1,186,922 | 2,527,799 | 4,202,106 | AA+ |
| 2009–2010 | 1,025,638 | 4,140,482 | 3,852,168 | 167,705 | 958,000 | 1,890,848 | 881,424 | 1,084,001 | 1,910,624 | 3,934,231 | AA+ |
| 2008–2009 | 1,010,218 | 4,145,286 | 3,556,270 | 1,969,933 | 1,215,000 | 1,844,226 | 591,930 | 1,108,628 | 4,612,408 | 3,976,241 | AA+ |
| 2007–2008 | 996,130 | 6,824,323 | 3,394,328 | 1,282,869 | 1,528,934 | 1,938,258 | 673,641 | 995,995 | 2,325,116 | 3,504,333 | AA |
| 2006–2007 | 991,260 | 7,244,938 | 3,449,356 | 397,794 | 887,500 | 1,668,538 | 1,067,459 | 1,079,794 | 1,694,252 | 3,202,965 | AA |
| 2005–2006 | 994,996 | 7,197,223 | 3,490,817 | 539,466 | 887,500 | 1,447,905 | 918,279 | 1,112,350 | 1,721,100 | 2,990,625 | AA |
| 2004–2005 | 997,263 | 7,545,574 | 3,360,474 | 765,117 | 748,500 | 1,329,081 | 638,968 | 985,079 | 1,474,191 | 2,773,961 | AA- |
| 2003–2004 | 995,848 | 8,031,637 | 3,216,602 | -210,017 | 366,000 | 1,245,763 | 682,052 | 854,480 | 1,140,962 | 2,515,823 | AA- |
| 2002–2003 | 997,805 | 7,821,426 | 3,205,043 | 82,860 | 577,000 | 1,429,757 | 557,360 | 813,932 | 1,243,649 | 2,342,835 | A+ |
| 2001–2002 | 1,001,643 | 7,561,899 | 3,261,468 | -278,902 | 495,000 | 1,196,410 | 507,542 | 770,984 | 903,044 | 2,199,723 | A+ |
The Tabulated Data covers each fiscal year (e.g. 2010-2011 covers April 1, 2010 - March 31, 2011).
All data is in $1,000s.
1 These values reflect the estimated population at the beginning of the fiscal year.
2 These values reflect the debt of the General Revenue Fund alone at the end of the fiscal year. They do not reflect the debt of Government Service Organizations (Health Authorities, Crop Insurance Corporation, etc.).
3 These values reflect the combined debt of the Government Service Enterprises (Crown Corporations) at the end of the fiscal year. SaskPower, SaskEnergy, and SaskTel account for 63.1%, 21.6%, and 9.3% of Crown Debt, respectively (as of March 31, 2011).
4 The highest rate of provincial corporate income tax was reduced from 17% to 14% on July 1, 2006. It was further reduced to 13% on July 1, 2007, and finally to 12% on July 1, 2008. The tax on paid-up capital was reduced from 0.6% to 0.3% on July 1, 2006, to 0.15% on July 1, 2007, and abolished altogether on July 1, 2008. These displayed values were obtained by adding the corporate income tax for each year with the corporate capital tax.
5 The Provincial Sales Tax (PST) rate was reduced from 7% to 5% on October 28, 2006.
6 These values are the credit ratings from Standard and Poor's as of the end of the Fiscal Year.
Source: Government of Saskatchewan.
Government and politics
Saskatchewan has the same form of government as the other Canadian provinces with a lieutenant-governor (who is the representative of the Crown in Right of SaskatchewanMonarchy in Saskatchewan
By the arrangements of the Canadian federation, the Canadian monarchy operates in Saskatchewan as the core of the province's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy; As such, the Crown within Saskatchewan's jurisdiction is referred to as the Crown in Right of Saskatchewan, Her Majesty in Right...
), premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
, and a unicameral legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
.
For many years, Saskatchewan has been one of Canada's more progressive provinces, reflecting many of its citizens' feelings of alienation from the interests of large capital. In 1944 Tommy Douglas
Tommy Douglas
Thomas Clement "Tommy" Douglas, was a Scottish-born Baptist minister who became a prominent Canadian social democratic politician...
became premier of the first avowedly socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
regional government in North America. Most of his Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) represented rural and small-town ridings. Under his Cooperative Commonwealth Federation government, Saskatchewan became the first province to have Medicare
Medicare (Canada)
Medicare is the unofficial name for Canada's publicly funded universal health insurance system. The formal terminology for the insurance system is provided by the Canada Health Act and the health insurance legislation of the individual provinces and territories.Under the terms of the Canada Health...
. In 1961, Douglas left provincial politics to become the first leader of the federal New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
.
Provincial politics in Saskatchewan is dominated by the New Democrats
Saskatchewan New Democratic Party
The Saskatchewan New Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It currently forms the official opposition, but has been a dominant force in Saskatchewan politics since the 1940s...
and the Saskatchewan Party
Saskatchewan Party
The Saskatchewan Party is a conservative liberal political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The party was established in 1997 by a coalition of former provincial Progressive Conservative and Liberal party members and supporters who sought to remove the Saskatchewan New Democratic...
. Numerous smaller political parties also run candidates in provincial elections, including the Green Party
Green Party of Saskatchewan
The Green Party of Saskatchewan is a left-leaning Green political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.It was founded in 1998 as the New Green Alliance by environmental and social justice activists frustrated by the social democratic Saskatchewan New Democratic Party's move to the right...
, Liberal Party, and the Progressive Conservative Party
Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan is a right-of-centre political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Prior to 1942, it was known as the Conservative Party of Saskatchewan. Members are commonly known as Tories....
, but none is currently represented in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
The 25th Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan was in power from 2003 until November 20, 2007. It was controlled by the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party under premier Lorne Calvert.-Members:-By-elections:...
. After 16 years of New Democratic governments under premiers Roy Romanow
Roy Romanow
Roy John Romanow, PC, OC, QC, SOM is a Canadian politician and the 12th Premier of Saskatchewan ....
and Lorne Calvert
Lorne Calvert
Lorne Albert Calvert, MLA was the 13th Premier of Saskatchewan, from 2001 to 2007. Calvert, was the leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party from 2001 to June 6, 2009, when he was succeeded by Dwain Lingenfelter.In 1975, Calvert married Betty Sluzalo of Perdue, Saskatchewan. After attending...
, the recent 2007 provincial election
Saskatchewan general election, 2007
The 26th Saskatchewan general election was held on November 7, 2007; the writ was dropped on October 10, 2007. The election determined the composition of the 26th Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
was won by the Saskatchewan Party under Brad Wall
Brad Wall
Bradley John "Brad" Wall, MLA is a Canadian politician who has been the 14th Premier of Saskatchewan since November 21, 2007....
.
Recent federal elections have been dominated by the Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
since the party currently represents 13 of 14 federal ridings in Saskatchewan, while the Liberal Party of Canada represents one federal riding.
While both Saskatoon and Regina (Saskatchewan's largest cities) are roughly twice the population of an urban riding in Canada, both are split into multiple ridings that blend them with rural communities.
Law and order
Police agencies- Caronport Police Service
- Cormon Park Police Service
- Dalmeny Police Service
- Estevan Police Service
- File Hills First Nation Police Service
- Highway Transport Patrol
- Luseland Police Service
- Moose Jaw Police Service
- Prince Albert Police Service
- Regina Police ServiceRegina Police ServiceRegina Police Service, formed in 1892, is the municipal police force for the City of Regina, Saskatchewan.During the late 1890s, Regina was capital of the Northwest Territories, though not more than a collection of frame buildings and tents...
- RM of Corman Park Police Service
- Royal Canadian Mounted PoliceRoyal Canadian Mounted PoliceThe Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
- Saskatchewan Conservation Officer
- Saskatoon Police ServiceSaskatoon Police ServiceSaskatoon Police Service is the municipal police force in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada and holds both municipal and provincial jurisdiction. Police Chief Clive Weighill is the head of the force. The deputy chiefs are Deputy Chief Gary Broste , and Deputy Chief Bernie Pannell...
- Stoughton Police Service
- University of SaskatchewanUniversity of SaskatchewanThe University of Saskatchewan is a Canadian public research university, founded in 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. An "Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan" was passed by the...
Department of Campus Safety (Special Constables) - Vanscoy Police Service
- Wascana CentreWascana CentreWascana Centre is a 9.3 square kilometre park built around Wascana Lake in Regina, Saskatchewan. It brings together lands and buildings owned by the City of Regina, University of Regina, and Province of Saskatchewan, each of which is represented on the board of directors, and contains government,...
Police (Special Constables) - Weyburn Police Service
- Wilton Police Service
Correctional facilities
- Pine Grove Correctional Centre
- Prince Albert Correctional Centre
- Regina Correctional Centre
- Regina Paul Dojack Youth Centre
- Saskatchewan Penitentiary
- Saskatoon correctional centreSaskatoon Correctional CentreThe Saskatoon Correctional Centre is an adult male, provincial correctional centre located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. It is one of four provincial correctional centres in the province including the Regina Correctional Centre, the Prince Albert Correctional Centre and the only female...
- Saskatoon Regional Psychiatric Centre
- Saskatoon Kilburn Hall
Education
The first education on the prairies took place within the family groups of the First Nation and early fur tradingFur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
settlers. There were only a few missionary or trading post schools established in Rupert's Land
Rupert's Land
Rupert's Land, or Prince Rupert's Land, was a territory in British North America, consisting of the Hudson Bay drainage basin that was nominally owned by the Hudson's Bay Company for 200 years from 1670 to 1870, although numerous aboriginal groups lived in the same territory and disputed the...
— – later known as the North West Territories
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...
.
The first 76 North-West Territories school districts and the first Board of Education meeting formed in 1886. The pioneering boom formed ethnic bloc settlements
Block Settlement
A block settlement is particular type of land distribution which allows settlers with the same ethnicity to form small colonies.This settlement type was used throughout western Canada between the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
. Communities were seeking education for their children similar to the schools of their home land. Log cabin
Log cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
s, and dwellings were constructed for the assembly of the community, school, church, dances and meetings.
The prosperity of the Roaring Twenties
Roaring Twenties
The Roaring Twenties is a phrase used to describe the 1920s, principally in North America, but also in London, Berlin and Paris for a period of sustained economic prosperity. The phrase was meant to emphasize the period's social, artistic, and cultural dynamism...
and the success of farmers in proving up on their homesteads helped provide funding to standardize education. Text books, normal schools for educating teachers, formal school curricula and state of the art school house
One-room school
One-room schools were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In most rural and small town schools, all of the students met in a single room...
architectural plan
Architectural plan
An architectural plan is a plan for architecture, and the documentation of written and graphic descriptions of the architectural elements of a building project including sketches, drawings and details.- Overview :...
s provided continuity throughout the province. English as the school language helped to provide economic stability, because one community could communicate with another and goods could be traded and sold in a common language. The number of one-room school house districts across Saskatchewan totalled approximately 5,000 at the height of this system of education in the late 1940s.
Following World War II, the transition from many one-room school houses to fewer and larger consolidated modern technological town and city schools occurred as a means of ensuring technical education. School buses, highways, and family vehicles create ease and accessibility of a population shift to larger towns and cities. Combines and tractors mean that the farmer could successfully manage more than a quarter section of land, so there was a shift from family farm
Family farm
A family farm is a farm owned and operated by a family, and often passed down from generation to generation. It is the basic unit of the mostly agricultural economy of much of human history and continues to be so in developing nations...
s and subsistence crops to cash crops grown on many sections of land.
School vouchers have been newly proposed as a means of allowing competition between rural schools and making the operation of co-operative schools practicable in rural areas.
Healthcare
Saskatchewan's medical health system is widely and inaccurately characterised as "socialized medicine": medical practitioners in Saskatchewan, as in other Canadian provinces, are not civil servants but remit their accounts to the publicly funded Saskatchewan Medical Care Insurance Plan rather than to patients. Unlike in Medicare in AustraliaMedicare (Australia)
Medicare is Australia's publicly funded universal health care system, operated by the government authority Medicare Australia. Medicare is intended to provide affordable treatment by doctors and in public hospitals for all resident citizens and permanent residents except for those on Norfolk Island...
and private medicine in the UK, Saskatchewan sets a statutory tariff for medical services which may not be exceeded.
Transportation
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
government funds. The Saskatchewan Department of Highways and Transportation estimates that 80% of traffic is carried on the 5,031-kilometre principal system of highways.
The Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation
Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure (Saskatchewan)
The Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure or Highways and Infrastructure — Government of Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways is divided into the Operations, Policy and Programs, and Corporate Services Divisions and the Communications Branch. The ministry is the employer of over 1,476...
operates over 26000 kilometres (16,155.7 mi) of highways and divided highways
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
. There are also municipal roads which comprise different surfaces. Asphalt concrete pavements comprise almost 9000 kilometres (5,592.4 mi), granular pavement almost 5000 kilometres (3,106.9 mi), non structural or thin membrane surface TMS are close to 7000 kilometres (4,349.6 mi) and finally gravel highways make up over 5600 kilometres (3,479.7 mi) through the province. In the northern sector, ice road
Ice road
Ice roads are frozen, human-made structures on the surface of bays, rivers, lakes, or seas in the far north. They link dry land, frozen waterways, portages and winter roads, and are usually remade each winter. Ice roads allow temporary transport to areas with no permanent road access...
s which can only be navigated in the winter months comprise another approximately 150 kilometres (93.2 mi) of travel.
Saskatchewan has over 250,000 kilometres (150,000 mi) of roads and highways, the highest amount of road surface of any Canadian province. The major highways in Saskatchewan are the Trans Canada expressway
Saskatchewan Highway 1
Highway 1 is the Saskatchewan section of the Trans-Canada Highway mainland route. The total distance of the Trans-Canada Highway in Saskatchewan is . The highway traverses Saskatchewan from the western border with Alberta, from Highway 1, to Manitoba where it continues as Highway 1, PTH 1. The...
, Yellowhead Highway
Saskatchewan Highway 16
Highway 16 is a provincial paved highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is the Saskatchewan section of the Yellowhead Highway, and also the Trans-Canada Highway Yellowhead section. The main purpose of this highway is to connect Saskatchewan with Canadian cities such as Edmonton and...
northern Trans Canada route, Louis Riel Trail
Saskatchewan Highway 11
Highway 11 is a major north-south highway in Saskatchewan, Canada that connects the province's three largest cities: Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert. It is a structural pavement major arterial highway which is approximately long. It is also known as the Louis Riel Trail after the 19th century...
, CanAm Highway
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...
, Red Coat Trail
Saskatchewan Highway 13
Highway 13 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from the Alberta border until it transitions into Highway 2 at the Manitoba border near Antler. Highway 13 is about 676 km long.Highway 13 passes through Shaunavon, Assiniboia, Weyburn, Redvers and Carlyle...
, Northern Woods and Water route
Saskatchewan Highway 55
Highway 55 is a provincial paved undivided highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from Alberta Highway 55 near the Alberta border until Highway 9. Highway 55 is 652 km long. It forms part of the interprovincial Northern Woods and Water Route.-Attractions:On the West portion...
, and Saskota travel route
Saskatchewan Highway 9
Highway 9, Highway 9 is a provincial paved undivided highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from North Dakota Highway 8 at the US border near Port of Northgate until it transitions into Provincial Road 283 at the Manitoba border...
.
The first Canadian transcontinental railway was constructed by the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
between 1881 and 1885. After the great east-west transcontinental railway was built, north-south connector branch lines were established.
The 1920s saw the largest rise in rail line track as the CPR
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
and CNR
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
fell into competition to provide rail service within ten kilometres. In the 1960s there were applications for abandonment of branch lines. Today the only two passenger rail services in the province are The Canadian
The Canadian
The Canadian is a Canadian transcontinental passenger train originally operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway between 1955 and 1978. It is currently operated as an Inter-city rail service by Via Rail Canada with service between Union Station in Toronto, Ontario and Pacific Central Station in...
and Winnipeg – Churchill train, both operated by Via Rail
VIA Rail
Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
. The Canadian is a transcontinental service linking Toronto with Vancouver.
The main Saskatchewan waterways are the North Saskatchewan River
North Saskatchewan River
The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river that flows east from the Canadian Rockies to central Saskatchewan. It is one of two major rivers that join to make up the Saskatchewan River....
or 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....
routes. In total, there are 3,050 bridges maintained by the Department of Highways in Saskatchewan. There are currently twelve ferry services operating in the province, all under the jurisdiction of the Department of Highways.
| Ferry | Location | Waterway | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estuary Estuary Ferry The Estuary Ferry is a ferry in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan near the ghost town of Estuary. The ferry crosses the South Saskatchewan River, providing a link between the north and south side of Range Road 635.... |
connecting Estuary and Laporte Laporte, Saskatchewan Laporte is a hamlet in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Listed as a designated place by Statistics Canada, the hamlet had a population of five in the Canada 2006 Census.... |
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.... |
|
| Lemsford Lemsford Ferry The Lemsford Ferry is a cable ferry in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The ferry crosses the South Saskatchewan River at Lemsford, Saskatchewan, connecting Highway 784 with Highway 784. The ferry is located near the Lemsford Ferry Regional Park.... |
North of Lemsford connecting 32 Saskatchewan Highway 32 Highway 32 is a highway in southwestern Saskatchewan, connecting Leader and Swift Current. It is about long, connecting several rural communities along the route including Abbey, Cabri, Cantaur and Success.-History:... and 30 Saskatchewan Highway 30 Highway 30 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from the Eston Riverside Regional Park on the South Saskatchewan River until Highway 7. Highway 30 is about 61 km long.-Intersections from south to north:... |
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.... |
|
| Lancer Lancer Ferry The Lancer Ferry is a ferry in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The ferry crosses the South Saskatchewan River, linking the communities of Lancer with Eston and providing a connection between Highway 30 and Highway 32.... |
North of Lancer Lancer, Saskatchewan -External links:*********-Footnotes:... connecting 32 Saskatchewan Highway 32 Highway 32 is a highway in southwestern Saskatchewan, connecting Leader and Swift Current. It is about long, connecting several rural communities along the route including Abbey, Cabri, Cantaur and Success.-History:... and 30 Saskatchewan Highway 30 Highway 30 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from the Eston Riverside Regional Park on the South Saskatchewan River until Highway 7. Highway 30 is about 61 km long.-Intersections from south to north:... |
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.... |
|
| Riverhurst Riverhurst Ferry The Riverhurst Ferry is a cable ferry in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The ferry crosses Lake Diefenbaker, linking Riverhurst on the west bank to Lucky Lake on the east bank. The ferry is how Highway 42 crosses Lake Diefenbaker.... |
Highway 42 Saskatchewan Highway 42 Highway 42 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from the intersecion of Highway 2 and Highway 202 near Tuxford until Highway 15... and Highway 373 Saskatchewan Highway 373 Highway 373 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from Highway 42 to Highway 45/Highway 646 near Birsay. Highway 373 is about 14 km long.... |
Lake Diefenbaker Lake Diefenbaker Lake Diefenbaker is a reservoir in Southern Saskatchewan, Canada. It was formed by the construction of Gardiner Dam and the Qu'Appelle River Dam across the South Saskatchewan and Qu'Appelle Rivers respectively. Construction began in 1959 and the lake was filled in 1967. The lake is long with... |
|
| Clarkboro Clarkboro Ferry The Clarkboro Ferry is a cable ferry in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The ferry crosses the South Saskatchewan River at Clark's Crossing, carrying Grid Road 784 across the river, and connecting Warman in the west and Aberdeen in the east. The ferry is named for the community of Clarkboro... |
Between Warman Warman, Saskatchewan -History:The town of Warman was born when the Canadian National Railway running from Humboldt to North Battleford intersected with the Canadian Pacific Railway running from Regina to Prince Albert. This took place in the fall of 1904.... and Aberdeen Aberdeen, Saskatchewan -Aberdeen Rec Complex:The Aberdeen Rec Complex is located in the town and consists of a Library, meeting room, ice rink, curling rink, bowling alley, dance studio, music room and meeting rooms.-Water supply:... on 784 Saskatchewan Highway 784 Highway 784 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from Highway 4 to Highway 41 near Aberdeen. Highway 784 is about 124 km long.Highway 784 also passes near Struan, Dalmeny, Warman, and Clarkboro... |
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.... |
|
| Hague Hague Ferry The Hague Ferry is a ferry in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The ferry crosses the South Saskatchewan River, as part of Highway 785 near Hague.... |
Between Hague Hague, Saskatchewan -Location:-External links:*... and Aberdeen Aberdeen, Saskatchewan -Aberdeen Rec Complex:The Aberdeen Rec Complex is located in the town and consists of a Library, meeting room, ice rink, curling rink, bowling alley, dance studio, music room and meeting rooms.-Water supply:... |
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.... |
|
| St. Laurent St. Laurent Ferry The St. Laurent Ferry is a ferry in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The ferry crosses the South Saskatchewan River, linking Grid Road 783 with Grid Road 782 near St. Laurent de Grandin.... |
East of Duck Lake, 11 Saskatchewan Highway 11 Highway 11 is a major north-south highway in Saskatchewan, Canada that connects the province's three largest cities: Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert. It is a structural pavement major arterial highway which is approximately long. It is also known as the Louis Riel Trail after the 19th century... and Batoche 225 Saskatchewan Highway 225 Highway 225 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from Highway 312 to Highway 2 near Domremy. Highway 225 is about 36 km long.... |
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.... |
|
| Fenton Fenton Ferry The Fenton Ferry is a ferry in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The ferry crosses the South Saskatchewan River, linking Highway 25 with Highway 3 via a grid road north of Fenton.... |
Between 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.... and 3 Saskatchewan Highway 3 Highway 3 is a major provincial paved undivided highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from the Alberta border, continues west as Alberta Highway 45 to the Manitoba border, and then continues east as Highway 77. Highway 3 is about 615 km long. The CanAm Highway comprises ... on Grid Road |
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.... |
|
| Weldon Weldon Ferry The Weldon Ferry is a ferry in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The ferry crosses the South Saskatchewan River, linking Highway 682 with Highway 302 north of Weldon.... |
Between 3 Saskatchewan Highway 3 Highway 3 is a major provincial paved undivided highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from the Alberta border, continues west as Alberta Highway 45 to the Manitoba border, and then continues east as Highway 77. Highway 3 is about 615 km long. The CanAm Highway comprises ... , Weldon Weldon, Saskatchewan -Attractions:Weldon has modern amenities and services, and its population of approximately 250 enjoys a quiet, relaxed lifestyle reminiscent of another era. Many of the residents trace their lineage back to their Norwegian forebears who first established the community just after the turn of the... via 682 Saskatchewan Highway 682 Highway 682 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from Highway 42 near Meskanaw to the southern terminal of the Weldon Ferry across the South Saskatchewan River, which connects to Highway 302. Highway 682 is about 60 km long.Highway 682 also passes near the... and 302 Saskatchewan Highway 302 Highway 302 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from the northern terminal of the Weldon Ferry, which connects to Highway 682 across the South Saskatchewan River, to a dead end near the Nisbet Provincial Forest... , 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... |
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.... |
|
| Paynton Paynton Ferry The Paynton Ferry is a ferry in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan near Paynton, Saskatchewan. The ferry crosses the North Saskatchewan River, as part of Range Road 674.... |
Between 16 Saskatchewan Highway 16 Highway 16 is a provincial paved highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is the Saskatchewan section of the Yellowhead Highway, and also the Trans-Canada Highway Yellowhead section. The main purpose of this highway is to connect Saskatchewan with Canadian cities such as Edmonton and... and 26 Saskatchewan Highway 26 Highway 26 is a highway in the northern portion of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan and begins at Hwy 4 north of North Battleford which sets the southern end of the highway. The concurrency of Highway 224 east with Highway 950 west separates at Highway 26 which demarks the northern extremity. ... via 764 Saskatchewan Highway 764 Highway 764 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from Highway 219 to Highway 397/Highway 763 near Allan. Highway 764 is about 83 km long.... |
North Saskatchewan River North Saskatchewan River The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river that flows east from the Canadian Rockies to central Saskatchewan. It is one of two major rivers that join to make up the Saskatchewan River.... |
|
| Wingard Wingard Ferry The Wingard Ferry is a ferry in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan near Wingard, Saskatchewan. The ferry crosses the North Saskatchewan River, as part of Range Road 783.... |
East of Marcelin Marcelin, Saskatchewan -External links:*******-Footnotes:... , 40 Saskatchewan Highway 40 Highway 40 is a highway in the northwest portion of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan connecting Alberta to Highway 3, 4 km west of Shellbrook, Saskatchewan. Areas of this highway between the Alberta border and North Battleford are called The Poundmaker Trail. Pitikwahanapiwiyin Highway... connecting to 11 Saskatchewan Highway 11 Highway 11 is a major north-south highway in Saskatchewan, Canada that connects the province's three largest cities: Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert. It is a structural pavement major arterial highway which is approximately long. It is also known as the Louis Riel Trail after the 19th century... Wingard |
North Saskatchewan River North Saskatchewan River The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river that flows east from the Canadian Rockies to central Saskatchewan. It is one of two major rivers that join to make up the Saskatchewan River.... |
|
| Cecil Cecil Ferry The Cecil Ferry is a ferry that operates in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan east of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. The ferry crosses the North Saskatchewan River, providing a link between Range Road 635 and Range Road 55.... |
Between 302 Saskatchewan Highway 302 Highway 302 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from the northern terminal of the Weldon Ferry, which connects to Highway 682 across the South Saskatchewan River, to a dead end near the Nisbet Provincial Forest... and 55 Saskatchewan Highway 55 Highway 55 is a provincial paved undivided highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from Alberta Highway 55 near the Alberta border until Highway 9. Highway 55 is 652 km long. It forms part of the interprovincial Northern Woods and Water Route.-Attractions:On the West portion... east 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... |
North Saskatchewan River North Saskatchewan River The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river that flows east from the Canadian Rockies to central Saskatchewan. It is one of two major rivers that join to make up the Saskatchewan River.... |
The Saskatoon Airport (YXE) was initially established as part of the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
training program during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was renamed the John G. Diefenbaker Airport in the official ceremony, June 23, 1993. Roland J. Groome Airfield is the official designation for the Regina International Airport
Regina International Airport
Regina International Airport is an international airport located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, located south-west and west south-west of the city centre. It is run by the Regina Airport Authority. It is, as of 2010, the second busiest airport in Saskatchewan Regina International Airport is...
(YQR) as of August 3, 2005; the airport was established in 1930. Under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), twenty Service Flying Training Schools (RAF) were established at various Saskatchewan locations in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. 15 Wing Moose Jaw is home to the Canadian Forces formation aerobatics team, the Snowbirds.
Airlines offering service to Saskatchewan are Air Canada, WestJet Airlines, Transwest Air, Norcanair Airlines, La Ronge Aviation Services Ltd, La Loche Airways, Osprey Wings Ltd, Buffalo Narrows Airways Ltd, Skyservice Airlines, Île-à-la-Crosse Airways Ltd, Voyage Air, Pronto Airways, Venture Air Ltd, Pelican Narrows Air Service, Jackson Air Services Ltd, and Northern Dene Airways Ltd.
The Government of Canada
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
has agreed to contribute $20 million for two new interchanges in Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
. One of them being at the Sk Hwy 219
Saskatchewan Highway 219
Highway 219 is a secondary highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, running from Saskatoon south to the vicinity of the Gardiner Dam development and the north end of Lake Diefenbaker....
/ Lorne Ave intersection with Circle Drive, the other at the Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge (Idylwyld Freeway) and Circle Drive. This is part of the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative to improve access to the Canadian National Railway's
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
intermodal freight terminal thereby increasing Asia-Pacific trade. Also, the Government of Canada
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
will contribute $27 million to Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
to construct a Canadian Pacific Railway CPR
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
intermodal facility and improve infrastructure transportation to the facility from both national highway networks, Sk Hwy 1, the TransCanada Highway
Saskatchewan Highway 1
Highway 1 is the Saskatchewan section of the Trans-Canada Highway mainland route. The total distance of the Trans-Canada Highway in Saskatchewan is . The highway traverses Saskatchewan from the western border with Alberta, from Highway 1, to Manitoba where it continues as Highway 1, PTH 1. The...
and Sk Hwy 11, Louis Riel Trail
Saskatchewan Highway 11
Highway 11 is a major north-south highway in Saskatchewan, Canada that connects the province's three largest cities: Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert. It is a structural pavement major arterial highway which is approximately long. It is also known as the Louis Riel Trail after the 19th century...
. This also is part of the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative to improve access to the CPR terminal and increase Asia-Pacific trade.
Arts and culture
Museums and galleries- Norman MacKenzie Art GalleryNorman MacKenzie Art GalleryThe MacKenzie Art Gallery is located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. The MacKenzie Art Gallery has over of space, with eight galleries totaling . It has modern technical areas including conservation lab, workshop, preparation rooms and vault, a 185-seat theatre, public resource centre, gift shop...
- Mendel Art GalleryMendel Art GalleryThe Mendel Art Gallery is a major creative cultural centre in City Park, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, opened in 1964. Housing a permanent collection of works of local, regional and national significance, the Mendel is also known for its public programs for all ages. Its current executive director and...
- RCMP Heritage CentreRCMP Heritage CentreThe RCMP Heritage Centre was officially opened May 23, 2007 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. It is owned and operated by an independent nonprofit organization called the Mounted Police Heritage Centre and receives no funding from any level of government...
- Saskatchewan Western Development MuseumSaskatchewan Western Development MuseumThe Saskatchewan Western Development Museum is a network of four museums in Saskatchewan, Canada preserving and recording the social and economic development of the province. The museum has branches in Moose Jaw, North Battleford, Saskatoon and Yorkton. Respectively, each branch focuses on a...
Artist-run centres
- PAVED ArtsPAVED ArtsPAVED Arts is a new media art Artist run centre located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada that focuses on what it calls the 'PAVED Arts' arts: photography, audio, video, electronic and digital...
Artists
- Joe FafardJoe FafardJoseph Fafard, OC, SOM is a Canadian sculptor.-Biography:Born in Sainte-Marthe, Saskatchewan in 1942 to Leopold Fafard and Julienne Cantin whose families both date back centuries in Canada. Joe is a descendant of Jacques Goulet. He received a B.S.A from the University of Manitoba in 1966 and a...
, sculptor
Canadian television
Television in Canada
Television in Canada officially began with the opening of the nation's first television stations in Montreal and Toronto in 1952. As with most media in Canada, the television industry, and the television programming available in that country, are strongly influenced by the American media, perhaps...
sitcoms Corner Gas
Corner Gas
Corner Gas is a Canadian television sitcom created by Brent Butt. The series ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009. Re-runs still air on CTV and The Comedy Network in Canada; it formerly aired on WGN America in the United States....
and Little Mosque on the Prairie
Little Mosque on the Prairie
Little Mosque on the Prairie is a Canadian sitcom on CBC, created by Zarqa Nawaz and produced by WestWind Pictures. It is filmed in Toronto, Ontario and Indian Head, Saskatchewan...
are both set in small Saskatchewan towns. The novels of W. O. Mitchell
W. O. Mitchell
William Ormond Mitchell, PC, OC better known as W.O. Mitchell was a Canadian writer.-Early life and career:...
, Sinclair Ross
Sinclair Ross
James Sinclair Ross, CM was a Canadian banker and author, best known for his fiction about life in the Canadian prairies. He is best known for his first novel, As For Me and My House.-Life and career:...
, Frederick Philip Grove
Frederick Philip Grove
Frederick Philip Grove was born Felix Paul Greve in Radomno, West Prussia, German Empire . He was best known as a prolific translator before he left Berlin for start a new life in North America in late July 1909...
, Guy Vanderhaeghe
Guy Vanderhaeghe
Guy Clarence Vanderhaeghe, OC, SOM is a Canadian novelist and short story writer, best known for his two Western novels, The Englishman's Boy and The Last Crossing, set in the 19th century American and Canadian West...
, Michael Helm
Michael Helm
Michael Helm is a Canadian novelist. He was born in Eston, Saskatchewan, and received degrees in literature from the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Toronto...
and Gail Bowen
Gail Bowen
Gail Dianne Bowen, née Bartholomew is a Canadian playwright and writer of mystery novels.Born in Toronto, Ontario, Bowen was educated at the University of Toronto, the University of Waterloo and the University of Saskatchewan...
are also frequently set in Saskatchewan, as are children's novels of Farley Mowatt. The English naturalist "Grey Owl
Grey Owl
Grey Owl was the name Archibald Belaney adopted when he took on a First Nations identity as an adult...
" spent much of his life living and studying in what is now Prince Albert National Park
Prince Albert National Park
Prince Albert National Park covers in central Saskatchewan, Canada and is located north of Saskatoon. Though declared a national park March 24, 1927, it had its official opening ceremonies on August 10, 1928 performed by Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King. The park is open all year but...
.
The Arrogant Worms
The Arrogant Worms
The Arrogant Worms are a Canadian musical comedy trio that parodies many musical genres. They are well known for their humorous on-stage banter in addition to their music.-History:...
' song "The Last Saskatchewan Pirate" about a disgruntled farmer who takes up piracy on the namesake river mentions various parts of the province such as Saskatoon, Regina and Moose Jaw. Popular Québécois
French-speaking Quebecer
French-speaking Quebecers are francophone residents of the Canadian province of Quebec....
band Les Trois Accords
Les Trois Accords
Les Trois Accords is a rock band from Drummondville, Quebec. The band launched its first album Gros mammouth album in 2003. Some of the notable songs, taken from that album, include "Hawaïenne", "Saskatchewan" and "Lucille". Along with their videos, these songs received heavy exposure in Quebec...
recorded a song in French called "Saskatchewan" on its first album, Gros Mammouth Album
Gros Mammouth Album
Gros Mammouth Album is the first album by Québécois rock/pop band Les Trois Accords released in 2003 and re-released in 2004 as Gros Mammouth Album Turbo featuring two new tracks, 'Loin d'ici' and 'Turbo sympathique'.-Track listing:...
. It was the third single of that album and met moderate success in French Canada
French Canada
French Canada, also known as "Lower Canada", is a term to distinguish the French Canadian population of Canada from English Canada.-Definition:...
. The region is also referenced in the titular Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie, OC is a Canadian Cree singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. Throughout her career in all of these areas, her work has focused on issues of Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Her singing and writing repertoire includes...
cover "Saskatchewan", by British Band Red Box; it was released as a single in 1984 and a reworked version appeared on their 1986 début album The Circle & the Square
The Circle & The Square
The Circle & the Square is the debut album from Red Box and was released in 1986. This album contained the group's two UK top ten hits, "Lean on Me" and "For America".- WEA LP: WX79 :- WEA CD: WX79CD :...
.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
are the province's only major professional sports franchise, and are extremely popular across Saskatchewan. The team's fans are also found to congregate on game days throughout Canada, and collectively they are known as "Rider Nation".
In 2006, the founder of One Red Paperclip
One red paperclip
The website One red paperclip was created by Kyle MacDonald, a Canadian blogger who bartered his way from a single red paperclip to a house in a series of online trades over the course of a year. MacDonald was inspired by the childhood game Bigger, Better, and the site received a considerable...
, Kyle MacDonald, ended his trading-game after swapping a movie role in the film Donna on Demand for a two-story farmhouse in Kipling, Saskatchewan
Kipling, Saskatchewan
-Government:Town council members:* Mayor Kelly Kish, employee of GeeBee Construction, elected in 2009* Alderman Terry Barath, elected in 2009* Alderman Kevin Kish, employee of Marton's Auto Body, first elected in 1999 by-election...
.
Provincial symbols
Flag of Saskatchewan
The flag of Saskatchewan features the armorial bearings in the upper quarter nearest the staff, with the floral emblem, the western red lily, in the fly. The upper green half of the flag represents the northern Saskatchewan forest lands, while the gold lower half symbolizes the southern, prairie...
was officially adopted on 22 September 1969. The flag features the provincial shield
Coat of arms of Saskatchewan
The first part of the Coat of Arms of the Province of Saskatchewan , was the shield, which was assigned by royal warrant of King Edward VII on 25 August 1906. It uses the provincial colours, green and gold.On the gold chief is a lion passant or leopard, a royal symbol of England...
in the upper quarter nearest the staff, with the floral emblem
Floral emblem
In a number of countries, plants have been chosen as symbols to represent specific geographic areas. Some countries have a country-wide floral emblem; others in addition have symbols representing subdivisions. Different processes have been used to adopt these symbols - some are conferred by...
, the Prairie Lily
Lilium philadelphicum
Lilium philadelphicum, also known as the Wood Lily, Philadelphia Lily, Prairie Lily or Western Red Lily, is a perennial species of lily native to North America...
, in the fly. The upper green (in forest green) half of the flag represents the northern Saskatchewan forest lands, while the golden lower half of the flag symbolizes the southern wheat fields and prairies. A province-wide competition was held to design the flag, and drew over 4,000 entries. The winning design was by Anthony Drake, then living in Hodgeville
Hodgeville, Saskatchewan
Hodgeville is a village in southwestern Saskatchewan, Canada, located approximately 34 km south of the Trans Canada Highway, 97 km southeast of Swift Current. It has a population of approximately 175 . The town was incorporated in June, 1921.-Demographics:In 2006, Hodgeville had a...
.
In 2005, Saskatchewan Environment held a province-wide vote to recognize Saskatchewan's centennial year, receiving more than 10,000 on-line and mail-in votes from the public. The walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
was the overwhelming favourite of the six native fish species nominated for the designation, receiving more than half the votes cast. Other species in the running were the lake sturgeon
Lake sturgeon
The lake sturgeon is a North American temperate freshwater fish, one of about 20 species of sturgeon. Like other sturgeons, this species is an evolutionarily ancient bottomfeeder with a partly cartilaginous skeleton and skin bearing rows of bony plates...
, lake trout
Lake trout
Lake trout is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, lake char , touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, they can also be variously known as siscowet, paperbellies and leans...
, lake whitefish
Lake whitefish
The lake whitefish , also called the Sault whitefish or gizzard fish, is a species of freshwater whitefish from North America. Lake whitefish are found throughout much of Canada and parts of the northern United States, including all of the Great Lakes. A valuable commercial fish, they are also...
, northern pike
Northern Pike
The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
and yellow perch
Yellow perch
The yellow perch is a species of perch found in the United States and Canada, where it is often referred to by the shortform perch. Yellow perch look similar to the European perch, but are paler and more yellowish, with less red in the fins. They have six to eight dark, vertical bars on their sides...
.
Saskatchewan's other symbols include the tartan, the license plate, and the provincial flower. Saskatchewan's official tartan
Tartan
Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...
was registered with the Court of Lord Lyon King of Arms
Lord Lyon King of Arms
The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grants of arms, and serving as the judge of the Court of the Lord Lyon, the oldest...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in 1961. It has seven colours: gold, brown, green, red, yellow, white and black. The provincial licence plates display the slogan "Land of Living Skies". The provincial flower of Saskatchewan is the Western Red Lily.
Centennial celebrations
In 2005, Saskatchewan celebrated its centennial. To honour it, the Royal Canadian MintRoyal Canadian Mint
The Royal Canadian Mint produces all of Canada's circulation coins, and manufactures circulation coins on behalf of other nations. The Mint also designs and manufactures: precious and base metal collector coins; gold, silver, palladium, and platinum bullion coins; medals, as well as medallions and...
issued a commemorative five-dollar coin depicting Canada's wheat fields as well as a circulation 25-cent coin
Quarter (Canadian coin)
The quarter is a Canadian coin, valued at 25 cents or one-fourth of a Canadian dollar. It is a small, circular coin of silver colour. According to the Royal Canadian Mint, the official name for the coin is the 25-cent piece, but in practice it is simply called a quarter.-History of...
of a similar design. Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
and the Duke of Edinburgh
Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh is a British royal title, named after the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, which has been conferred upon members of the British royal family only four times times since its creation in 1726...
visited Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
, Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
and Lumsden
Lumsden, Saskatchewan
-History:Settlers first arrived in 1881 and the area came to be commonly known as Happy Hollow. When the Qu'Appelle, Long Lake and Saskatchewan Railway came through the community in 1889, the name was changed to Lumsden after Hugh Lumsden, a senior engineer with the railroad.The town has been...
, and the Saskatchewan-reared Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
issued an album in Saskatchewan's honour.
See also
- 45561 Saskatchewan British Jubilee Class locomotiveLMS Jubilee ClassThe London Midland and Scottish Railway Jubilee Class is a class of steam locomotive designed for mainline passenger work. 191 locomotives were built between 1934 and 1936...
named after the province. - AssiniboiaAssiniboiaAssiniboia refers to a number of different locations and administrative jurisdictions in Canada. The name is taken from the Assiniboine First Nation.- District of Assiniboia:...
- Legislative Assembly of SaskatchewanLegislative Assembly of SaskatchewanThe 25th Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan was in power from 2003 until November 20, 2007. It was controlled by the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party under premier Lorne Calvert.-Members:-By-elections:...
- Saskatchewan Film and Video Classification BoardSaskatchewan Film and Video Classification BoardThe Saskatchewan Film and Video Classification Board is a board of the Saskatchewan Department of Justice responsible for providing film and video classification documents to movie theatres in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan...
- Scouting and Guiding in Saskatchewan
- Saskatchewan Act
- Tourism in SaskatchewanTourism in SaskatchewanThere are numerous heritages and cultural attractions in the province of Saskatchewan. Museums, dinosaur digs, aboriginal cultural and heritage sites, art galleries, professional sport venues, spas, handcraft, antique and tea shops, agricultural tours, theatre and archaeological sites comprise over...
Lists:
- List of airports in Saskatchewan
- List of Canadian provincial and territorial symbols
- List of cities in Canada
- List of communities in Saskatchewan
- List of Saskatchewan Leaders of the Opposition
- List of premiers of Saskatchewan
- List of rural municipalities in Saskatchewan
- List of Saskatchewan general elections
- List of lieutenant governors of Saskatchewan
- List of rivers of Saskatchewan
- List of towns in Saskatchewan
Further reading
- Archer, John H. Saskatchewan: A History. Saskatoon: Western Producer Prairie Books, 1980. 422 pp.
- Bennett, John W. and Kohl, Seena B. Settling the Canadian-American West, 1890-1915. University of Nebraska Press, 1995. 311 pp.
- Bill Waiser. Saskatchewan: A New History (2006)
- Bocking, D. H., ed. Pages from the Past: Essays on Saskatchewan History. Saskatoon: Western Producer Prairie Books, 1979. 299 pp.
- LaPointe, Richard and Tessier, Lucille. The Francophones of Saskatchewan: A History. Regina: University of ReginaUniversity of ReginaThe University of Regina is a public research university located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Founded in 1911 as a private denominational high school of the Methodist Church of Canada, it began an association with the University of Saskatchewan as a junior college in 1925, and was disaffiliated...
, Campion Coll., 1988. 329 pp. - Lipset, Seymour M. Agrarian Socialism: The Cooperative Commonwealth Federation in Saskatchewan: A Study in Political Sociology. University of California Press, 1950.
- Martin, Robin Shades of Right: Nativist and Fascist Politics in Canada, 1920-1940, University of Toronto PressUniversity of Toronto PressUniversity of Toronto Press is Canada's leading scholarly publisher and one of the largest university presses in North America. Founded in 1901, UTP has published over 6,500 books, with well over 3,500 of these still in print....
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