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Saskatoon

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For other uses of "Saskatoon", see Saskatoon (disambiguation).
Saskatoon
Saskatoon skyline at night
Saskatoon skyline at night
Flag of Saskatoon
Flag
Nickname(s): 
The Bridge City, The Hub City, Toontown, POW City
Location of Saskatoon (indicated by the red star)
Location of Saskatoon (indicated by the red star)
CountryCanada
ProvinceSaskatchewan
Establishment1883
Incorporation1906
Government
 • MayorDon Atchison
 • Governing bodySaskatoon City Council
 • MP
List of MPs
 • MLAs
List of MLAs
Area
[1]
 • City144 km2 (56 sq mi)
Elevation
[1]
481.5 m (1,579.7 ft)
Population
 (June 30, 2007)
 • City202,340 (23rd)1
 • Density1,305.5/km2 (3,381/sq mi)
 • Metro
233,923 (17th)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
Area code306
GDP per capitaC$26,551 (est. 2005)
Income per householdC$41,991 (est. 2005)
Pronunciation/ˌsæskəˈtuːn/
WebsiteCity of Saskatoon Official Website
1 Source: Canada 2006 Census[2]

Saskatoon is located in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River, with a metro population of 233,923. Saskatoon is the most populous city in the province of Saskatchewan, and has been since the mid-1980s when it surpassed the provincial capital of Regina.[3] Residents of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians.

Saskatoon is often called the "City of Bridges" for its seven river crossings (it is also occasionally referred to as "The Paris of the Prairies", for the same reason). The name Saskatoon comes from the Cree inanimate noun "misâskwatômina," which refers to a sweet, violet-coloured berry which grows in the area. A long-time nickname for Saskatoon is "Hub City", while the name is also commonly abbreviated "S'toon". Following the release of the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit in 1988, the city became popularly known as "'Toontown", after a similarly named location in the film, although the nickname "'Toontown" had been in use in Saskatoon prior to the film's release. Another, less commonly used nickname is "POW City". POW stands for Potash, Oil, and Wheat.[4]

History

Main article: History of Saskatoon

The first permanent settlement of Saskatoon occurred in 1883 when Toronto Methodists, wanting to escape the liquor trade in that city, decided to set up a "dry" community in the rapidly-growing Prairie region. The settlers, led by John Lake, arrived on the site of what is now Saskatoon by traveling by railway from Ontario to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and then completing the final leg via horse-drawn cart (the railway had yet to be completed to Saskatoon). The city, however, celebrated its centennial in 1982, as the initial location for the settlement was identified in 1882.

A town charter for the west side of the river was obtained in 1903 (Nutana became a village in that year). In 1906 Saskatoon became a city with a population of 4,500, which included the communities of Saskatoon, Riversdale, and Nutana. In 1955 Montgomery Place and in 1956 the neighbouring town of Sutherland was annexed by the fast growing City of Saskatoon.[5]

Demographics

A Saskatoon neighbourhood (Buena Vista)

The 2006 census listed Saskatoon as the largest city of Saskatchewan with a residential population of 202,340, which grew 2.8 per cent from 2001.[6] As of 2005, the civic government of Saskatoon claimed a population of approximately 220,000. The above land area figure was provided by the City of Saskatoon in January 2006 and takes into account recent annexations.

According to the 2001 census, some one in five people, or 20.6 per cent of the population, consists of youths under the age of 14, while those over 65 constitute only 11.8 per cent of the population. The median age of Saskatoon residents is 34.4 years of age, three years younger than Canada as a whole. Saskatoon is growing at an annual rate of 0.62 per cent between 1996 and 2001. The 2001 census lists the residential population of Saskatoon as 196,861. [6]

Template:Canada CP 2006

Ethno-cultural Groups[1]

The majority of Saskatoon's inhabitants profess to be of Christian faith. A large contingent of people also do not profess a faith at all. Some 78.5% profess to be Christian, mostly Protestant and Roman Catholic. Minority faiths include Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, and Islam, who do not constitute 1 per cent combined.

First Nations

The Saskatoon area was inhabited long before any permanent settlement was established, to which the ongoing archæological work at Wanuskewin Heritage Park and other locations bears witness. Canada's First Nations population has been increasingly urbanized, and nowhere is that more apparent than in Saskatoon, where the First Nations population increased by 382% from 1981 to 2001[7]; however, a portion of this increase, possibly as much as half, is believed to be due to more people identifying themselves as Aboriginal in the census rather than migration or birth rate. Saskatoon has a higher percentage of First Nations population than any other major Canadian city[8] at nearly 9%, although Winnipeg and Regina both exceed 8%; in certain neighbourhoods such as Pleasant Hill, this percentage exceeds 40%.

Economy

Downtown view from across the South Saskatchewan River and the Broadway Bridge

Recent Growth

In 2006-2007 Saskatoon has experienced unprecedented growth due to the influx of inter-provincial migrants, who have been drawn to the low cost of living in the region and the increase in job opportunities. This has caused housing starts to hit their highest level in over 30 years as of February 2008.[9] Saskatoon's overall economic output increased by 4.7% in 2007 and real estate costs have risen about 50% in the last two years. [10][11] The rising house costs have caused great strain to lower income families who can no longer afford the high living costs. Many renters have been forced out of their place of residence due to recent condo conversions and rental vacancy rates have dropped to 0.6% as of October 2007.[12] Meanwhile the city council of Saskatoon continues to drag it's heels in approving proposed amendments to control the spiraling low vacancy rates because of the condo conversions from out of town real estate developers. [13] This recent growth has made Saskatoon one of the fastest growing cities in North America.

Scientific research

Saskatoon is recognized as one of the world's leading agricultural biotechnology centres.[14] Some of this research takes place at Innovation Place Research Park and the University of Saskatchewan (U of S). The U of S hosts the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) that conducts infectious diseases research to develop infectious diseases controls for humans and animals.

The University of Saskatchewan is also home to the Saskatchewan Isotope Laboratory, which studies environmental and climate change around the world. These studies provide secular records of environmental change that are critical to developing more accurate models of future environmental and climate variability that will dictate the economic well-being of the Prairie Provinces over the coming decades.

The U of S campus is the major employer in the city. As well, the campus is home to the Canadian Light Source, which is the largest scientific project completed in Canada in over 50 years. The 179 million dollar project resulted in a national synchrotron radiation facility that is used for a wide range of world-class scientific research.

Mining

The world's largest publicly traded uranium company, Cameco, and the world's largest potash producer, PotashCorp, have corporate headquarters in Saskatoon. Nearly two-thirds of the world's recoverable potash reserves are located in the Saskatoon region.[1] Uranium plays an important role in Saskatoon's economy, with the city also hosting AREVA NC Canadian headquarters (a subsidiary of France-based AREVA). Many medium-sized mining companies also have their head office or regional offices in Saskatoon, such as Shore Gold, Denison Mines, Great West Exploration, and Claude Resources.

Food processing and manufacturing

Food processing is an important industry in Saskatoon. The city is the headquarters of Mitchell's Gourmet Foods, formerly known as Intercontinental Packers, which produces the Olympic Fine Meats line of products and is one of Canada's largest meat processors, employing more than 1,400 people. [citation needed] However, in late 2006, Maple Leaf Foods, owners of Mitchell's, announced it would be closing down its major plant in Saskatoon resulting in the loss of approximately 450 local jobs, along with an additional 350 jobs that were expected to be created by the construction of a new Mitchell's "kill plant" in the city's north end.[15][16] Maple Leaf still operates a large sausage factory and is constructing a major distribution centre in the Marquis Industrial Area.

Saskatoon is home to several manufacturing companies such as Hitachi Canadian Industries, a large CNH Global (Case New Holland) factory, Cover-All Building Systems, Centennial Foods, and Mercury Graphics, as well as several companies in the Information Technology and telecom fields.

Saskatoon is home to SED Systems, Vecima Networks, and Solido Design Automation, while AMEC North America, Bayer Crop Science, Becker Underwood, and General Electric Healthcare have a significant prescence in Saskatoon, most located at Innovation Place. Saskatoon also hosts a Minacs and a Marriott International call centre.[citation needed] First Nations Bank of Canada and Federated Co-operatives Limited executive offices are located in Saskatoon.

After explosive residential growth in the 1970s and early 1980s, by the late 1980s development of new communities slowed to a trickle as the economy experienced a downturn.[citation needed] By 2005, however, Saskatoon was in the midst of another growth boom with construction under way on no fewer than four major residential areas [citation needed], plus early planning launched on several proposed business parks and the Blairmore Suburban Development Area, also known as the "West Sector", a large recently annexed area on the city's west side which is expected to include seven residential communities, a business park, and a "suburban centre" in the coming years. (Construction of the suburban centre, which includes two major high schools and necessitated the realignment of Highway 7, began in 2006.[17])

Retail

In terms of commercial development, Saskatoon was somewhat slow in embracing the big box store format that replaced the traditional shopping mall in the mid-to-late 1990s, with the city's first true "power centre" not opening until the early 2000s. One of the city's main commercial districts, 8th Street East, experienced an influx of new businesses in the early 2000s after a number of automobile dealerships relocated to a new "auto mall" on the city's south side, leaving large vacancies along 8th Street. The opening of the city's first power centre, Preston Crossing, in 2002–2003 saw several major retailers such as Wal-Mart Canada and Canadian Tire leave their original shopping mall locations in favour of the new site, requiring the malls to scramble to find replacement tenants. [citation needed]

Construction of a second power centre on the city's south side is under way. The development of these larger centres has led to something of a decrease in services in the downtown areas, with the few grocery stores in that region going out of business or closing their doors in favour of the larger stores in the peripheral regions of the city. [citation needed]

The downtown core is seeing increased development with projects such as River Landing, lofts and entertainment going ahead. Located in the downtown core, Midtown Plaza is the largest shopping centre in the city with Sears Canada and The Bay as anchors. The city is also home to Market Mall and The Centre on the east side, Confederation Mall on the west side and The Mall at Lawson Heights in the north end.

Urban Reserves

Saskatoon is the home of Canada's first urban reserve, or Indian reserve created within existing city limits. (Other reserves had been absorbed into adjacent cities before this.) As part of the land claim process that was started in the 1950s and finalised in the 1992 Treaty Land Entitlement Framework Agreement, the Muskeg Lake First Nation claimed a vacant 33-acre tract east of the Sutherland Industrial neighbourhood in 1984; the area was Crown land that had been intended for a correctional facility but never used. Following negotiations between the band, the City of Saskatoon, and the federal government, the area was designated as an Indian Reserve in 1988.[18]

The City and the band formed an Urban Reserve Partnership, where the land is managed by the band but serviced by the City. The reserve is known as the McKnight Commercial Centre and is completely integrated into the neighbouring industrial area. It includes three buildings, with more than 100,000 square feet of floor space, that house over 40 businesses employing over 300 people, and further expansion due in 2007–2008. Instead of the businesses paying municipal taxes to the City, the band collects these taxes (which by agreement are the same as they would be anywhere else in the City) as well as the sales taxes; the band then pays the City a "fee for municipal services", which equals the amount of the municipal taxes, and remits the sales taxes to their respective governments. In return, the City built all the infrastructure needed to develop and service the land, including additional road access, and provides all services, including snow removal, policing, and utilities. This ensures that on-reserve businesses do not receive a tax advantage, although their Status Indian employees benefit because on-reserve income is non-taxable. (Status Indians are also exempt from paying sales taxes on a reserve.) The reserve includes a mixture of Aboriginal- and non-Aboriginal-owned businesses.[18][19][20]

Following the success of the Muskeg Lake urban reserve, and following the same model, 28 more urban reserves have been created in Saskatchewan, including three each in Prince Albert, Yorkton and Fort Qu'Appelle.[18]

The Sounding Sky urban reserve is the second urban reserve in Saskatoon. Owned by the One Arrow First Nation, it houses the Fire Creek gas station and confectionery at 20th Street and Avenue P. This land was declared an urban reserve in November 2005 and developed in 2006, replacing a small strip mall.[21] There are three more parcels of land in Saskatoon that are owned by First Nations and expected to receive urban reserve status: Canterbury Towers (owned by the Yellow Quill First Nation) and Avord Towers (owned by The Battlefords Tribal Council), both office towers in the Central Business District; and an office complex in the Airport Business Area owned by the English River First Nation.[18][20]

Queen Elizabeth Power Station

The city receives its power from the main SaskPower power grid. The city's nearest power generation plant is located on Saskatoon's southwestern outskirts on Spadina Crescent (south of the city dump entrance on Power Road). The station was built in the 1950s and named after Queen Elizabeth II in 1959. This is a natural gas fired station to meet peak demand. SaskPower base load facilities are primarily hydro electric and coal fired.

Climate

File:Saskatoon in Winter DSC5283.jpg
Saskatoon in Winter.

Saskatoon is in a dry-prairie/savanna biome and experiences warm summers and very cold winters. The city has four distinct seasons. Extreme temperatures range from -50°C in winter to 41°C (-58°F to 104°F) in summer. Saskatoon is fairly dry; the average annual precipitation is 347.2mm (13.7in),[1] with the summer being the wettest season. A positive aspect of the low precipitation is that Saskatoon is one of the sunniest cities in Canada as a result, averaging 2,381 hours of bright sunshine annually. The extreme temperatures are also more tolerable on account of the typically low humidity.

The lowest temperature ever recorded in Saskatoon was -50°C in 1893. The lowest wind chill ever recorded was -61.9°C.[citation needed] The highest temperature ever recorded in Saskatoon was 40.6°C on 5 June 1988.[22]

Geography

File:Parkland near Saskatoon.JPG
Patches of Aspen trees surrounded by wheat fields are typical of the outlying areas of the city of Saskatoon.

Saskatoon lies on a long belt of rich, potassic chernozem in middle-southern Saskatchewan and is found in the Aspen parkland biome. The lack of surrounding mountainous topography gives the city a relatively flat grid, though the city does sprawl over a few hills and into a few valleys. The lowest point in the city is the river, while the highest point is disputed between the suburb of Sutherland in the east side and the Silverwood-River Heights areas in the city's north end. Saskatoon, on a cross-section from west to east, has a general decline in elevation above sea level heading towards the river, and on the east bank of the river, the terrain is mostly level until outside the city, where it begins to decrease in elevation again.

Saskatoon is divided into east and west sides by the South Saskatchewan River. It is then divided into Suburban Development Areas (SDA) which are composed of neighbourhoods.

Main article: List of neighbourhoods in Saskatoon

Landmarks

The Bessborough

One of the city's landmarks is the Delta Bessborough, better known as The Bessborough, the Hotel Bessborough or, more colloquially, "The Bess" (or "The Bez"; the latter is phonetic). Built by the Canadian National Railway as a railway hotel during the Great Depression of the 1930s as a make-work project, the hotel was designed to resemble a Bavarian castle. The hotel has passed out of the ownership of the CNR and has survived several changes in ownership, as well as the suggestion that it be demolished in order to restore the riverbank. The Bessborough and the Mendel Art Gallery are currently the only two major structures located on the river side of Spadina Crescent. Over the years, the Bessborough has become Saskatoon's most iconic symbol and most recognizable skyline feature; one of the most frequently-circulated photographs depicting Saskatoon is of the hotel framed in one of the arches of the Broadway Bridge.[2]

The Meewasin Valley Trail follows the South Saskatchewan River through Saskatoon. Summer activities include cycling, jogging and walking through parks and natural areas. Cross-country skiing is popular during the winter months, along with skating in Kiwanis Memorial Park. Access points are found throughout the city with interpretive signage and washrooms located along the route. There are parks throughout the Meewasin Valley, with washrooms, picnic facilities, and lookout points along the river bank.[23]

In the winter the Meewasin Skating Rink is open free to the public; it is located in Kiwanis Memorial Park beside the Delta Bessborough hotel. The outdoor rink has been open since 1980.

The city is currently redeveloping the south downtown region of River Landing. This redevelopment will result in the development of a Hotel/Spa to the downtown core, a huge, new theater complex with twelve theatres with stadium-style seating owned by Cineplex Entertainment which opened in the Summer of 2006, parkland, a new facility for Persephone Theatre (currently located outside the downtown core), and a year round home for the Saskatoon Farmers Market. [3]

Transportation

Saskatoon is located on the Yellowhead Highway also known as Highway 16 connecting Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, and British Columbia. Highways 5, 7, 11, 12, 14, 219, 684, and 762 all meet at Saskatoon. Highway 60, which meets up with route 7 just west of Saskatoon, goes south to nearby Pike Lake Provincial Park. Another Highway, Highway 41, terminates at Hwy 5 just east of the present city limits.

University Bridge in Saskatoon.

The following bridges cross the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon:

Construction of Saskatoon's "ring road", Circle Drive, began in the mid-1960s (after having first been proposed in 1913) but as of 2006 the freeway was still only three-quarters completed.

Old Canadian Pacific Rail Station

The Canadian Pacific Railway and the Canadian National Railway have connections to Saskatoon. Saskatoon is a stop on The Canadian passenger transcontinental rail route operated by VIA Rail. A station for passenger travel is located in the west end of the city. The many provincial transportation connections and geographic location of Saskatoon give it one of its nicknames The Hub City. The Saskatchewan Railway Museum is located just outside the city.

The Saskatoon/John G. Diefenbaker International Airport (YXE) is the main airport for the city with scheduled and charter service within North America. Saskatoon/Corman Air Park is located south-east of Saskatoon and is primarily used by private aircraft.

Main article: Saskatoon/John G. Diefenbaker International Airport

Transit services in Saskatoon are operated by Saskatoon Transit, a division of the municipal government. The system operates a network of regular and express bus routes. The system was revamped on July 2, 2006, creating a better system and increased access to most parts of the city. The express routes are called DART routes - Direct Access Rapid Transit.

Main article: Saskatoon Transit

Education

File:Thorvaldson.JPG
Entrance to Thorvaldson Building located on the Main campus of the University of Saskatchewan
Kelsey campus of SIAST. Central Industrial Area

Saskatoon has a number of higher education institutions:

Main article: First Nations University of Canada

Saskatoon has 78 elementary schools and 14 high schools (with three more under construction), serving about 37,000 students. Saskatoon has two school boards, The Saskatoon Public School Division and the Saskatoon Catholic School Division.

Main articles: Saskatoon Public School Division and Greater Saskatoon Catholic School Division

Saskatoon is home to five units of the Canadian Cadet Movement:

Arts and culture

Galleries and museums

The Mendel Art Gallery is situated on the bank of the South Saskatchewan River. Over its 41 year history, the Mendel Art Gallery’s permanent collection has grown to exceed 5,000 works of art. In 2005, it began a major renovation project that will expand the size of the gallery by seventy per cent. In September 2005, however, the City of Saskatoon announced that it had entered discussions with the Mendel to the end of having the Mendel abandon its renovation/expansion project in favor of instead relocating the facility to a new arts and culture centre that is planned for the south downtown area; the Mendel has reportedly rejected this suggestion.[citation needed]

The Ukrainian Museum of Canada is also located on the banks of the South Saskatchewan River. The foremost attraction for Ukrainian culture in Saskatoon, it houses various artifacts such as textiles, tools, musical instruments and clothing, and displays them for public viewing. It has branches in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg and Toronto.

The Meewasin Valley Interpretive Centre, in Friendship Park, has information on Saskatoon's history, the South Saskatchewan River, and the future of the Meewasin Valley.[24]

Saskatoon is also home of the Saskatchewan Western Development Museum. This museum, one of four throughout the province, documents early pioneer life in Saskatchewan. It is noted for its interior recreation of a "Boom Town" main street, including one original building relocated from its original site. The Saskatchewan Railway Museum is located just outside the city and includes displays of rolling stock and historic railway buildings from various parts of the province.

Wanuskewin Heritage Park is a National Historic Site situated five km to the north of Saskatoon. It is an Aboriginal archaeological site and features displays, special events, and activities.

Events and festivals

Saskatoon's major arts venue is the Saskatoon Centennial Auditorium, recently renamed as TCU Place in January 2006, which is located adjacent to Midtown Plaza downtown. Since opening in 1967, it has hosted scores of concerts, theatrical performances, live events such as the Telemiracle telethon, high school graduation and university convocation ceremonies, and conventions. It is also home to the Saskatoon Symphony. It recently underwent a multi-million dollar renovation to its main theatre (named in honor of former mayor and senator Sidney Buckwold) and in 2005 began an expansion to add additional convention facilities; this project was scheduled for completion in the spring of 2006.

For rock concerts and major shows, the Credit Union Centre (formerly Saskatchewan Place) is the main venue. It is Saskatchewan's largest arena, with a capacity of 11,300 for sporting events and 14,000 for concerts. Musical acts from Saskatoon include Wide Mouth Mason and The Northern Pikes.

Saskatoon hosts many festivals and events in the summer, including the Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan Festival, the Jazz Festival, the Northern Saskatchewan International Children's Festival, the Saskatoon International Fringe Festival (a showcase of alternative theatre), FolkFest (a cultural festival), and the Canada Remembers Airshow.

For over 25 years, Saskatoon has hosted a gathering of antique automobiles, (mainly from the 1960s) that has grown into an event called "Cruise Weekend". The event is usually held on the last weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) in August. Activities include a poker derby, dances, and a show 'N' shine with over 800 cars from all over western Canada. No admission is charged and everyone is free to walk around and enjoy the atmosphere.

The city's annual exhibition (now called the Saskatoon Exhibition but also known in previous years as Pioneer Days and "The Ex") is held every August at Prairieland Park. Until the late 1990s the fair was held in mid-July, and for many years coincided with "Louis Riel Day", a downtown-based celebration of the life of the famous rebel, which included a canoe/running/horseback riding relay race winding through the parks on both sides of the river and on the river itself. Other events included a cabbage roll-eating contest, tug-of-war competitions and live musical performances. Louis Riel Day was a regular summer event from the late 1960s until the early 1990s when a lack of major sponsors forced its cancellation. In the late 1990s, the Saskatoon Exhibition was rescheduled to August so that it no longer was in direct competition with the Calgary Stampede, which frequently overlapped the event.

Saskatoon was the 2007 host city for the Juno Awards, Canada's foremost music industry honours.

Movie theatres

Cineplex Entertainment Galaxy Theatre

At present, there is only one single-screen theatre in the city- the Broadway Theatre, which primarily shows arthouse films, while the Roxy (formerly the Towne Cinema has two), an "atmospheric-style" theatre which recently reopened after sitting unused for over a decade and is part of the Rainbow Chain. The remainder of the city's theatres are multiplex-style buildings. In the downtown core, there are only two theatres: the Capitol 4 and the Galaxy. The city's other movie theatres are the Rainbow (a second-run cinema) and the Centre Cinemas, located adjacent to each other in The Centre mall on the city's east side.

Royal presence

Main article: Saskatoon Royal Connections

Visitors to Saskatoon

Parliamentary democracy has fostered tolerance and flexibility – a good balance between individual rights and collective responsibilities. And this is because the Constitutional Monarchy has always placed the emphasis on people in community – as it were, a national family with the Sovereign as its head.[25]

— Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 1987

Highlights

  • Several public schools are named for members of Canada's Royal family, including Ecole Victoria School, King George School, Queen Elizabeth School, Prince Philip School Princess Alexandra School, King Edward School (1912-1979).
  • Existing and historic hotels have had royal namesakes, including the King George (1912), the King Edward (1906), the Queen's Hotel, the Royal Hotel and the Patricia Hotel. The Hotel Bessborough was named for a Canadian Governor General who visited the landmark under construction in the 1930s.
  • Ramon John Hnatyshyn, 24th Governor General of Canada, was born in Saskatoon and attended Victoria School, Nutana Collegiate Institute, and the University of Saskatchewan.
  • Royal University Hospital is one of four royally-designated organisations or institutions in Saskatchewan.
  • 378 Saskatoon residents were recipients of Canada's Golden Jubilee Medal, awarded to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Queen of Canada's accession to the throne.
  • Several neighbourhoods, parks and streets also have royal namesakes, including King George and Queen Elizabeth neighbourhoods, Victoria and Coronation parks, Prince of Wales Avenue, Princess Street, King Street, King Crescent, Royal Avenue, Windsor Street, Queen Street, Victoria Avenue, Balmoral Street, Empress Avenue, Empress Street.

Sports and recreation

File:S-633.jpg
University of Saskatchewan Huskies at Griffiths Stadium.

Ice hockey is one of the most popular sports in Saskatoon and is home to many strong amateur teams. Such as the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL, who host their games in Credit Union Centre (formerly known as Saskatchewan Place). As well Saskatoon is home to many amateur teams at the Junior B and Midget AAA levels, as well as several youth teams. The biggest chance for professional hockey came in 1982. Bill Hunter, a local sports promoter, attempted to purchase the St. Louis Blues of the NHL and move it to Saskatoon, but the move was prevented by the league. This was due to Saskatchewan's and especially Saskatoon's small size in relation to both St. Louis and the other cities in the NHL at the time. However, it did cause the building of the Credit Union Centre, on the city's northern edge. Credit Union Centre Seats approximately 11,000 people for ice hockey

As for women's hockey, Saskatoon and the province as a whole are represented by the Saskatchewan Prairie Ice of the NWHL, which is based near Regina in Lumsden. However, there is a strong youth female hockey presence in Saskatoon with a Midget AAA team and several youth teams in the city.

Canadian football is likely [weasel words]the most successful on field sport in Saskatoon. The Saskatoon Hilltops of the Canadian Junior Football League host their games at Gordie Howe Bowl. The Hilltops have won 12 national junior championships throughout their history. As well, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies are one of the top University football programs in Canada. The Huskies have played in four of the last five Vanier Cup games, including the most recent in 2006 held in Saskatoon. As well, many Saskatonians support the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL. The Roughriders play in Regina but are notable for their strong support from all areas of the province.

Baseball, however has been less than well supported in Saskatoon. [citation needed] The Saskatoon Yellow Jackets college summer league baseball team is a member of the Western Major Baseball League and play their games at Cairns Field. They are not affiliated with any Major League Baseball team nor do they carry any professional players. In the past other teams have attempted to grace Saskatoon's professional sports landscape including the Saskatoon Riot, Saskatoon Smokin' Guns, Saskatoon Stallions and the latest being the Saskatoon Legends, who folded during the 2003 season. However, there is hope that the Golden Baseball League will find an owner for its proposed Saskatoon franchise and begin play in 2008 or 2009 at Cairns Field.

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies play Canadian Interuniversity Sport league games at the University Campus. Their facilities include 4,997 seat Griffiths Stadium, 700 seat Rutherford Arena, and a new state-of-the-art Physical Activity Complex that opened in August 2003 with the opening of the new College of Kinesiology Building. The Huskies participate in twelve sports at the CIS level and have been most successful in men's hockey and football lately.

In 2007, two new sports teams came into being in Saskatoon, the Saskatchewan SWAT of the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League and the Saskatoon Accelerators in the Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League. The Accelerators play at Credit Union Centre, while the SWAT split their games between Credit Union Centre and Kinsmen Arena. The SWAT play Tier I, Junior B lacrosse and will play their inaugural season in early 2007. The indoor soccer franchise intends to begin full operations in 2008.

Motor racing is a popular sport in Saskatoon. Saskatchewan International Raceway has been in operation for over 40 years; SIR is home to 1/4 mile NHRA drag racing and holds racing events from May to September. As well, just north of the city lies Auto Clearing Motor Speedway; the track is home to local stock car racing, as well as races for several different Western Canadian series.

For horse racing fans, Marquis Downs at Prairieland Park offers live horse racing from May to October.

On the recreation side, Lions Skatepark was built in the Riversdale area in 2003. As well Saskatoon is home to several golf courses and various parks which include tennis courts, ball diamonds and soccer pitches for spring, summer and fall use and outdoor rinks for winter use. Blackstrap Ski Hill is also located 30 minutes south of the city.

See: List of Sports Franchises in Saskatoon

Facilities and services

Local media

Main article: List of Saskatoon media

Shopping centres

Main article: List of shopping malls in Saskatoon

Law and order

Hospitals

Sister cities

Notables

Notable persons who were born, grew up or lived in Saskatoon:

Movies and television

  • In the 1949 movie "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court," Bing Crosby calls out "Saskatoon Saskatchewan" as part of a magical incantation to bring on a total eclipse of the Sun, and to save himself from execution.


Television Series

  • In a "Simpsons" episode, Homer, upon obtaining Canadian health cards in order to get cheap drugs, is told that he can buy enough drugs "to make Regina look like Saskatoon."

Music

  • Rock band Wide Mouth Mason, who hail from Saskatoon, have a song titled "Unfolding" that contains the lyric "It's a lazy afternoon on the eastside of Saskatoon."
  • Canadian rock group The Guess Who recorded a song called "Running Back To Saskatoon."
  • Johnny Cash co-wrote and recorded a song called "The Girl From Saskatoon."
  • A verse in country singer Sammy Kershaw's song "Anywhere But Here" goes "Well I hear it's cold up in Saskatoon but it couldn't be colder than our bedroom."
  • A verse in City and Colour's song "Comin' Home" goes "I've been through the Rockies, I've seen Saskatoon."
  • Punk band No Fun At All's song "My Extraordinary Mind" contains the lyrics "Sunday afternoon, I was bending every spoon/Stopping all the clocks in Saskatoon."
  • The opening line of the Tragically Hip song "Wheat Kings" refers to Saskatoon: "Sundown in the Paris of the Prairies . . ."
  • In the movie Slap Shot, Sonny James sings a song called "A Little Bit South of Saskatoon."
  • Soul Coughing in their song "Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago," proclaims, "Saskatoon is in the room."
  • Old Crow Medicine Show in their song Cocaine Habit Saskatoon is mentioned.
  • In his song, West St. James, Winnipeg singer Greg Macpherson mentions Saskatoon: "After a 7 hour delay in Saskatoon yesterday."
  • The Men They Couldn't Hang in their song "Grave Robbing in Gig Harbour" refer to a dead beauty queen and the man who loved her: "She was extricated from her tomb / By a broken man from Saskatoon"

Books

Surrounding Communities

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c d City of Saskatoon Quick Facts
  2. ^ Population and dwelling counts, for Canada and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data
  3. ^ City of Saskatoon Population Projection 2006-2011, p. 11, Figure 10.
  4. ^ POW City Kinsmen Club
  5. ^ The Sentinel January 2006, This Month in History URL accessed February 2, 2007
  6. ^ a b Saskatoon population up 2.8%, Regina up 0.6%, CBC News (Canadian Press), March 13, 2007.
  7. ^ Aboriginal Conditions in Census Metropolitan Areas, 1981-2001, Statistics Canada, ISBN 0-662-40884-5, Table 1.
  8. ^ Aboriginal Conditions in Census Metropolitan Areas, 1981-2001, Statistics Canada, ISBN 0-662-40884-5, Figure 3.
  9. ^ http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/story.html?id=e642ba30-1bd3-4ce1-94fe-ccc806bb05e9&k=12393
  10. ^ http://www.thestar.com/article/302452
  11. ^ http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/170863975.html
  12. ^ http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/third_page/story.html?id=7fdf9acf-543f-4ee7-b4f3-90a39ef8b6c0
  13. ^ http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/story.html?id=65aaaf95-12b1-476e-9696-564c5e3230c4&k=97468
  14. ^ Department of Industry and Resources
  15. ^ http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/story.html?id=6f529f42-0ae0-48a7-9fd9-044ae76c8b81&k=56849
  16. ^ http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewan/story/2007/03/01/hogs.html
  17. ^ Government of Saskatchewan News
  18. ^ a b c d Urban Reserves in Saskatchewan, Western Economic Diversification Canada.
  19. ^ Urban Reserves: The City of Saskatoon's Partnership with First Nations, Lorne A. Sully and Mark D. Emmons, City Planning Branch, City of Saskatoon, April 22, 2004.
  20. ^ a b Common Questions, Theresa Dust, Q.C. (City Solicitor for the City of Saskatoon), 2006.
  21. ^ Business at home in Pleasant Hill, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, January 5, 2007.
  22. ^ Osborn, Liz. "Hottest Spots in Canada". Current Results. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
  23. ^ "Meewasin Trail and Facilities". Retrieved 2008-03-10.
  24. ^ "Meewasin Valley Centre". Retrieved 2008-03-10.
  25. ^ Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, in Saskatoon, 1987
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