Straddling a bend in the South Saskatchewan River at the heart of the province, Saskatoon has grown from a small temperance colony founded in 1882 into Saskatchewan’s largest city. It sits along the Trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway in the central region of the province, where it has long functioned as the cultural and economic centre of the surrounding area. The city takes its name from the saskatoon berry, a sweet, violet-coloured serviceberry native to the region. The word itself traces back to the Cree noun misâskwatômina, meaning ‘saskatoon berries,’ though the exact story of how the name came to be attached to the settlement is not entirely certain. The most well-known account has founder John Neilson Lake being handed a handful of the berries in August 1883 and exclaiming, ‘Arise Saskatoon, Queen of the North!’ Scholars consider it more likely, however, that the name derived from a term already in use – manemesaskwatan, meaning ‘the place where willows are cut,’ referring to the Cree practice of harvesting saskatoon berry willows for arrow shafts.
Population and Growth
According to the 2021 census, Saskatoon had a city population of 266,141, making it the 17th largest Census Metropolitan Area in Canada, with the broader metro area recording 317,480 residents. The Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344, which surrounds the city, is the most populous rural municipality in Saskatchewan and contains a number of developments connected to Saskatoon. The city has a significant Indigenous population and several urban reserves within its boundaries. Saskatoon is widely known by two nicknames: the ‘Paris of the Prairies’ and ‘The City of Bridges,’ the latter a reference to its nine river crossings.
Neighbourhoods and History
Three historic neighbourhoods – Nutana, Riversdale, and Sutherland – each began as separate towns before amalgamating with Saskatoon when it incorporated as a city in 1906. Nutana and Riversdale, along with their historic main streets of Broadway Avenue and 20th Street, are currently seeing considerable reinvestment alongside the downtown core. Sutherland, which developed as a rail town beyond the lands of the University of Saskatchewan, was annexed by the city in 1956. The Toronto-based Temperance Colonization Society was granted 21 sections of land straddling the South Saskatchewan River in 1882, marking the formal beginning of the settlement.
Landmarks and Points of Interest
The University of Saskatchewan is one of the city’s most prominent institutions. The Meewasin Valley Authority oversees the protection of the South Saskatchewan River corridor and manages the riverbank park spaces that are popular with residents year-round. Just outside the city, within the Rural Municipality of Corman Park, sits Wanuskewin Heritage Park, a National Historic Site of Canada and a UNESCO World Heritage applicant. The site documents over 6,000 years of First Nations history and is among the most significant cultural heritage sites on the Canadian prairies.