Moving to Saskatchewan

Trivia

• located in the central prairie region of Canada
• Alberta is west, Manitoba is east
• U.S. to the south and Northwest Territories to the north
• Regina, the capital city, is often called “The Queen City”.
• Regina is the home of the RCMP Training Academy.
• flower – Western Red Lily, tree – White Birch, bird – Sharp-tailed Grouse
• motto: “From many peoples strength”
• “Saskatchewan” comes from a Cree word “Kisiskatchewani Sipi” meaning “swift flowing river”, which referred to the Saskatchewan River.

Land and water

• one half is forest, one third is farmland
• over 100,000 lakes, rivers, streams
• northern Saskatchewan : forests, marshes, lakes, rivers
• southern region is mainly flat prairie with some rolling hills and valleys
• sand dunes 30 m. high at Athabasca Provincial Park in northwest Saskatchewan
• “Great Sand Hills” region in southwest Saskatchewan
• main rivers: Assiniboine, North and South Saskatchewan and Churchill

The people

• First people : Chipewyan (north) , Assiniboine (east), Blackfoot (west) and Cree
• Métis (of mixed European and Aboriginal descent) were among the first settlers.
• majority of Saskatchewanians are of British origin, followed by Germans and Austrians, native people, Ukrainians, Scandinavians, and French
• population just over a million (2008)
• largest cities – Regina and Saskatoon
• population of (2006 census metropolitan area): Regina (194,971), Saskatoon (234,000)

History

• The earliest explorer was Henry Kelsey (1690).
• Samuel Hearne built trading posts for the Hudson’s Bay Company.
• English and French trappers and fur traders arrived.
• Forts were built to maintain law and order.
• In 1874 North West Mounted Police arrived to establish law and order.
• Settlers were encouraged to come for free land for homesteads.
• The railroad was built across the southern part of the province in 1882-83.
• Settlers came from eastern Canada, British Isles, the US, and continental Europe.
• Immigrants arrived in large groups and settled in different regions.
• Settlers included Barr colonists from England, Doukhobors from Russia, Hutterites, Mennonites, Hungarians, Ukrainians, French, Germans and Scandinavians.
• Saskatchewan became a province in 1905 with Regina as the capital.

Climate

• long, cold winters and hot, dry summers
• polar air masses bring winter storms with nasty wind chills and blowing snow
• windy both winter and summer

Economy

• grow over 54 percent of Canada’s wheat crop
• crops include canola, rye, oats, barley, flaxseeds, wheat, lentils
• raising hogs, cattle and poultry on farms
• forestry in northern Saskatchewan
• rich in minerals (potash, uranium, coal, oil and natural gas)
• world leader in the production of uranium
• leading exporter of potash ( fertilizer )
• Canada’s second largest producer of oil (after Alberta)
• third largest producer of natural gas in Canada

People and places

• W.O. MITCHELL (born in Weyburn) wrote about prairie life in his book “Who Has Seen the Wind”.
• JEANNE SAUVE (born in Prud’homme) was the first woman to become Governor General of Canada.
• GORDIE HOWE, one of the greatest hockey player of the NHL was born in Floral, Sask.
• ALLAN SAPP, a world-renowned Plains-Cree artist was born on the Red Pheasant Reserve.
• BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE, a well-known singer/songwriter, was born on the Piapot Reserve in the Qu’Appelle Valley -Tunnels of Moose Jaw : underground passageways used by the Chinese, gangsters and bootleggers.
• Big Muddy Badlands : unusual land formations and petroglyphs
• Wanuskewin Heritage Park: archaeological digs provide information about the Indians of the Northern Plains
• RCMP Heritage Centre and Training Academy in Regina
• Grasslands National Park: original shortgrass prairie, herds of pronghorn, rattlesnakes, endangered black-tailed prairie dogs, burrowing owls and peregrine falcon
• Prince Albert National Park: only protected white pelican nesting colony in Canada, cabin of Grey Owl, herd of plains bison