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This article is about the Canadian province. For the river, see Saskatchewan River.
Saskatchewan
Map
CountryCanada
ConfederationSeptember 1, 1905 (Split from NWT) (9th (province))
Government
 • Lieutenant-GovernorGordon Barnhart
 • PremierLorne Calvert
Federal representationParliament of Canada
House seats14 of 338 (4.1%)
Senate seats6 of 105 (5.7%)
Population
 • Total
1,132,505
GDP
 • Rank5th
 • Total (2005)$42.490 billion
 • Per capita$42,742 (5th)
Canadian postal abbr.
SK
Postal code prefix
S
Rankings include all provinces and territories

Saskatchewan is the middle province of Canada's three prairie provinces. It has an area of 651,900 km² (251,700 mi²) and a population of 985,386 (Saskatchewanians) as of July 1, 2006. Most of its population lives in the southern half of the province. The largest city is Saskatoon with a population of 235,800 (July 1, 2005), followed by the province's capital, Regina (population: 199,000, July 1, 2005). Other major cities (in order of size) include Prince Albert, Moose Jaw, Yorkton, Swift Current, and North Battleford. See also List of communities in Saskatchewan.

The province's name comes from the Saskatchewan River, whose name comes from its Cree designation: kisiskāciwani-sīpiy (Cree syllabics: ᑭᓯᐢᑳᒋᐘᓂ ᓯᐱᐩ), meaning "swift flowing river".[1]

Geography

Saskatchewan is a quadrilateral; however, due to its size, the 49th parallel boundary and the 60th northern border appear curved. In addition, 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 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. It is also one of only two provinces that are completely land-locked. 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°, 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 kilometers. 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, 1,468 metres (4,816') is located in the Cypress Hills. The lowest point, 213 metres (700') is the shore of Lake Athabasca in the far north. The province has nine distinct drainage basins [1] [2] made up of various rivers and watersheds draining into the Arctic Ocean, Hudson Bay, and Gulf of Mexico.

Municipalities

Ten largest municipalities by population

Municipality 1996 2001 2006
Saskatoon 193,653 196,811 206,500
Regina 180,404 178,225 199,000
Prince Albert 34,777 34,291 41,072
Moose Jaw 32,973 32,131
Yorkton 15,154 15,107
Swift Current 14,890 14,821
North Battleford 14,051 13,692
Estevan 10,752 10,242
Weyburn 9,723 9,534
Corman Park 7,142 8,093

Note that the list does not include Lloydminster, which has a total population of 23,632 but straddles the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. As of 2001, only 7,840 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 5000 or more receive official city status.

Economy

Saskatchewan's economy is associated with agriculture; 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 45% of Canada's grain. Wheat is the most familiar crop, and perhaps the one stereotypically associated with the province, but other grains like canola, flax, rye, oats, peas, lentils, 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 leader in potash exports. In the northern part of the province, forestry is significant.

Oil and Natural Gas production is also a very important part of Saskatchewan's economy. Oil and natural gas production is only exceeded by Alberta. 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 is also the world's most important supplier of uranium, and supplies much of the western world's supplies. The uranium industry is closely regulated by the provincial government which allows the government of Saskatchewan great latitude in setting world uranium prices.

Saskatchewan's GDP in 2003 was approximately $32 billion (Canadian), with economic sectors breaking down in the following way:

%age 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
5.0 construction
5.3 other

Important private-sector firms headquartered in Saskatchewan include the Hill family's Harvard Developments, the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, Concentra Financial Services, the steelmaker Ipsco (though its operational headquarters is in Lisle, a suburb of Chicago), farm implement manufacturer Brandt Industries, PotashCorp, and Cameco.

Crown corporations include major Saskatchewan-based entities are 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.

History

For more information on the history of the province of Saskatchewan see also Saskatchewan History

Prior to European settlement, Saskatchewan was populated by various indigenous peoples of North America including members of the Athabaskan, Algonquian, Cree 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 by Samuel Hearne in 1774.

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 the 1870s, the Government of Canada formed the Northwest Territories to administer the vast territory between British Columbia and Manitoba. The government 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. Soon after, the First Nations were forced onto reserves.

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 American border.

In 1876, following the Battle of Little Bighorn Lakota chief Sitting Bull led several thousand of his people to Wood Mountain. Wood Mountain Reserve was founded in 1914.

Many Métis people, who had not been signatories to a treaty, had moved to the Saskatchewan Rivers district north of present-day Saskatoon following the Red River Resistance 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 prairies by the new Canadian Pacific Railway. Riel surrendered and was convicted of treason in a packed Regina courtroom. He was hanged on November 16, 1885.

As more settlers came to the prairies on the railway, the population grew, and Saskatchewan became a province on September 1, 1905; inauguration day was held September 4.

The Homestead Act permitted settlers to acquire ¼mi² 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, a prosperous agrarian society was established.

In 1913, the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association was established as Saskatchewan's first ranchers' organization. (See Logo Here) Three objectives were laid out at the founding convention in 1913 have served as a guide: to watch over legislation; to forward the interests of the Stock Growers in every honorable 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 and had close ties with the governing Liberal party.


In the late 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan imported from the U. S. and Ontario, gained brief popularity in WASP nativist circles in Saskatchewan and Alberta. The province had the distinction of having the largest per-capita membership in the KKK of any political jurisdiction in North America. 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, then disappeared, the victim of widespread political and media opposition, plus scandals involving their own funds.

In 1970, the first annual Canadian Western Agribition was held in Regina. This farm industry trade show, with a heavy 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.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan has the same form of government[2] as the other Canadian provinces with a Lieutenant-Governor (who is the representative of the Crown in Right of Saskatchewan), premier, and a unicameral legislature.

For many years, Saskatchewan has been one of Canada's more left-leaning 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 MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly) represented rural and small-town ridings. Under his CCF Cooperative Commonwealth Federation government, Saskatchewan became the first province to have Medicare, billed at the time as government-funded mandatory universal medical insurance. In 1961, Douglas left provincial politics to become the first leader of the federal New Democratic Party.

Today, the official opposition in the province is the Saskatchewan Party, a new party built since 1997 out of the remains of the Tories and former Liberals and even a small number of New Democrat frustrated by the NDP's inability to "grow" the economy and population. The current premier of Saskatchewan is New Democrat Lorne Calvert, whose government was re-elected in the 2003 election with a slim majority -- the NDP won 30 seats in the 58-seat Legislative Assembly, while the Saskatchewan Party won the remaining 28 seats. Most NDP MLAs represent cities and towns while most SP MLAs represent rural ridings. Paradoxically, despite the NDP's three long stretches as the provincial government, the province leans more to the right in federal politics. Of the 14 federal constituencies in Saskatchewan, 12 are currently member of the Conservative Party of Canada. While the province has a slim majority NDP provincial government, the federal NDP has been shut out of the province for two consecutive elections. The only Liberal MPs are former Finance Minister Ralph Goodale and Gary Merasty, whose election win brought allegations over possible election fraud.

Provincial Flag

Saskatchewan's flag was officially dedicated on 22nd September, 1969. The flag features the Armorial Bearing (Coat-of-Arms) in the upper quarter nearest the staff, with the floral emblem, the Prairie Lily, in the fly. The upper green half of the flag represents the northern Saskatchewan forest lands, while the gold lower half symbolises the southern, prairie wheat-fields. The design was a prize-winning entry of a Province-wide competition that drew over 4000 entries, by Anthony Drake, then living in Hodgeville, Saskatchewan.

Centennial celebrations

File:Sask.jpg
The Saskatchewan Centennial Coin.

In 2005, Saskatchewan celebrated its centennial. To honour it the Royal Canadian Mint issued a commemorative 5-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 Joni Mitchell issued an album in Saskatchewan's honour.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan's population since 1901
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 -2.8 3
1951 831,728 n/a -7.2 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 -3.0 0.1 6
1976 921,325 -0.5 3.6 6
1981 968,313 5.1 4.5 6
1986 1,009,613 4.3 9.6 6
1991 988,928 -2.0 2.1 6
1996 976,615 -1.2 -3.3 6
2001 978,933 0.2 -1.0 6
2006 985,386 0.7 0.9 6

Source: Statistics Canada.[3][4]

Education

Main article: Saskatchewan in popular culture

Music

  • The lyricist Cole Porter wrote in "Can Can," "If a lass in Michigan can, If an ass in Astrakhan can, If a bass in the Saskatchewan can, Baby, you can can-can too."
  • In the Proclaimers' song "Cap in Hand" there is a line that goes "I can tell the difference between margarine and butter, I can say Saskatchewan without starting to stutter."
  • In the song "AF607105" Charlotte Gainsbourg sings, "My heart is breaking somewhere over Saskatchewan."
  • The song "The Last Saskatchewan Pirate" by The Arrogant Worms is about a farmer who takes up piracy on the Saskatchewan River.
  • Les Trois Accords wrote and recorded "Saskatchewan," a love song which features the province's name prominently in its lyrics.
  • In the song "Canadian Idiot" by Weird Al Yankovic he says, "They dream of driving a Zamboni all over Saskatchewan."
  • Johnny Cash co-wrote and recorded a song called "Girl from Saskatoon."
  • The Guess Who has a song called "Runnin' Back to Saskatoon"; it also mentions Moose Jaw and Moosomin.
  • Soul Coughing in their song "Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago," proclaims, "Saskatoon is in the room."

Film

TV

Books

  • John le Carre's novel The Constant Gardener features Saskatchewan prominently in one of its chapters, but has a number of amusing errors that suggest Le Carre did not actually visit the province.
  • In Arthur Hailey's novel Hotel, when a witness describes the out of state licence plates of a suspect, Saskatchewan is mentioned as one of the few states/provinces the car could have come from.

Miscellany

  • Saskatchewan sends more players per capita to the NHL than any other province or state. [citation needed]
  • Saskatchewan's licence plates depict three stalks of wheat and bear the slogan "Land of Living Skies."
  • Saskatchewan's heraldic shield contains a red lion on a yellow field, reversing the conventional heraldic colours, indicating the prairie fires of this region during the pre-settlement North-West Territories.
  • With approximately 250 golf courses Saskatchewan has more courses per capita than anywhere else in the world. [citation needed]
  • In 1885, Canada's first "naval battle" was fought in Saskatchewan, when a steamship engaged the Métis at Batoche in the North-West Rebellion.[5]

Arts and culture

Museums and galleries

Artist-Run centres

Individual artists

Law and order

Police agencies

Correctional facilities

File:Saskmap2.PNG

See also

Bibliography

  • 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: Pioneer Adaptation and Community Building. An Anthropological History. U. of Nebraska Pr., 1995. 311 pp.
  • 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: U. of Regina, 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 Press, 1992
  • Smith, Dennis. Rogue Tory: The Life and Legend of John G. Diefenbaker. Toronto: Macfarlane Walter & Ross, 1995. 702 pp.
  • Smith, David E., ed. Building a Province: A History of Saskatchewan in Documents. Saskatoon: Fifth House, 1993. 443 pp.
  • Bill Waiser. Saskatchewan: A New History (2006)

Notes

  1. ^ Name Source from the Government of Canada
  2. ^ Government of Saskatchewan. "official page". Retrieved 2007-02-15.
  3. ^ The history of Saskatchewan's population from Statistics Canada
  4. ^ Canada's population. Statistics Canada. Last accessed September 28, 2006.
  5. ^ Batoche by Dave Yanko
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