History
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Saskatoon is a commercial and educational centre located on Treaty Six Territory and the Homeland of the Métis in what is now the province of Saskatchewan. It lies along a bend of the South Saskatchewan River, 346 km north of the Canada-US border, 224 km from Alberta and 344 km from Manitoba. It is central Saskatchewan’s great crossroads; a hub for water, rail, and highway crossings east and west, north and south. Although European settlement of Saskatoon did not begin until the 1880s, people have been living in and travelling through the Saskatoon area for around 11,000 years.
The Temperance Colony Settlement
In 1881, a group of temperance activists from Ontario formed the Temperance Colonization Society (TCS), with the idea of creating an agricultural colony on the prairies, dedicated to the ideals of the Temperance Movement, a philosophy which blamed alcohol for most of the ills that beset society. Take away the alcohol, the reasoning went, and you took away the ills.
At the same time, the Canadian government was hoping to stimulate agricultural settlement on the prairies by offering huge blocks of land to colonization companies. For the TCS, therefore, the new colony would not only be an agricultural and social utopia, but also a chance to make a tidy profit from selling land to prospective settlers.
They soon signed up 3,100 would-be colonists for more than two million acres, and by June of 1882, John Lake--a Methodist minister turned entrepreneur--was scouting out possible colony sites along the South Saskatchewan River.
As it turned out, the colony’s land grant comprised only 313,000 acres. It extended along both sides of the South Saskatchewan River, from Clarke’s Crossing (present-day Clarkboro) in the north to Moose Woods (the present-day Whitecap First Nation) in the south. It was to include a centrally-located townsite to act as a service centre for the surrounding farms. On the advice of Chief White Cap of Moose Woods, Lake chose the site we now call "Nutana" as a place to plant the new town.
Lake returned the following year to survey the colony. The first Temperance Colony settlers traveled by railway from Ontario to Moose Jaw and then made the grueling 160 mile trip to Saskatoon in horse-drawn carts.
Village to City
Saskatoon grew slowly. There was no railway and the river was too shallow and too full of shifting sandbars for easy navigation. (One steamboat captain remarked to the effect that one did not sail down the South Saskatchewan so much as hopped from sandbar to sandbar.) Sensationalized newspaper reports of the North-West Rebellion in 1885 also helped discourage settlement. Less than a dozen new settlers a year arrived in the district between 1885-1890. The TCS fell on lean times and, wracked by internal squabbles and lawsuits, folded in 1891.
In 1890, the railway finally arrived. That year the Qu’Appelle, Long Lake and Saskatchewan Railway Company bridged the river at Saskatoon. The railway snaked up from the south, following the course of what is now the Idylwyld Freeway and crossing the river where the Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge is now, on its way to Prince Albert. A new settlement soon developed on the west side of the river around the railway station.
By 1899 Saskatoon consisted of a few houses on the east side of the river and on the west side was the station house, the section foreman’s house, the Mounted Police barracks, a stone building, a hotel and about six other houses and shacks. In 1901 when the west bank settlement incorporated as a village, it kept the name of Saskatoon. The name of the original settlement on the east side was changed to Nutana. A third settlement, Riversdale, developed west of the railway tracks beginning in 1903. In 1906 with the promise of a traffic bridge and other civic improvements, the three settlements amalgamated to form a city. The trickle of immigrants was becoming a flood and Saskatoon became the fastest growing city in Canada.
Boom, Bust, War and Depression
By 1911, the population had more than doubled and Saskatoon had become what is still today: a major distribution centre for the surrounding agricultural district.
In the years leading up the First World War, Saskatoon’s economy boomed. The population exploded. New construction was everywhere. Speculators bought up land for miles around, subdividing it into streets and lots and re-selling it at sometimes enormous profits. Otherwise sober men dreamed of a city of 100,000 by 1920, in a province of 2 million inhabitants. It was not to be. The boom went bust in 1913, followed by the declaration of war with Germany in 1914.
With the exception of a few years in the late 1920s, the next 30 years were marked by economic and political upheavals of one sort or another, including Influenza Epidemic of 1918, the Great Depression of the 1930s and the great human tragedy known as the Second World War, from 1939-1945. After that war, Saskatoon underwent a huge housing crisis - as bad as or worse than that which followed the First World War in 1918. By the late 1940s things had settled down somewhat and the city entered a period of prosperity which has lasted - with exceptions - ever since.
Modern Times
With its dependence on agriculture, Saskatoon has experienced many "booms and busts" throughout its history. The expansion of the mining industry in the 1970s and 1980s (particularly potash) reduced this to some extent, and the future promises continued diversification through the emergence of more advanced technology industries and an increase in manufacturing, primarily to service the resource sector.
Although Saskatoon's pioneers came mostly from Ontario or Great Britain, the city is now home to people from around the world as well as to a large First Nations population. This ethnic diversity is a dynamic component of the rich culture which makes Saskatoon such an interesting place to live.
Saskatoon became the central city of central Saskatchewan because a small group of pioneer businessmen tirelessly lobbied to make sure the railways came to their town. By 1908 three railway bridges and a traffic bridge crossed the South Saskatchewan and Saskatoon was the hub of a transportation network. Today five of the city’s seven bridges are motor vehicle bridges and only two carry rail traffic. But Saskatoon remains the place where many trails cross.
City Council and Significant Dates
Municipal elections are held in the fall. Until 1954, Saskatoon's mayors served one-year terms while City Councillors (aldermen, until 1991) were elected for two years. After 1954, both served for two-year terms. Beginning with the 1970 election, terms for both were extended to three years, and to four years starting in 2016. Until the 1976 election, terms didn't start until the new year. The years of service given are actual calendar years (give or take a day or two). But beginning in 1976 year, the Mayor and Council were sworn in at the next meeting after the election, so that an alderman whose dates of service are 1976-1979 has served from Nov 1, 1976 to Nov. 5, 1979.
Saskatoon's Mayors, 1901-2022
Name | Term(s) |
---|---|
Don W. Garrison (Overseer) | 1901 - 1902 |
James R. Wilson | 1903 - 1904; 1907 - 1908 |
Malcolm Isbister | 1905 |
James Clinkskill | 1906; 1911 - 1912 |
William Hopkins | 1909 - 1910 |
Frederick E. Harrison | 1913 - 1915 |
Alexander M. Young | 1916 - 1918; 1920 - 1921 |
Frank R. MacMillan | 1919 |
Howard McConnell | 1922 - 1923 |
W.H. Clare | 1924 - 1925 |
Russell Wilson | 1926 |
G.W. Norman | 1927 - 1929 |
J.W. Hair | 1930 - 1931 |
J.E. Underwood | 1932 |
J.S. Mills | 1933 - 1934; 1949 - 1953 |
Robert M. Pinder | 1935 - 1938 |
Carl Niderost | 1939 - 1940 |
S.N. MacEachern | 1941 - 1943 |
A.W. Macpherson | 1944 - 1948 |
J.D. McAskill | 1954 - 1958 |
Sidney L. Buckwold | 1958 - 1963; 1967 - 1971 |
Percy C. Klaehn | 1964 |
E.J. Cole | 1965 - 1966 |
Herbert S. "Bert" Sears | 1972 - 1976 |
Cliff E. Wright | 1976 - 1988 |
Henry Dayday | 1988 - 2000 |
James Maddin | 2000 - 2003 |
Don Atchison | 2003 - 2016 |
Charlie Clark | 2016 - |
Aldermen and Councillors, 1903-2022
Name | Term(s) |
---|---|
Alexander, George S. | 1908 - 1909 |
Alm, Terry | 2003 - 2006 |
Anderson, John H. | 1911 - 1914 |
Anderson, William | 1922 - 1924 |
Archibald, Jacob L. | 1908 |
Ashworth, John | 1906, 1910 |
*Atchison, Don | 1994 - 2003 |
Baillie, Hugh J. | 1915 - 1916 |
Baker, Henry | 1905 - 1906 |
Bell, William J. | 1906 - 1907 |
Bence, Alfred E. | 1916 - 1918 |
Bence, Alfred H. | 1939 - 1940, 1947 - 1952 |
Birkmaier, Donna L. | 1976 - 1979, 1982 - 1988, 1991 - 2000, 2003 - 2006 |
Blackstock, John F. | 1912 |
Blain, Edward S. | 1909 - 1910 |
Blain, Frederick A. | 1906, 1921 - 1942 |
Block, Cynthia. | 2016 - |
Bolton, Collins W. | 1919 - 1923 |
Borlase, William C. | 1917 |
Bowerman, Allan | 1903 - 1905 |
Bowman, Aden | 1941 - 1952 |
Bowman, Lillie F. | 1955 - 1964 |
Brainerd, Benjamin | 1909 |
Brockelbank, John | 1982 - 1985 |
*Buckwold, Sidney L. | 1953 - 1958 |
Bushe, Seymour E. | 1938 - 1951 |
Cairns, John | 1927 - 1931, 1933 - 1936, 1948 - 1961, 1964 - 1966 |
Calder, Leonard G. | 1907 |
Cameron, John H. | 1931 - 1938 |
Carrothers, William A. | 1930 |
Caswell, Robert W. | 1908 - 1909, 1911 - 1912, 1916 |
Caswell, Walter B. | 1935 - 1946 |
Cavers, A. Douglas | 1939 - 1940 |
Charlebois, J. Jeffrey | 1965 - 1966 |
Cherneskey, Morris T. | 1970 - 1994 |
Chubb, Benjamin | 1905 |
Clare, George H. | 1907 - 1908, 1911 - 1914 |
*Clare, William H. | 1917 - 1922 |
*Clark, Charlie | 2006 - 2016 |
Clark, Septimus A. | 1905 - 1906 |
Clarke, F. Nelson | 1942 |
Copland, Thomas | 1903 - 1904, 1906 |
Cornish, Frank E. | 1920 - 1921 |
Coy, William H. | 1906 |
Crimp, Edward H. | 1930 - 1933 |
Cronkite, Frederick C. | 1941 - 1946, 1949 - 1952 |
Currie, Peter H. | 1906 |
Davies, Troy | 2012 - |
*Dayday, Henry | 1976 - 1988 |
Dickson, Alexander F. | 1919 - 1923 |
Donauer, Randy | 2010 - |
Drinkle, John C. | 1907 - 1908 |
Dubois, Bev | 2003 - 2012; 2016 - |
Dulmage, Robert W. | 1903 |
Dyck, Bev | 1985 - 1994 |
Dyck, George C. | 1974 - 1979 |
Early, Spencer A. | 1916 - 1917, 1934 - 1947 |
Eddy, Alexander M. | 1928 - 1938, 1941 - 1946 |
Edwards, Evelyn G. | 1967 - 1971 |
Fawcett, Thomas W. | 1913 - 1916 |
Ferguson, John D. | 1908 - 1909 |
Flavelle, William T.A. | 1953 - 1954, 1961 - 1966 |
Forrester, George A. | 1940 - 1941 |
Fortosky, Owen | 2000 - 2006 |
Freeland, Robert H. | 1952 - 1954 |
Galloway, John | 1918 |
Gersher, Serena | 2016 - |
Gordon, Elliott | 1913 |
Gougeon, Xavier | 1903 - 1904 |
Gough, Hilary. | 2016 - |
Gray, William E. | 1945 - 1960 |
Guppy, Frederick E. | 1909 - 1910, 1926 - 1927 |
*Hair, John W. | 1926, 1928 - 1929, 1932 - 1933 |
Harding, Howard | 1997 - 2000 |
*Harrison, Frederick E. | 1911 - 1912 |
Hawthorne, Marshall | 1979 - 1994 |
Heidt, Myles | 1994 - 2012 |
Heggie, Robert A. | 1954 - 1963 |
Hettle, John O. | 1915 |
Hill, Darren | 2006 - |
Hnatyshyn, Elaine | 2003 - 2006 |
Holmes, George E. | 1909 - 1911 |
*Hopkins, William | 1906 - 1908 |
Hughes, Helen | 1976 - 1980 |
Hunt, George L. | 1952 - 1954 |
Hunter, Robert H. | 1934 - 1951 |
Irvine, Robert B. | 1906, 1915 - 1918 |
Iwanchuk, Ann | 2011 - 2020 |
Jeffries, Zach | 2012 - |
Jordon, Ed | 1907 |
Junor, Donald | 1968 - 1979 |
Kirkpatrick, Walter P. | 1923 - 1924 |
Kirton, David | 2020 - |
*Klaehn, Percy C. | 1958 - 1963 |
Koyl, Donald H. | 1962 - 1964, 1967 - 1973 |
Langford, Anita | 1994 -2000 |
Langlois, Herve | 1994 - 1997 |
Latrace, Harold | 1964 - 1967 |
Laycock, John | 1916 |
Lennon, Thomas George | 1973 - 1976 |
Le Valley, Loran N. | 1911 - 1912 |
Lewin, Francis G. | 1917 - 1920 |
Loewen, Mairin | 2011 - |
Lorje, Pat | 1979 - 1991, 2006 - 2016 |
Lynd, Thomas A. | 1917 - 1922 |
MacDermid, John E. | 1934 - 1935 |
MacDougall, Andrew | 1912 - 1914 |
*MacEachern, Steve N. | 1934 - 1940 |
MacInnis, Murdock A. | 1912 - 1913 |
Mackenzie, C. Jack | 1929 - 1930 |
Macklem, John | 1925 - 1927, 1934 |
Maclean, Donald | 1911 - 1913 |
*MacMillan, Frank R. | 1914 - 1915 |
*Maddin, James | 1997 - 2000 |
Mahoney, Denis | 1924 - 1925 |
Makaroff, Peter G. | 1939 |
Mann, Owen R. | 1969 - 1979, 1980 - 1994 |
Manning, William G. | 1947 - 1951, 1954 - 1957 |
Martin, Herbert L. | 1917 - 1918 |
Massey, Henry L. | 1910 - 1911 |
Matheson, Foster M. | 1958 - 1960 |
*McAskill, John D. | 1953 |
McBeth, William H. | 1905 |
McCann, Peter | 1982 - 1985, 1991 - 2003 |
*McConnell, Howard | 1919 - 1921 |
McCool, Charles W. | 1947 - 1948 |
McDougal, John | 1929 - 1933 |
McIntosh, Anna B. | 1956 - 1959 |
McIntosh, Robert | 1903 - 1904, 1907, 1909 - 1910 |
*Mills, John S. | 1925 - 1928, 1930 - 1931, 1936 - 1938, 1946 - 1947 |
Milne, William A. | 1966 - 1969 |
Moore, Robinson J. | 1919 - 1928 |
Mostoway, Paul | 1988 - 1994 |
Munroe, George A. | 1909 - 1911 |
Munroe, Hugh E. | 1906 - 1908 |
Murray, George | 1928 - 1929 |
Nash, Charles | 1932 - 1934, 1936 - 1937 |
Neault, Maurice | 2003 - 2011 |
Needham, Charles A. | 1928 - 1929 |
Nelson, G. Blair | 1958 - 1965 |
Nesbitt, William G. | 1948 - 1957 |
*Niderost, Carl | 1935 - 1938 |
Nixon, Howard | 1982 - 1985 |
Nordstrum, Hilmer | 1972 - 1973 |
*Norman, George W. | 1917 - 1926 |
Olauson, Eric | 2012 - 2016 |
Olmstead, Joseph J. | 1930 - 1931, 1943 - 1944 |
O’Regan, Walter B. | 1931 - 1934 |
Paul, John E. | 1913 - 1915 |
Paulsen, Tiffany | 2000 - 2016 |
Penner, Glen H. | 1972 - 1976, 1979 - 1982, 1988 - 1994, 2000 - 2012 |
*Pinder, Robert M. | 1928 - 1933 |
Postlethwaite, Jill | 1994 - 1997 |
Potter, George W.A. | 1914 - 1917, 1925 - 1926 |
Preston, Richard F. | 1909 |
Priel, James | 1922 - 1928 |
Pringle, Bob | 2006 - 2010 |
Quigley, Thomas J. | 1957 - 1976 |
Robertson, Patrick A. | 1985 - 1991 |
Robinson, Gladys | 1965 |
Roe, Patricia | 1994 - 2003 |
*Sears, Herbert S. | 1951 - 1958, 1964 - 1971 |
Shannon, Austin H. | 1909 |
Smith, Alexander | 1908, 1910 - 1911, 1914 - 1915 |
Smith, John Archibald | 1903 - 1904 |
Smith, Rnold H. | 1960 - 1963 |
Snell, Eben M. | 1911 |
Sommerfeld, Paul L. | 1912 - 1913 |
Stacey, Charles T. | 1915 - 1916 |
Stacey, Francis L. | 1954 - 1956 |
Steernberg, Rik | 1994 - 2003 |
Stepney, William E. | 1916 |
Stewart, S. Edgar | 1910 |
Steward, William N. | 1941 - 1947 |
Sumner, Alfred J.E. | 1943 - 1945 |
Sutherland, William C. | 1905 - 1906 |
Swystun, Lenore | 2000 - 2003 |
Taylor, David S. | 1918 - 1919 |
Taylor, George J.D. | 1966 - 1982 |
Thomas, Durward G. | 1937 - 1940 |
Thompson, John C. | 1919 - 1921 |
Thompson, Mark | 1985 - 1994 |
Thomson, James H. | 1906 |
Tucker, James | 1927 - 1934 |
Turner, Harris | 1929 - 1930 |
*Underwood, Joseph | 1927 - 1931, 1934 - 1935 |
Walker, Albert S. | 1924 - 1927 |
Walker, Marjorie | 1948 - 1955 |
Ward, George | 1968 - 1970 |
Waygood, Kathryn | 1979 - 2003 |
Wedge, James B. | 1961 - 1968, 1971 - 1972 |
Whalley, Dave | 1979 - 1982 |
Wheaton, Cecil A. | 1958 - 1967 |
Willis, Walter R.C. | 1903 - 1904 |
Willoughby, John H.C. | 1907 - 1908, 1910 - 1911 |
Wilson, James W. | 1914 - 1919 |
Wilson, Oren | 1976 - 1982 |
*Wilson, Russell | 1906, 1923 - 1925 |
Wood, Walter A. | 1922 - 1924 |
*Wright, Clifford | 1967 - 1976 |
Wyant, Gordon | 2003 - 2010 |
*Young, Alexander M. | 1913 - 1914 |
Zakreski, Peter | 1974 - 1979 |
Significant Dates (1882-2008)
The following list of significant dates in Saskatoon's history is by no means complete. If you have any additions you'd like to suggest - or if you spot any mistakes - please contact the City Archives and let us know.
1882 | — | Saskatoon was chosen as a settlement site by a party under John Neilson Lake of the Temperance Colonization Society. |
1883 | Aug. 18 | Saskatoon officially founded. |
1884 | — | Ferry service across the river began. |
May 25 | First burial at what is now the Nutana Pioneer Cemetery (Robert Clark) took place. | |
Aug 9 | "The Sentinel" - Saskatoon's first newspaper - published. | |
1885 | May 3 | Houses on 11th Street were requisitioned to serve as military hospitals during Riel Rebellion. |
1888 | Jan. 7 | First classes were held in the original Victoria School ("The Little Stone School", since moved on to the University grounds) built at Broadway Avenue and 11th Street. |
1890 | Apr. 20 | Qu'Appelle, Long Lake and Saskatchewan Railway reached Saskatoon, crossing the river at the site of the present-day Idylwyld Freeway bridge. The first train crosses the bridge in June. Commercial development of west side of the river begins in earnest. |
1901 | — | Saskatoon's population reached 113. |
Nov. 16 | West bank settlement was incorporated as a village and took the name "Saskatoon". The east bank settlement re-named itself "Nutana". | |
1902 | Oct. 17 | Saskatoon "Phenix" first published (present-day "Star-Phoenix"). |
1903 | — | First telephone exchange established by Saskatoon pioneer Dr. J.H.C. Willoughby. |
— | First settlement occurred west of the tracks - in present-day Riversdale. | |
Apr. 6 | Village Overseer James Wilson reported on a census taken by himself showing the population of Saskatoon to be 544. | |
Apr. 17 | First trainload of Barr colonists camped near present-day Victoria Park before continuing their trek. | |
Jul. 1 | Saskatoon was incorporated as a town. | |
Oct. 3 | Nutana was incorporated as a village. | |
1904 | Apr. 15 | Railway Bridge was destroyed by ice during spring breakup. |
1905 | — | J.C. Drinkle drove Saskatoon's first automobile. |
Jan. 16 | Riversdale was incorporated as a village. | |
1906 | — | Saskatoon's first electrical generating plant (later the Waterworks) was built at Avenue H and 11th Street West. |
May 26 | The City Charter for the newly-incorporated City of Saskatoon (an amalgamation of the communities of Saskatoon, Nutana and Riversdale) was given Royal Assent in the provincial Legislature. It had a population of 4,500. | |
Jun. 21 | First City Council acclaimed following uncontested nomination meeting. | |
Jun. 26 | Inaugural meeting of the new Saskatoon City Council. | |
Jul. 1 | The newly-proclaimed City of Saskatoon officially celebrated its inauguration. | |
Nov. 21 | It was reported to Council that arrangements had been made with "Miss Sisley" to operate the newly-acquired Hatt property as a hospital until such time as the new Municipal Hospital was built. | |
1907 | Mar. 10 | St. Paul's Hospital opened. |
Aug. 7 | Saskatoon's first electric streetlights were switched on, to the accompaniment of a band contest and fireworks display. | |
Oct. 10 | "Traffic Bridge" officially opened, connecting Victoria Street on the Nutana side with 3rd Avenue. | |
1908 | Jun. 7 | Saskatoon's best known (and only) marine disaster occurred when the steamer "City of Medicine Hat" fetched up against one of the piers of the Traffic Bridge and sank. No lives were lost, fortunately. |
15 Jun. | CPR Station opened at 24th Street and Avenue A (now Idylwyld Drive), and the first train crossed the newly-completed 33rd St. Railway Bridge. | |
1909 | — | City Hospital-the first municipally owned hospital in Western Canada-opened. |
Apr. 7 | Saskatoon was chosen as site for University of Saskatchewan. | |
May 1 | Fire Hall No. 1 opened on 23rd Street across from City Hall. | |
Sep. 28 | University classes began in temporary quarters in the Drinkle Building and Victoria School. | |
Aug. 30 | Village of Sutherland (pop. 102) was incorporated near the Canadian Pacific Railway yards east of Saskatoon. | |
1910 | — | The 20th Street footbridge was built over CN's downtown rail yards to provide a pedestrian link between downtown and Riversdale. |
May 1 | Civic staff moved into the new Temporary City Offices, on the corner of 3rd Avenue and 21st Street (where the Public School Board building is now). | |
Aug. 15 | Construction of a grand stand in the West Side Park (present day Optimist Park on AVenue J and 18th St. West) was completed. | |
Dec. 15 | Construction was completed on City Market Building on Avenue A, north of 21st Street (site of present-day Fire Hall No. 1) | |
— | Nutana Collegiate opened. | |
May 4 | Construction began on permanent facilities for the new University. | |
1911 | — | A New power plant (christened the A.L. Cole Generating Station in 1954) was built at 19th Street and Avenue A. |
— | Saskatoon's population passed the 12,000 mark. | |
1912 | Mar. 4 | A train crashed through CNR Bridge (present day site of Idylwyld Bridge) injuring 12 passengers. |
Jun. 1 | Sutherland (population 1,000) was incorporated as a town. | |
Jun. 1 | City staff moved into their new offices in the old King Edward School building at 23rd St and 3rd Avenue - the present site of City Hall Square. | |
Oct. | Height of the pre-War boom. Population was estimated near 28,000 and predicted by many to grow to 50,000 within three years and possibly to 100,000 by 1920. First buildings on U of S campus open for classes. | |
1913 | Jan. 1 | The Saskatoon Municipal Railway began operation, carrying more than 3,000,000 passengers in its first year. |
— | 23rd Street subway under CN tracks between Ontario and 1st Avenues was completed. | |
— | Sutherland Forest Nursery Station ("Forestry Farm") was established by the federal Department of the Interior. | |
1914 | — | Municipal Railway streetcars began hourly service to Sutherland. |
May 14 | 6,422 people watched the Saskatoon Quakers win the first baseball game held in the brand-new Cairns' Field, at Avenue A (now Idylwyld) and 27th St. | |
1916 | Jun. 1 | Population of Saskatoon reached 21,054 (federal census figures). |
Oct. 31 | University Bridge officially opened. | |
1918 | Nov. 1 | Hugh Cairns earned Victoria Cross (posthumously) for bravery at Valciennes, France. |
1919 | Mar. 24 | First troops arrived home from overseas. |
1920 | Jun. 30 | Saskatoon's 2nd Mayor, Malcolm Isbister, died at age 69. |
1921 | — | Population - 25,739 (federal census figures). |
1923 | Jul. 18 | CFQC-Radio made its first broadcast. |
1925 | Apr. 15 | Official opening of Saskatoon Sanatorium on Avenue K. South. |
1926 | Jun. 1 | Population 31,234 (federal census figures). |
1928 | — | Saskatoon's first airport opened. |
Jul. 4 | Saskatoon's Ethel Catherwood won ladies running high jump at Olympics with a jump of 5' 3". | |
Dec. 4 | Eaton's store at 21st St. and 3rd Ave opened. | |
Dec. 10 | The first ever air mail delivery from Winnipeg arrived in Saskatoon. | |
Dec. 12 | Saskatoon Public Library opened on 23rd St next to Fire Hall No. 1. | |
1929 | Nov. 11 | The Cenotaph was unveiled at its original location in the center of 21st St. and 2nd Ave South. |
1930 | April 25 | Parks Board voted to name the new park between 23rd Street West and Rusholme "Leif Erickson Park". |
July 1 | Saskatoon's first children's paddling pool opened in Ashworth Holmes Park, in Caswell Hill. | |
1931 | Jun. 1 | Population 43,291 (federal census figures). |
— | 19th Street Subway opened. It was demolished in 2006 as part of the city's "River Landing" development. | |
1932 | Nov. 11 | Broadway Bridge officially opened. |
1933 | Jul. 21 | Last streetcar crossed 19th Street Traffic Bridge. The new line was routed over the Broadway Bridge. |
1935 | Dec. 10 | Bessborough Hotel opened. |
1936 | Jun. 1 | Federal census figures for Saskatoon showed a decline in population to 41,734, a result of hardship caused by the Great Depression. |
Aug. 6 | Saskatoon pioneer merchant and Mayor (1906; 1911-12), James Clinkskill, died at age 83. | |
Nov. 13 | Pioneer farmer, rancher, and Mayor of Saskatoon in 1926, Russell Wilson, died two weeks after suffering a stroke. He was 72. | |
1937 | May 14 | The south side riverbank between Broadway and University bridges was dedicated as "Coronation Park" in honour of King George VI. |
Sept 8 | Vimy Memorial Bandstand in Kiwanis Park was formally dedicated after the scheduled Sept. 1 ceremony was delayed by rain. | |
Oct. 30 | The Saskatoon Arena Rink opened with a sold-out game between the New York Rangers and the New York Americans. | |
1938 | Jan. 1 | Bus line to Sanatorium (Avenue K South) was discontinued due to lack of patronage. |
1939 | Jul. 9 | Dr. Alexander MacGillvray Young, Mayor of Saskatoon from 1916-18 and 1920-21, died at the age of 60. |
Sept 1 | Saskatoon Light Infantry mobilized under Lt. Colonel J.M. Clelland. | |
Dec. 18 | "New" CNR Station on 1st Avenue and 21st Street opened. | |
1940 | Mar. 15 | Weir completed across the river upstream of the 33rd St. railway bridge. |
1941 | Mar. 18 | John W. Hair, Mayor of Saskatoon in 1930-1932, died at age 61. |
Apr. 3 | James R. Wilson Saskatoon's first Mayor and one of the four Wilson brothers who homesteaded near Hanley in 1883, died at age 74. | |
Jun. 1 | Saskatoon's population reached 43,027 (federal census figures). | |
Oct. 24 | Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, wife of George VI, presented colours to the Saskatoon Light Infantry in England. | |
1945 | Oct. 3 | First Battalion, Saskatoon Light Infantry, returned home. |
1946 | Jun. 1 | Population 46,028 (federal census). |
Aug. 1 | Robert M. Pinder, Mayor of Saskatoon in 1935-1938 and founder of the Pinder's Drugs chain of stores, died at age 55. | |
Sept | Montgomery Place was built as part of the Veterans Land Act settlement plan for returning war veterans. | |
1947 | Dec. 10 | Mrs. Marjorie Walker was elected as Saskatoon's first female City Councillor. |
1948 | Apr. 7 | Saskatoon businessman and Mayor in 1919, Frank R. McMillan, died at age 59. |
Oct. | 31 horses were killed when the Co-op Creamery Barns burned down. The Creamery purchased vans to replace them. | |
Nov. 22 | First electric trolley bus was put into service marking the beginning of the end for the old streetcars. | |
1949 | Jan. 14 | Saskatoon's present coat-of-arms was approved by Order-in-Council. |
Apr. 2 | The Western Development Museum Act was proclaimed. The Museum was already in two locations: North Battleford and Saskatoon. | |
Aug. 15 | Saskatoon Municipal Railway changed its name to the Saskatoon Transit System. | |
1951 | Jun. 1 | Population 53,268 (federal census). |
Jul. 17 | The Sewage Disposal plant north of the 33rd Street railway bridge exploded. | |
Nov. 10 | Last streetcar made its final run. | |
1952 | Sept 14 | The Memorial Cairn on the river bank near the Broadway Bridge was dedicated to the memory of Saskatoon's pioneers. |
1954 | Oct. 22 | Construction began on new City Hall |
Dec. 31 | Angus W. Macpherson, Mayor of Saskatoon in 1944-48, died at the age of 66. | |
1955 | Jan. 1 | Montgomery Place was officially incorporated into City of Saskatoon. |
Jan. 26 | University Hospital admitted its first patient. | |
1956 | Jan. 1 | Town of Sutherland became part of City of Saskatoon. |
Feb. 26 | William H. Clare, Mayor of Saskatoon in 1924-1925, died at age 82. | |
Jun. 1 | Population 72,858 (federal census). | |
Jun. 23 | "New" City Hall was officially opened. Old City Hall was torn down and replaced with the present-day City Hall Square. | |
1957 | — | Saskatoon's first shopping centre opened at Clarence Avenue and Taylor St. |
Feb. 9 | Howard McConnell, Mayor of Saskatoon in 1922-23, died at the age of 71. | |
1959 | Jan. 1 | Boundaries of City expanded to include University of Saskatchewan. |
Jul. 22 | Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II commissioned the Queen Elizabeth Power Station, located on the river bank just south of Saskatoon. | |
Aug. 19 | Mayfair Pool officially opened. | |
1960 | Apr. 7 | Joseph E. Underwood, Mayor of Saskatoon in 1932, died at age 77. |
Apr. 20 | Last steam-powered locomotive passed through Saskatoon. | |
— | Passenger service was discontinued through CPR station at 24th and Avenue A (now Idylwyld Drive). | |
1961 | Jun. 1 | Population 95,526 (federal census). |
1962 | Jun 27 | Holiday Park Golf Course officially opened. |
1963 | May 6 | City of Saskatoon and CNR signed an agreement for removal of downtown rail facilities. |
Oct 30 | Saskatchewan Technical Institute (now Sask Polytech) officiallyl opened. | |
1964 | Oct 5 | Last train crossed the CNR Bridge (site of the present-day Idylwyld Freeway Bridge). Demolition began shortly thereafter. |
Oct 16 | Official opening of Mendel Art Gallery on Spadina Crescent. | |
Nov 14 | Last passenger train to use CNR's downtown terminal passed through Saskatoon. | |
Nov 30 | Bylaw 4357, authorizing the construction of the Idylwyld Bridge and Freeway for a cost of $5.8 million was passed by City Council. | |
1965 | Feb 19 | Sod-turning for Idylwyld Freeway Bridge (now Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge). |
Jul 22 | Temporary extension of 22nd Street cut through old downtown railway yards. 20th Street would soon follow. | |
Jul 26 | Demolition began on the old pedestrian bridge that crossed over the downtown railway yards south of 20th Street. | |
Jul 29 | George Ward Pool officially opened. | |
Sep 27 | Sod-turning for Centennial Auditorium (now TCU Place) held. | |
1966 | Apr 6 | Sutherland Forestry Farm was transferred to City of Saskatoon. |
May 27 | New Main Library on 23rd Street across from City Hall opened. | |
Jun 1 | Population 115,247 (federal census). | |
Oct 28 | Idylwyld Bridge opened. | |
1968 | Apr 1 | Centennial Auditorium opened. |
1969 | June 15 | Construction crews began to dismantle and fill in the 23rd Street Subway. It was completed by August. |
1970 | Jul. 30 | Midtown Plaza officially opened on the site of the old CNR station at 1st Avenue and 21st Street. |
Nov 12 | George W. Norman, Mayor of Saskatoon from 1927-1929, died in BC. He was 87. | |
Dec 15 | Official Opening of Mount Blackstrap. | |
1971 | Jun 1 | Population 126,450 (federal census). |
Feb 13-22 | Canada Winter Games were held in Saskatoon. | |
1972 | Jul. 11 | Present-day Western Development Museum facility opened on Lorne Avenue. |
Aug 31 | Forestry Farm Animal Park opened. | |
Oct 28 | John S. Mills, long-time teacher and Mayor of Saskatoon (1933-34, 1949-53) died age 85. | |
1973 | — | First female City Police recruit was hired. |
1974 | May 10 | Last electric trolley bus made its final run before being pulled out of service. |
Dec. 26 | Steve N. MacEachern, Mayor of Saskatoon in 1941-1943, died at the age of 80. | |
1975 | Oct. 25 | New colours were presented to the North Saskatchewan Regiment, successor to the Saskatoon Light Infantry |
1976 | Jun. 1 | Population 133,750 (federal census) |
1978 | — | Last tuberculosis patient was discharged from the Saskatoon Sanatorium on Avenue K South. |
1979 | Sept 4 | Meewasin Valley Authority was established. |
1980 | May 31 | Saskatoon firefighters Victor James Budz and Dennis Aron Guenter were killed while fighting a fire in the basement of the Queen's Hotel on 1st Avenue South. |
1981 | Jun. 1 | Population 154,210 (federal census). |
1982 | — | "Century Saskatoon"- 100th Anniversary celebrations of the settlement's founding. |
1983 | Jul. 1 | Circle Drive Bridge officially opened. |
Jul. 16 | New City Hall addition officially opened. | |
Sept 23 | Century Saskatoon time capsule on the riverbank near the Bessborough was sealed. | |
1984 | — | A.L. Cole Generating Station was taken out of service. |
May 8 | Percy C. Klaehn, Mayor of Saskatoon in 1964, died at the age of 88. | |
Nov. 2 | 23rd Street Transit Terminal opened. | |
1986 | Jun. 1 | Population - 177,641 (federal census). |
1988 | Feb. 9 | Saskatoon Blades played in the first event held in the new Saskatchewan Place Arena . |
May | Arena Rink closed for the last time. "...We shut off the lights, shut down the ice plant, locked the doors and walked away." | |
1989 | Mar. 18 | Demolition of Arena Rink began. |
Aug. | Demolition of Sanatorium began. | |
Aug. 13-19 | Saskatoon hosted the 1989 Jeux Canada Games. | |
1991 | Jun. 1 | Population 186,058 (federal census). |
1993 | — | CPR Station at 24th St. and Idylwyld was sold to a private developer. |
Oct 16 | Official opening of the newly-constructed City Hospital. | |
Dec. 23 | Herbert S. Sears, Mayor of Saskatoon from 1972-76, died at age 86. | |
1994 | Jul. 25 | John D. McAskill, Mayor of Saskatoon from 1954-57, died at age 86 |
1995 | — | A.L. Cole Generating Station was demolished. |
1996 | Jun. 1 | Population 193,647 (federal census). |
1997 | Apr. 22 | Thornton School, 2221 Lorne Avenue South (between Elm and Adelaide Streets) demolished. It was built in 1926. |
1999 | — | "Slumping" of the river bank near the Broadway Bridge destroyed Rotary Park. |
Mar. 31 | Funding was approved for the Canadian Light Source Synchrotron at the U of S. | |
2001 | Jun. 27 | Former Saskatoon Mayor (1958-63, 1967-71) Senator Sid Buckwold died at the age of 84. |
2000 | May 23 | Construction began on Phase I of the Circle Drive and Attridge Drive Interchange. |
Aug. 27 | The Meewasin Valley Authority celebrated the opening of the Fred Heal Canoe Launch. | |
Oct. 25 | Municipal Election was held. | |
Nov. 5 | Ernest J. Cole, Mayor of Saskatoon in 1964 and one-time City Engineer, died at the age of 84. | |
Dec. 19 | The White Buffalo Youth Lodge community centre on 20th Street was officially opened. | |
2001 | Apr. 10 | The City of Saskatoon implemented a pilot program to encourage the composting of leaf and grass waste in the city. |
Apr. 28 | His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales dedicated “The Prince of Wales Promenade” as part of the 33rd Street Weir redevelopment project. | |
Jun. 28 | The Blairmore Ring potash monument was removed from Rotary Park, where it had stood since the mid-1960s. It is now on display at the Saskatoon airport. | |
Aug. | Silverspring School opened. | |
Sept. 24 | The Idylwyld Freeway Bridge was re-named the Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge, in honour Saskatoon’s late Mayor. | |
Oct. 1 | The Circle Drive/Attridge Drive interchange officially opened. | |
Oct. 22 | Sod-turning ceremony was held for Fire Hall No. 9 in Erindale. | |
2002 | Feb 14 | Saskatoon native Catriona Le May-Doan won the gold medal in the Women’s 500 metre speed skating event at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. |
Apr. 29 | Sod-turning ceremony held for Phase I of the “Preston Crossing” retail development. It opened in the fall of 2002. | |
Jul. 18 | The intersection of 20th Street West and Circle Drive was permanently closed. | |
Sept. 1 | Speed limits in elementary and secondary school zones were reduced to 30 km/hour on school days from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. | |
Sept. 7 | Fire Hall No. 9, in Erindale, officially opened. | |
Sept. 15 | Saskatoon Transit Services commenced operation of two experimental “Biobuses” fuelled by a canola-diesel blend. | |
Oct. 28 | Official opening of the $23.5 million Circle Drive & 22nd Street Interchange. | |
2003 | Jan. 1 | The provincial Cities Act came into effect, replacing the 1984 Urban Municipalities Act and changing the way cities are governed in Saskatchewan. |
Apr 29 | The Little Chief Community Police Station officially opened in the former Little Chief Service Station building at the corner of Avenue D and 20th Street. | |
May 5 | Work began on the College Drive & Circle Drive interchange with the piling up of earth to form the embankments. | |
Sept. 27 | The Lions SkatePark - a facility for skate-boarders, roller bladers and BMX bicycle riders - officially opened in Victoria Park. | |
Sept. 30 | The City of Saskatoon gave 100 Saskatoon berry bushes to the City of Regina to commemorate that city’s 100th birthday. | |
Oct. 22 | Municipal elections held. | |
Nov. 21 | The City of Saskatoon gave 100 Saskatoon berry bushes to the City of Moose Jaw to help commemorate that city’s 100th birthday. | |
2004 | Mar. 9 | Preliminary work on began Saskatoon’s new South Downtown riverfront development (between the Traffic Bridge and the Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge). |
May 2 | Demolition of the Hudson’s Bay Parkade on 2nd Avenue and 24th Street began with the removal of the overhead pedestrian tunnel connecting the parkade to the Bay building across the street. | |
May 26 | The Saskatoon Centennial Committee unveiled the 2006 centennial’s logo and theme, officially launching preparations for the celebrations of the City’s 100th birthday. | |
Jun. 4 | The Saskatoon Zoo and Forestry Farm Park unveiled its new “PotashCorp Ark” exhibit with two rare snow leopards, loaned by the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg for two years. | |
Jun. 15 | Demolition work began on the Gathercole Building (originally Saskatoon Technical Collegiate) as part of the new South Downtown riverfront development. | |
Jul. 1 | Saskatoon’s “Smoking Control Bylaw (No. 8286)” took effect, making all public places and private clubs smoke-free. | |
Sept 22 | Restoration work began on the portion of Rotary Park near the Broadway Bridge destroyed by a landslide in 1999. | |
Oct 14 | The new Clarence Avenue railway overpass south of Circle Drive opened to motorists. | |
Oct 22 | Grand Opening of the Canadian Light Source Synchrotron was held | |
Nov. | City Council officially adopted the name of “River Landing” for the South Downtown redevelopment project./td> | |
2005 | Feb 22 | The former Hudson's Bay "Skyway" pedestrian overpass - removed in 2004 - was installed as part of the expansion of the Avenue H Water Treatment Plant. |
Apr. 15 | The Forestry Farm Teahouse in the former Superintendent's Residence at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park and Zoo closed. | |
Jun 20 | High runoff levels caused flooding along the river in Saskatoon and forced closure of several sections of the Meewasin Trail. | |
Jun. 29 | Record rainfall on top of existing high water levels caused extensive flooding in Saskatoon homes. Residents were warned to restrict water use until the sanitary and storm sewer systems emptied. | |
Sept. 6 | The Victoria Avenue Traffic Bridge was closed to allow work to be done to the approaches as part of the River Landing development. | |
Sept. 7 | Excavation and grading work began in the new Blairmore Suburban Centre in the city's West Sector area. | |
Sept. 22 | Remediation of the old A.L. Cole power station site on the river at Avenue B began as part of Phase II of the River Landing development. | |
Oct. 19 | Saskatoon's first Red Light Camera commenced official operation at the intersection of Circle Drive and Avenue C, after a 30-day warning period. | |
Nov. 2 | It was announced that the historic Victoria Avenue Traffic Bridge was in an advanced state of deterioration and would not re-open to traffic. | |
Nov. 14 | City Council voted in favour of changing the name of the Centennial Auditorium to "TCU Place", after corporate sponsor TCU Financial Group. | |
Nov. 23 | Saskatoon was designated a "Cultural Capital" for Canada for 2006. | |
Dec. 7 | The sale of land and a $1 million grant was approved, paving the way for Persephone Theatre’s new live performance theatre on River Landing. | |
Dec 31 | Saskatoon rang in its centennial year with a New Year’s Eve concert and bonfire on 3rd Avenue in front of City Hall. | |
2006 | Jan. 1 | Ninety years after it opened, the University Bridge was officially named by City Council. |
Jan 16 | The abandoned 19th Street rail overpass was demolished as part of the River Landing development. | |
May 11 | As part of the Centennial celebrations, the Centennial logo was painted along the 1906 city boundaries. | |
May 24 | Sod turning ceremony was held at the site of the new Blairmore suburban development on Saskatoon’s west side. | |
May 26 | Saskatoon celebrated its 100th anniversary as a city. Civic staff held an outdoor showcase during the day. That evening, a gala celebration was held at the Western Development Museum that evening to mark the day on which the City of Saskatoon was officially incorporated. | |
Jun 26 | A special Council meeting was held to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first city council meeting in Saskatoon. Former councillors and mayors were invited to take part in the ceremony. | |
Aug 25 | Official opening of the Riverfront Walk in River Landing Phase I. | |
Aug 26 | The Centennial Bridge Party was held, with over 40,000 people gathering along the riverbank and on the Broadway Bridge to watch fireworks set off from the Traffic Bridge in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Saskatoon’s incorporation as a city. | |
Aug 28 | A 5-foot anchor was found in South Saskatchewan River by the Fire Department dive team. It is believed to be from the stern-wheeler the “The City of Medicine Hat” which crashed into the Traffic Bridge in 1908. | |
Sept 8 | The Traffic Bridge re-opened after being closed for repairs for almost a year. | |
Sept 14 | The sod turning was for held for the new Persephone Theatre site. | |
Oct 4 | The College Drive and Circle Drive interchange officially opened. | |
Oct 25 | Civic elections were held. For the first time, civic election results were posted live to the City’s website. | |
Nov 25 | Saskatoon hosted the Vanier Cup, Canadian university football championship. | |
Dec. 5 | The landmark at River Landing, “Prairie Wind”, was unveiled. | |
2007 | Jan 22 | Almost a century after it first opened, Saskatoon’s first non-railway bridge - often referred to as the Victoria Bridge - was finally officially named by City Council as the “Traffic Bridge”. |
Jun 15 | Sod turning for River Landing Phase II riverfront park. | |
Jul 9 | The Circle Drive Bridge pedestrian underpass for officially opened. | |
Sept 13 | Sod turning for the Shaw Centre | |
Sept 21 | "Bridging 125" - celebration of the historic, 1882 meeting of John Lake and Chief Whitecap to choose Saskatoon's location. | |
Sept 28 | The Circle Drive Bridge widening project was finally completed. | |
Sept 29 | The Farmers Market, Market Square and Ideas, Inc, was officially opened at River Landing Phase II. | |
Nov 16 | The pedestrian overpass on 22nd Street in the Blairmore Suburban Centre was officially opened. | |
Nov 20 | The Clarence Avenue/Circle Drive overpass was opened. | |
Nov 25 | The Saskatchewan Roughriders won the Grey Cup. | |
2008 | Jan 14 | Shaw Centre Phase I opened. |
Jun 20 | "The Founders" - a sculpture of John Lake and Chief Whitecap - was officially unveiled. | |
Jun 20 | Major amenities on the Phase I portion of the River Landing riverfront were officially opened. |