Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
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General
Prince Albert is the third largest city (after Saskatoon and Regina) in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. It is situated more-or-less in the center of the province on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. The city is known as the "Gateway to the North" due to its being the most northerly major centre as well to its being situated where the agricultural prairie of the south meets the forested and lakeland areas of the north. Prince Albert National Park, located just 50km north of the city, has a huge wealth of lakes, forest, and wildlife.
History
The first white man to come through the area that is now Prince Albert was Henry Kelsey in 1692. The first establishment in the area was a trading post set up by Peter Pond, which the area is now named after (1776). The settlement was founded in 1886, by Rev. James Nisbet who was coming to establish a mission for the Cree. In 1904, the settlement was incorporated as the city of Prince Albert, named after Prince Albert Victor, son of the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII). Its government is of a council-mayor type.
The City of Prince Albert has been represented by three prime ministers: John George Diefenbaker (13th Prime Minister. Represented Prince Albert in 1953), William Lyon Mackenzie King (10th Prime Minister. Represented Prince Albert in 1926), and Sir Wilfred Laurier (7th Prime Minister. Represented Prince Albert in 1896). The John G. Diefenbaker house is a historic site open to the public and is found on 249 19th Street West.
There are two historical museums of high interest in Prince Albert. The combined The Evolution of Education Museum and Rotary Museum of Police and Corrections are located at the tourist information centre just off of Highway #2 South. The second museum, the Historical Society Museum, is located at the end of Central Avenue on River Street. Across from this museum is the site of Diefenbaker's constituency office which unfortunately is not open to the public.
Prince Albert was for a time home to Lucy Maud Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables. As well, Boris Karloff, famous for his roles in horror films portraying characters like Frankenstein's Monster and The Mummy, resided in Prince Albert during the early 20th century.
In the early beginnings of Saskatchewan, Prince Albert was one of the choices to house either the University of Saskatchewan or the Saskatchewan Federal Penitentiary. Due to Saskatoon's convenient location, the university was built there, and the penitentiary was built in Prince Albert.
Interesting Facts
- The first stagecoach robbery in Saskatchewan occurred in 1886, when a lone outlaw held up a carriage.
- In 1884, 500 people turned up to hear Louis Riel speak. One month before this speech he had just returned from the United States due to political exile.
Economy
Prince Albert is important to the province's forestry industry, being home to both the Weyerhaeuser Pulp and Paper Mill, as well as the Saskatchewan Forestry Centre. Smaller sawmills and wood processing plants can also be found just outside the city.
Prince Albert's primary industries are mining, forestry and agriculture. The pulp and paper mill provides employment to the many people who work in industry. A maximum-security penitentiary also exists to the west of the city.
Education
The city has a total of five high schools. St. Mary High School, and Rivier Academy (private, all-girls) are part of the Prince Albert Catholic School Division, while Carlton Comprehensive High School (largest high school in Saskatchewan), WESMOR (Acronym of the rural elementary schools Wildrose, East Central, Spruce Home, Meath Park, Osborne, and Redwing), and P.A.C.I (Prince Albert Central Intitute) are in the Saskatchewan Rivers School Division.
The Saskatchewan Rivers School Division operates 26 schools and the Prince Albert Catholic School Division operates a total of 9 schools.
Post-secondary schools found in Prince Albert include the Gabriel Dumont Institute and the University of Regina / University of Saskatchewan off-campus SIAST.
Local Media
Radio Stations
- 900 CKBI Country 900 CKBI (http://www.900ckbi.com/) Country
- 89.1 CBC Radio Two Classical
- 99.1 CFMM-FM (92.1 FM in Waskesiu) Power 99fm (http://www.power99fm.com/) Top 40
- 101.5 CHQX-FM (90.5 FM in Waskesiu) Mix 101fm (http://www.mix101fm.com/) Rock
Television Stations
- 3 CBKFT Radio-Canada
- 5 CKBI CBC
- 9 CIPA CTV
Newspapers
- Prince Albert Daily Herald (http://www.paherald.sk.ca/) Daily
External links
- City of Prince Albert web site (http://www.citypa.ca/)
- Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) (http://www.raiderhockey.com/)
Attractions
- Cooke Municipal Golf Course (http://cookegolf.com/)
- Waskesiu Golf Course (http://www.waskesiugolf.com/)
- Elk Ridge Resort (http://www.elkridgeresort.com/)
- Prince Albert National Park (http://www.canadianparks.com/saskatchewan/palbert/index.htm)
- Waskesiu (http://www.waskesiu.org/)
| North: Prince Albert National Park | ||
| West: Shellbrook | Prince Albert | East: Melfort |
| South: Saskatoon |