Prince Albert, Saskatchewan

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Prince Albert is the third largest city (after Saskatoon and Regina) with a population of just over 41 000 as of 2001, 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.

Contents

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).

James Isbister, an Anglo-Metis employee of the Hudson's Bay Company settled on the site of the current city in 1862. He farmed there until 1866, and had been joined by a number of families who called the site Isbister's Settlement. He later moved back to Prince Albert and lived out his remaining days there.

The community was founded in 1866, by Rev. James Nisbet, a Canada Presbyterian Church minister who came to establish a mission for the Cree, who named the community after Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, deceased husband of Queen Victoria.

In 1884 Honore Jaxon and James Isbister were involved in the movement which brought Louis Riel back to Canada.

In the Northwest Rebellion of the following year Prince Albert volunteers bore the heaviest casualties of the fighting at the Battle of Duck Lake, and surrounding settlers took refuge with the North West Mounted Police in a hastily improvised stockade at Prince Albert fearing an attack by Gabriel Dumont which never came.

After the Battle of Batoche, Major General Frederick Middleton marched on to Prince Albert to relieve the town.

1885 also marks the year that Prince Albert was incorporated as a town under its first mayor, Thomas McKay.

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, became the MP for Prince Albert in 1940, Prime Minister from 1957 - 1963), 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 in the original Fire Hall at the north 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.

Famous people from Prince Albert include sprinter Harry Jerome, singer Jon Vickers, and ice hockey player Johnny Bower. Prince Albert was also 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.

On October 4,2005, Weyerhaeuser announced it would be closing the Prince Albert Pulp and Paper Mill in January 2006. Employing approximately 690 people, the closure of the Mill could have a large impact on Prince Albert's economy. As a result, the Saskatchewan government has set up a task force to determine a solution for the future of the Pulp and Paper Mill.

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 following a political exile resulting from the Red River Rebellion in 1869 - 1870.

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. However, following an Oct. 4, 2005 announcement, the Weyerhaeuser Pulp and Paper Mill will be closing down in phases beginning on Jan 3, 2005. Due to the shutdown of the mill, Prince Albert will lose 690 jobs in January, with more to follow in the spring. The closing is expected to hurt the Prince Albert economy and cause housing prices to drop.

Prince Albert's primary industries are mining, forestry and agriculture. 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 nine 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

Television Stations

Newspapers

Community profile

According to the Canada 2001 Census:

Population: 34,291 (-1.4% from 1996)
Land area: 65.76 km²
Population density: 521.5 people/km²
Median age: 33.5 (males: 31.9, females: 35.0)
Total private dwellings: 13,763
Median household income: $39,862

External links

Attractions



North: Prince Albert National Park
West: Shellbrook Prince Albert East: Melfort
South: Saskatoon


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