Saskatoon City (SK)

Location

Saskatoon is centrally located in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada, in townships 36 and 37, ranges 4, 5 and 6, west of the third meridian (Latitude 52.12 North, Longitude 106.67 West). The city lies 780 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, a little over 520 kilometres southeast of Edmonton, and just over 300 kilometres north of the U.S. border.

Saskatoon is situated on the banks of the south Saskatchewan river which is crossed by seven bridges within the city limits. the altitude of Saskatoon is 481.5 meters above sea level. The city covers an area of 218 sq. kilometres which includes over 120 hectares of riverbank parklands.

Environment

Saskatoon is one of the sunniest cities in Canada, receiving an average of 2,381 hours annually. Saskatoon experiences four distinct seasons with temperatures ranging from 30°c (86f) on the warmest summer days to -30°c (-22f) on the coldest winter days. The average annual precipitation level is 347.2mm.

Saskatoon was rated the number one city in Canada for air and water quality by Chatelaine magazine.

Time Zone

Saskatoon uses the Central Standard Time zone year round.

Economy

Saskatchewan grows half of the entire quantity of Canada’s major export crops: wheat, oats, barley, rye, flaxseed and canola. Saskatoon is at the heart of this market, providing a variety of services and products to the farm sector. Mining is also an important part of the economy. The Saskatoon region is the world's largest exporter of uranium, and nearly two-thirds of the world's recoverable potash reserves are located in the Saskatoon region.

Value added food processing is one of the fastest growing industries in Saskatoon, which is considered the agriculture biotechnology capital of Canada. Saskatoon was named "one of the best cities in Canada for knowledge based businesses" by the Globe and Mail in 1995.

Population

Saskatoon is Saskatchewan’s largest city with an estimated population of 223,200 and growing (as of June 30, 2010).

History

The Saskatoon area has been inhabited for some 6,000 years; however, it was not until the summer of 1883 that the first settlers began to arrive and subsequently in 1903 that the town charter was obtained. "Saskatoon" is derived from 'mis-sask-quah-toomina', the Cree Indian name for a local indigenous berry. Saskatoon was incorporated as a city on May 26, 1906, and celebrated its 100th birthday in 2006.

Education

With access to excellent k-12 schools, technical schools and the University of Saskatchewan, many educational opportunities are available.

The University of Saskatchewan is the only university in Canada to house all five health science colleges and a major teaching hospital on the same campus. Some of the first experiments undertaken aboard the space shuttle were a result of research conducted at the University of Saskatchewan. Innovation Place, located on the university grounds, is one of the most successful university related research parks in North America.