Saskatoon is a city in the province of Saskatchewan in Canada. It was built along the South Saskatchewan River and was meant to be a dry community which was away from the deprivations of the liquor trade. Saskatoon is named after a purple berry that grows in the area and which was a popular food for the indigenous peoples.
The city is the most populated out of the settlements in Saskatchewan, even more so that Regina, which is the capital of the province. Today more than 200,000 people live there so choose car hire Saskatoon in advance to guarantee availability.
Saskatoon Mini Guide
What can you Tell me About Saskatoon?
Saskatoon was once an outpost on Canada’s wild frontier. Until 1882, the countryside was part of the Canadian Indian lands but in that year the Temperance Colonisation Society based in
Toronto applied for parcels of land by the Saskatchewan River in order for them to build a town without alcohol. A year later, the first townsfolk arrived and set about the creation of the town. The development of the prairie for agriculture increased the size of the city until it became self-sufficient, despite the reduction in farm labour with mechanisation. Today the commercial life of the city still revolves around grain but additionally has a campus of the University of Saskatchewan boosting the city’s numbers.
How do I get to Saskatoon?
International travellers will find they need to fly into Chicago or Toronto airports before catching onward flights to the city’s airport. It’s then a four mile journey into the city by public bus or hire car although taxis also operate from the airport. Look out for bus route 11 which takes you via the university and on to the city centre.
What is There to See and Do in Saskatoon?
Not very much really! It’s not known as a tourist trap and most travellers there come to visit family or go to the university. For things to do, there’s a great little amusement park for children called the Kinsmen Play Area, which has rides and entertainment for little ones. Nearby is the Ukrainian Museum of Canada which is very interesting, detailing the contribution made by the Eastern European immigrants to the development of the nation. If you want to see mile after mile of monotony take a drive in your hire car out into the prairies at different times of the year. The landscape will be the same in all directions apart from the road bisecting it but the scenery will change with the seasons from white to brown to green to golden to brown with the different stages of the wheat crop.
What can I buy in Saskatoon?
There are plenty of little mementos and gifts made in the area, using materials from further north in the province. These include wooden and leatherwork and lumps of decorative rock and crystals from the mining that takes place in the region.
What Should I eat in Saskatoon?
You’re in the land of steakhouses and grills where the day begins with a huge cooked breakfast and ends with a juicy steak or delicious hamburger. It might sound typical fare from anywhere in the world but cooked to perfection in Saskatoon, you know you won’t find better elsewhere.
What About Festivals and Celebrations in Saskatoon?
There are plenty of festivals held in the city from spring through until autumn. These include a children’s festival with activities geared to keeping children entertained for days on end. The Shakespeare by the Saskatchewan Festival is not to be missed and proves very popular. In addition to these, there are food festivals, music festivals and the annual veteran’s air show.
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