History of Saskatoon

Before the founding of the city itself, the Saskatoon area was already inhabited by nomadic indigenous peoples, with the oldest traces of occupation dating back around 6,000 years.

Stratified remains from the Tipperary Creek First Nations sites near Saskatoon indicate that the area was occupied by indigenous peoples in winter.

[3] The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway system survey proposed Hanley as its northern terminal between Regina and Prince Albert.

Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Saskatoon, Regina, Qu'Appelle, Indian Head and Battleford were all under consideration for this location.

[7] The geographical barrier: South Saskatchewan River between Nutana and West Saskatoon was overcome with the building of the Traffic Bridge, which opened in 1907.

[9] After World War I, the Dirty Thirties and Depression years saw migration away from bankrupt farms and towards a hope of employment in the cities.

The socio-economic changes brought about by World War II and the industrial revolution saw a shift from rural life to urban living.

[7] During the 1960s, the CNR rail yards were relocated to Chappell Drive, making room for the Idylwyld Freeway and Midtown Plaza in the first Saskatoon Downtown revitalisation project.

These boundaries remained basically the same for approximately 40 years until Saskatoon reached financial stability during World War II.

In 1955, Montgomery Place and in 1956 the neighboring town of Sutherland were annexed by the quickly growing City of Saskatoon[12] This growth continued until the mid-1980s.

The new priority for the civic government are infrastructure needs and proposed new capital projects for the population increases and for the physical geographical growth.

[14] On August 24, 2010, the Traffic Bridge, which symbolized the uniting of Saskatoon, Nutana and Riversdale into one city, was closed indefinitely due to structural integrity concerns were raised.

Aerial photo of the South Saskatchewan River , c. 1940s . The city of Saskatoon developed around the South Saskatchewan River.
East of the river, 1920
Outskirts of the city, 1920
Rail yards, 1920
Barr Colonists in Saskatoon in 1903. The settlement of Saskatoon saw an economic boom when the Barr colonists encamped in the city.
Students of the University of Saskatchewan exit the chemistry building, 1944. The university was established in Saskatoon in 1907.
Partially demolished Traffic Bridge in 2016, once a symbol of the merger of Saskatoon, Nutana and Riversdale. Its replacement was approved in 2011.
Saskatoon's land annexation by decade
Saskatoon's population growth from 1901 to 2006. The city saw significant growth post- World War II , leading to a shortage of residential dwellings from 1945 to 1960.