[2] The first permanent settlement was established by the Temperance Colonization Society, a group of Toronto Methodists, under John Neilson Lake.

The group moved into the area in 1883, a year after Lake and a scouting party had looked for a suitable colony site.

[4][5] The name is thought to be derived from the Cree word "missaskwatoomina", referring to the saskatoon berry shrubs that grew along the riverbank.

By 1884, ferry service across the river began, making Saskatoon the crossing point for the busy Regina – Battleford Trail.

[7] Still, the planned temperance colony failed for several reasons: the group was not able to obtain a contiguous block of land; the river was too shallow to ferry supplies and settlers; the nearest railway was 150 miles (240 km) away in Moose Jaw; land routes were small, often unmarked trails; and fears of hostility from indigenous peoples during the 1885 North-West Rebellion dampened enthusiasm from potential settlers.

The first agricultural fair, later to become the Saskatoon Exhibition, was held on October 13, 1886, at the "Louise Grounds" (now Nutana Collegiate's schoolyard).

The area now had railway links to both Regina and Prince Albert; however, the commercial centre shifted across to the west side of the river.

A heavy influx of people into the area over the next three years put a strain on the two new towns, as well as the new neighbouring village of Riversdale.

Despite the advantages of amalgamating into a single settlement, Nutana's residents demanded that a traffic bridge be built to link the two sides of the river.

However, by the end of the 1950s, the advent of newer subdivisions, chain stores and shopping malls drew commercial activity away from the traditional businesses in Nutana.

[10] With the establishment of the Broadway Business Improvement District in 1986, a revitalization program was launched to refurbish the streetscape and reintroduce the area's historic identity.

A designated municipal heritage property, the Broadway Theatre is Saskatoon's only community-owned and operated cinema and live performance venue.

[40] Nutana is anchored around the business district of Broadway Avenue, which was the main street in its early days as a town.

[1] The Nutana Community Association organizes leisure, social, and recreational programs and works with the municipal government to address a variety of local issues.