St. Louis, Saskatchewan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
St. Louis is a Canadian village in the province of Saskatchewan, south of Prince Albert and northeast of Batoche. It was founded by Métis settlers in the late 19th Century, and is the northernmost Southbranch Settlement, a series of communities which ran from Fish Creek in the south along the South Saskatchewan River through Batoche and St. Laurent to St. Louis.
Historically it was bordered by the Anglo-Métis settlements of Halcro and Red Deer Hill to the north.
The nearest community of size is Prince Albert a twenty minute drive to the north.
Although English is the predominant language in the community now, there is still a large Métis and French population today.
St. Louis was recently the site of the discovery of a large archaeological site of aboriginal artifacts predating those found at Wanuskewin near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Key discoveries in the archaeological site included new species of wolf and buffalo approximately 25% larger than modern species, and a bead that indicates decoration of clothing about 1000 years earlier than previously thought.
Locally it is known also for the St. Louis Light, an allegedly paranormal phenomenon, and the picturesque beauty of the South Saskatchewan River.
St. Louis is just northeast of Southbranch House one of many small trading posts from fur trading days. This particular post was attacked and burnt by the Atsina in the 1700s in retaliation for the company's supplying their enemies the Cree and Assiniboine with guns and goods, a cairn marks the place where it once stood.
As is the case with many small towns in Saskatchewan, growth or lack of growth is a concern. The province has announced that the bridge will be closed down in the future and a new bridge will be constructed. The new bridge, however, will be located over a mile from the edge of the village. Thus, many residents and businesses are concerned about the possible financial impact on the village.
St. Louis, however, remains a vibrant community. It has:
- an elementary school
- a high school
- a gas station / corner store
- a bar
- a health spa
- a car wash
- 2 retirement homes
- an alcohol treatment centre
- a local butcher shop
- a picnic ground and campsites (Free!)
- the French Cultural Centre
- hockey rink
- curling rink
- large bison sculpture of an extinct species that was 25% larger than modern bison.
The community sponsors many events throughout the year. These include:
- an annual community bbq
- New Years fireworks and hot chocolate
- a community garage sale day
[edit] Notable people from St. Louis
- Howard Adams, 1960s Metis Marxist academic and writer who taught at the University of California, Berkeley and wrote Prison of Grass: Canada from a Native Point of View.
- Louis Schmidt, French Metis bureaucrat, intellectual and community leader who supported his friend Louis Riel in the Red River Rebellion of 1869-70 but stayed in Prince Albert and backed the government in the Northwest Rebellion of 1885.
- Marcel Lussier, Saskatchewan provincial and Canadian karate champion
- Rich Pilon, retired NHL hockey player
- Joey Tetarenko, NHL hockey player
[edit] References
- [1] - Village of St. Louis official website
- [2] - Map showing the location of St. Louis in Saskatchewan.
- [3] - An article describing the St. Louis Ghost Train
- [4] - The St. Louis archeological find discussed.
- [5] - Bridge project leads to archaeological find
- [6] - Big Things in Saskatchewan - St. Louis Bison Sculpture
- [7] - Press release and additional details regarding the archeological find.
