Prince Albert, Saskatchewan

City of Prince Albert
Flag
Nickname(s): P.A., Isbister Settlement, "the Mission," "Porter Town," Prince Albert, District of Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories
Motto: Gateway to the North, Hockey Town North
Prince Albert Location of Prince Albert in Saskatchewan
Coordinates: 53°12′N 105°45′W / 53.200°N 105.750°W / 53.200; -105.750
Country	Canada
Province	Saskatchewan
Census division	No. 15
Town	1885
City	October 8, 1904
Government
• City Mayor	Greg Dionne
• Governing Body	Prince Albert City Council
• MPs	Randy Hoback (CON) - Prince Albert
• MLAs	Darryl Hickie (SKP) - Prince Albert Carlton Victoria Jurgens (SKP) - Prince Albert Northcote
Area
• City	65.68 km2 (25.36 sq mi)
Elevation	440 m (1,440 ft)
Population (2011)
• City	35,129
• Density	534.4/km2 (1,384/sq mi)
• Metro	42,673
• Metro density	22.6/km2 (59/sq mi)
• Demonym	Prince Albertan
	[2]
Time zone	CST (UTC−6)
Isbister Settlement	1862
SK HQ North-West Mounted Police	1886
Website	http://www.citypa.ca
[3][4]

Prince Albert is the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is situated in the centre of the province on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. The city is known as the "Gateway to the North" because it is the last major centre along the route to the resources of northern Saskatchewan. Prince Albert National Park is located just 51 km (32 mi) north of the city and contains a huge wealth of lakes, forest, and wildlife. The city itself is located in a transition zone between the aspen parkland and boreal forest biomes. Prince Albert is bordered by the Rural Municipality of Prince Albert No. 461 and the Rural Municipality of Buckland No. 491.

History

The area was named by the Cree as kistahpinanihk, which translates to sitting pretty place^[5] a great meeting place^[6] or meeting place^[3] The Assiniboine name is wazíyam wákpa.^[7]

The first white man to travel through the area that is now Prince Albert was Henry Kelsey in 1692. The first establishment in the area, from which it would eventually derive its name, was a trading post set up in 1776 by Peter Pond.^[8] James Isbister, an Anglo-Métis employee of the Hudson's Bay Company, settled on the site of the current city in 1862. He farmed there until 1866, and had been joined by a number of families who called the site Isbister's Settlement.

The community was founded in 1866 by Revd James Nisbet, a Canada Presbyterian Church minister who had come to establish a mission for the Cree. Nisbet named the community after Albert, Prince Consort, husband of Queen Victoria,^[9] who had died in 1861. In 1879 the Presbyterian Church brought out Lucy Margaret Baker to run the local mission school.^[10] During the same year, the local Freemasons established the first lodge in what is now the province of Saskatchewan: Kinistino Lodge No. 1, which still exists.^[11] "The Mission", the settlement centrally located, and "Porter Town", located to the west, were the two communities that would come together to form what is now Prince Albert.^[4] The settlement east of Prince Albert was termed Goschen before finally amalgamated, however East Prince Albert still appears on a 1924 map.^[4][12]

In 1884, Honore Jaxon and James Isbister were involved in the movement which brought Louis Riel back to Canada. In 1884, 500 people turned up to hear Riel speak. One month before this speech, he had returned from the United States following a political exile resulting from the Red River Rebellion that had occurred in 1869–1870.

In the Northwest Rebellion of the 1885, Prince Albert Volunteers bore the heaviest casualties of the fighting at the Battle of Duck Lake. Surrounding settlers took refuge with the North-West Mounted Police in a hastily improvised stockade at Prince Albert, fearing an attack by Gabriel Dumont which never came. After the Battle of Batoche, Major General Frederick Middleton marched to Prince Albert to relieve the town. Prince Albert was incorporated the same year under its first mayor, Thomas McKay.

The first recorded stagecoach robbery in what is now Saskatchewan occurred in 1886, when a lone outlaw held up a carriage near Prince Albert.^[13]

In 1904, the settlement was incorporated as the City of Prince Albert. Its government is of a council-mayor type.

Prince Albert was the capital of the District of Saskatchewan, a regional administrative division of what then constituted the Northwest Territories. The District of Saskatchewan was formed on May 8, 1882, and retained Prince Albert as the capital.^[14] This ended in 1905 when Saskatchewan became a province and Regina was designated the new provincial capital.

The federal constituency of Prince Albert has been represented by three prime ministers of Canada:

• John Diefenbaker, 13th Prime Minister (1957–1963), became the MP for Lake Centre in 1940, and when that riding was abolished in 1952, represented Prince Albert from 1953 until his death in 1979.^[15]
• William Lyon Mackenzie King 10th Prime Minister, represented Prince Albert from 1926 to 1945.^[16]
• Sir Wilfrid Laurier 7th Prime Minister, represented Prince Albert in the Saskatchewan provisional district (still part of Northwest Territories) in 1896, before returning to his Quebec East riding later that year.^[17]

Prince Albert was one of the rival candidates to house either the University of Saskatchewan or the Saskatchewan Federal Penitentiary. The university was built in Saskatoon and the penitentiary was built in Prince Albert in 1911.^[18]

Royal visits

Prince Albert has welcomed the following members of Canada's Royal Family:

• The Princess Margaret – 1958 and 1980
• The Duke and Duchess of York (The Prince Andrew and Sarah) – 1989
• The Earl of Wessex (The Prince Edward) – 2003

Economy

Prince Albert is situated on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River, with rich agricultural land to the south and the boreal forest to the north. Although Prince Albert is centrally located in Saskatchewan, it is the second most northerly city in the province after Meadow Lake. This physical location has led to the creation of the slogan "Gateway to the North".

After being established as a mission centre, the main impetus for growth was speculation that the Transcontinental Railway would travel north from the Red River Valley along Hind's fertile belt through to Edmonton.^[19] When the Canadian Pacific Railway chose a more southerly route, Prince Albert's growth collapsed:^[20]

By 1914, Prince Albert had become the terminus of four railway branch lines. However, neither the Hudson Bay and Pacific or the Canadian Northern had started any line to the north. In all, the city had not become the great gateway to north as it had planned.

—City of Prince Albert Website^[18]

The La Colle Falls hydroelectric power dam project was an attempt to provide affordable electricity to attract industry^[21] By 1927, the project was abandoned as the city was close to bankruptcy.^[22] In 1945, Prince Albert National Park was established, and the tourism sector helped to again revive Prince Albert's economy.^[20]

The city's location has benefited the community in many ways through the years as an agriculture, forestry, tourism, mining, retail, and service centre for the immediate market and the northern communities. Prince Albert has a total trade area of 140,000 people, including an additional 12,000 that can be included if Flin Flon and The Pas are accounted for. The major contributing factor to this is the role of Prince Albert as a retail and service centre to these northern communities.^[18]

There are a number of major developments that are happening around Prince Albert. Diamond exploration is currently occurring east of the City in the Fort à la Corne region and it is expected a mine may go up around 2010–2011.^[23] In addition to diamond prospects, Bio-fuels are also playing a significant role to the area. The Prince Albert region is one of the richest areas in the province for agriculture, and with the current emphasis on bio-fuel technology from the provincial and federal governments, it is expected that this economic sector will grow. Uranium is also expected to play a bigger role in the future development of Prince Albert. There is speculation that,due to the proximity the uranium mining in northern Saskatchewan, the area could be ideal for a value-added type of business.

Prince Albert is still heavily reliant on its government service sector, which accounts for about 11% of the workforce. There are three prisons, the Prince Albert Correctional Centre, Pine Grove Correctional Centre and the Saskatchewan Federal Penitentiary.

Chief Joseph Custer, Kistapinanihk 231, Northern Lights 220, Muskoday 99 and Wahpeton 94B Indian Reserves are within 20 kilometres (12 mi) of the city.^[24]

The forestry industry is also a major contributor to the economy of Prince Albert. Prince Albert currently hosts the Provincial Forestry Centre, a building that hosts significant wood and forestry related types of businesses and associations.

Pulp Mill

Prince Albert Pulp Company was the area's largest employer.^[20]

The mill was closed down in 2006 by its then owner, Weyerhaeuser.^[25] The mill was subsequently sold. Paper Excellence purchased the long-closed down Prince Albert Pulp Inc. from Domtar in April 2011. This mill will be in a refurbishing and construction phase for the next 18 months. When complete, Prince Albert will operate a dissolving pulp mill producing 1000 tonnes per day employing about 250 people.^[26]

Chamber of Commerce

The formation of the original board of Trade in 1887 was an important event in the history and evolution of the Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber of Commerce objective is to promote, support and encourage business and community.

From the beginning, probably the overriding singular concern of the local chamber was to assist Prince Albert to obtain rail transportation. Delegations were sent by the Chamber to present the case for a Prince Albert route to the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. These delegations may not have been able to identify concrete results, but they were certainly a major and influential factor in obtaining rail service sooner than what may have otherwise been possible.

Today the Chamber of Commerce still exists to be the voice of business for Prince Albert & District which advocates for a positive and progressive business climate.

Geography

Prince Albert is located on the White Fox Plain of the Saskatchewan River lowlands. These lowlands are located in the physiographic region of the Saskatchewan Plains Region of the Central Lowlands Province.^{[27]:40, 41} The natural vegetation of the area consists of aspen parkland to the south and southern boreal forest to the north of the North Saskatchewan River.^[27] These two ecoregions have differing soil types: the northern forested soils are brunisolic and sandy, whereas south of the river are black chernozemic soils.^{[27]:131, 131} The North Saskatchewan River runs through the centre of Prince Albert. The main soils of the city of Prince Albert are those of the valley complex consisting mainly of regosolic soils which produce natural vegetation which are not forest nor grassland but a complex of the two.^{[27]:70, 71} It is here that the treeline of Saskatchewan begins, and to the north of the city begins the forested growth of Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana), as well as other boreal forest growth in the Prince Albert National Park, and Nisbet forest.^{[27]:92, 93} The agricultural soils around Prince Albert have some limitations and about 25% of the land is covered with sloughs or potholes.^{[27]:106, 107} The land use is divided into the southern woodland area north of Prince Albert and cropland to the south.^{[27]:110, 111}

The Quaternary glacial geology precludes the region to have been covered by a large glacial lake.^[28] The bedrock geology is a part of the phanerozoic basin and belongs to the Lea Park and Milk River Formation.^{[27]:76, 77}

Climate

Prince Albert experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb). The coldest month on average is January with an average low of −25.2 °C, and July is the hottest month with an average high of 23.9 °C. The highest temperature ever recorded in Prince Albert was 39.4 °C on July 19, 1941. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Prince Albert was −56.7 °C on February 1, 1893.^[29]

Climate data for Prince Albert
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	12.0 (53.6)	11.0 (51.8)	19.8 (67.6)	32.2 (90)	35.4 (95.7)	38.8 (101.8)	37.8 (100)	36.1 (97)	36.1 (97)	30.6 (87.1)	19.4 (66.9)	10.0 (50)	38.8 (101.8)
Average high °C (°F)	−13 (9)	−8.3 (17.1)	−1.3 (29.7)	9.5 (49.1)	17.7 (63.9)	21.8 (71.2)	23.9 (75)	23.1 (73.6)	16.6 (61.9)	9.3 (48.7)	−2.9 (26.8)	−10.8 (12.6)	7.1 (44.9)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−19.1 (−2.4)	−14.6 (5.7)	−7.5 (18.5)	3.1 (37.6)	10.5 (50.9)	15.2 (59.4)	17.5 (63.5)	16.3 (61.3)	10.2 (50.4)	3.4 (38.1)	−7.6 (18.3)	−16.2 (2.8)	0.93 (33.68)
Average low °C (°F)	−25.2 (−13.4)	−20.9 (−5.6)	−13.6 (7.5)	−3.4 (25.9)	3.3 (37.9)	8.6 (47.5)	11.1 (52)	9.4 (48.9)	3.6 (38.5)	−2.5 (27.5)	−12.2 (10)	−21.6 (−6.9)	−5.3 (22.5)
Record low °C (°F)	−50 (−58)	−46.1 (−51)	−45.6 (−50.1)	−33.9 (−29)	−12.8 (9)	−4.4 (24.1)	1.1 (34)	−3.7 (25.3)	−15.6 (3.9)	−26.1 (−15)	−38.9 (−38)	−44.3 (−47.7)	−50 (−58)
Precipitation mm (inches)	16.3 (0.642)	11.6 (0.457)	16.2 (0.638)	27.1 (1.067)	47.7 (1.878)	72.6 (2.858)	76.8 (3.024)	58.0 (2.283)	39.5 (1.555)	24.1 (0.949)	16.5 (0.65)	17.9 (0.705)	424.3 (16.705)
Mean monthly sunshine hours	96.1	125.2	168.9	224.5	269.9	278.6	299.5	281.2	176.9	141.1	80.6	74.0	2,216.5
Source: Environment Canada[30]

Demographics

The city of Prince Albert ranked as the 122 largest Census subdivision (municipality) in the country of Canada. Prince Albert has one of the highest obesity rates in the country. In 2005, 32.37% of the residents were considered obese. This is nearly twice the national average. The 2006 Sask Health Population was recorded at 40,140.^[31]

Census	Population
1901	1,785
1911	6,254
1921	7,558
1931	9,905
1941	12,299
1951	17,149
1961	24,168
1971	28,464
1981	31,380
1991	34,181
1996	34,771
2001	34,291
2006	34,138
2011	35,129

v t e Canada census – Prince Albert, Saskatchewan community profile   2011 2006 2001 Population: Land area: Population density: Median age: Total private dwellings: Median household income: 35,129 (2.9% from 2006) 65.74 km2 (25.38 sq mi) 534.4 /km2 (1,384 /sq mi) 14,779 34,138 (-0.4% from 2001) 65.68 km2 (25.36 sq mi) 519.7 /km2 (1,346 /sq mi) 14,029 $53,083 34,291 (-1.4% from 1996) 65.76 km2 (25.39 sq mi) 521.5 /km2 (1,351 /sq mi) 33.5 (M: 31.9, F: 35.0) 13,763 $39,862 References: 2011[32] 2006[33] 2001[34]

^[2]

According to the 2011 Canadian Census,^[35] the population of Prince Albert is 35,129, a 2.9% increase from 2006. The population density is 534.4 people per square km. The median age is 34.7 years old, which is lower then the national median age at 40.6 years old. There are 14,779 private dwellings with an occupancy rate of 92.3%. According to the 2011 National Household Survey, the median value of a dwelling in Prince Albert is $224,963 which is lower than the national average at $280,552. The median household income (after-taxes) in Prince Albert is $49,421, a bit lower than the national average at $54,089.

Prince Albert has one of the highest Aboriginal population ratios for any Canadian city at 40.6%. The racial make up of Prince Albert is:

• 56.1% White
• 40.6% Aboriginal; 20.8% First Nations, 19.5% Metis
• 1.2% Southeast Asian; 0.9% Filipino
• 0.7% East Asian; 0.7% Chinese, 0.0% Korean, 0.0% Japanese
• 0.6% Black
• 0.5% South Asian
• 0.1% Latin American
• 0.1% West Asian
• 0.0% Arab
• 0.0% Multiracial; 19.5% including Metis
• 0.0% Other

Most of Prince Albert is either a Christian (74.4%), or affiliates with no religion (23.4%). The remaining 2.2% affiliate with another religion.

For residents over the age of 25 years old, 82.7% have a high school diploma (or equivalent too), 55.3% have a post-secondary degree, and 17.3% don't have any certificate, diploma or degree.

Infrastructure

The first hospital was constructed in 1899, followed by a maternity home built in 1945 which lasted approximately twelve years.^[27]:63

Bridges

At present, only a single road bridge, the Diefenbaker Bridge, connects the north and south shore in Prince Albert; this bridge is also the only river crossing connecting southern and northern Saskatchewan in the immediate vicinity (one needs to drive many miles to the east or west to find another).

This has long been a subject of concern in the region, especially in light of a partial closure of the bridge in August 2011 that occurred when cracks were found during an inspection.^[36] Grassroots efforts are under way to lobby for the construction of a second bridge over the North Saskatchewan River within Prince Albert.^[37]

Historic trails

In 1866, Prince Albert was established as a mission post, and a trail to Fort Carlton arose. This trail connected the growing community to the Carlton Trail, the main land transportation route in Western Canada of the 19th century. The trail followed along the current Lily Plain grid road in Saskatchewan to the ferry service at Lilly Plain post office.

The Qu'Appelle (Troy) – Prince Albert Trail was in use from 1883 transporting mail and freight goods from the rail depot at Qu'Appelle across the ferry at St. Louis to Prince Albert.^[19] Besides these two trails, Prince Albert was also served by the Montreal Lake–PA, Green Lake–PA, and Fort à la Corne–PA trails.^[28]:11

Railways

Canadian Northern & Grand Trunk Pacific

Qu'Appelle, Long Lake and Saskatchewan Railroad and Steamboat Company (QLSRSC) arrived in Prince Albert in October 1890 as a means to link the three major cities of Saskatchewan through one railroad. For the next few years the line was seldom used, and in order to raise capital, QLSRSC leased the line out to the Canadian Pacific Railway.^[38] Canadian Pacific soon realized the economic uncertainty of the line, and the lease was cancelled after only a few years of service.

By 1906, less than twenty years after the line was completed, it was sold to the Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR). Canadian Northern also crossed the North Saskatchewan River, heading west towards Shellbrook. Prince Albert was slated to become a northern hub for rail service into the north, however with little economic activity in the area, no branch lines were ever extended into the north except for the Paddockwood spur, which was subsequently abandoned during the 1990s as a grain-dependent branch line.

Grand Trunk Pacific (GTP) also serviced Prince Albert through a branch line that headed north from Young, through St. Louis and North into Prince Albert. Later both the CNoR and GTP were nationalized, eventually becoming the Canadian National Railway (CN).^[39]

Canadian National and Canadian Pacific

For years the Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway dominated the city of Prince Albert, operating on both sides of 15th Street. The Canadian Pacific Railway branched off at Lanigan moving north up to Hagen, then under trackage rights with CN, and curved towards the northeast end of Prince Albert. This was CPR's principal northern site, with many of the branch lines feeding back to Prince Albert. These branch lines almost entirely served lumber mills and grain elevators as principal commodities.

In 1991 CPR decided to shut down rail line operations in Prince Albert and the surrounding area. CPR sold the Meadow Lake line to CN, and abandoned the Meath Park branch up to Choiceland. Many small CN branch lines extended past Prince Albert hauling primarily grain, but proved ineffective due to larger and more accessible grain elevators. As a result, many were abandoned through the 1990s. Lines that have been abandoned include the Paddockwood Spur (CN), CPR to Meath Park, CPR to Lanigan, CN to Shellbrook, and CN to St. Louis. As grain storage and sorting technology improved over the years, a state of the art Inland elevator was built, located north of Prince Albert. This facility was owned by Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, later succeeded by Viterra. The smaller elevator located in the CN yards — owned by United Grain Growers, later acquired by Agricore United which was also succeeded by Viterra — operated in Prince Albert until Viterra announced its cease of operations on April 1, 2008. Today, only the Inland terminal owned by Viterra, located in White Star, continues to operate.

In December 1997, CN announced the branch line was up for sale due to lack of productivity. The engines primarily used by CN at the time were GMD1s for short haul and yard shunting, and EMD SD40-2W/EMD SD40-2s for long-haul trips. CP utilized switchers due in part to the light rail on many of their branch lines. These switchers were manufactured by Montreal Locomotive Works (Bombardier) and were designated as RS-23.

Carlton Trail Railway

OmniTRAX, an American shortline railway company, bought the former CN line and named it Carlton Trail Railway (CTRW or CTR). Currently, Carlton Trail Railway resides in the old CN yard, storing tank cars for CN, transporting grain, and refurbishing diesel engines for other OmniTRAX lines. Carlton Trail has recently discussed abandoning several parts of the shortline due to increasing costs and poor track condition.^[40] In 2001 CTRW announced the abandonment of the Birch Hills branch line, but the City of Prince Albert intervened, citing the possibility of an ethanol plant. In 2008 Carlton Trail announced the Meadow Lake line would be abandoned by April 1, 2009.^[41] Carlton Trail primarily operates EMD GP10s for switching and long-haul transport.

Highway

Prince Albert is located on SK 2, SK 3, SK 11, SK 55, and SK 302. Prince Albert demarks the change of name for SK 2. The stretch of Highway 2 from Moose Jaw to Prince Albert was designated in 2005 as Veterans Memorial Highway. The renaming coincided with Veterans Week 2005.^[42] 176.3 miles (283.7 km) of Saskatchewan Highway 2 contribute to the CanAm Highway^[43] between Prince Albert and La Ronge.^[44] The CanAm highway south of Prince Albert is designated on SK 3 between Melfort and Prince Albert.^[44] SK 11 connects Saskatchewan's three largest cities: Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert. On June 20, 2001, the entire length of Saskatchewan Highway 11 was re-named the Louis Riel Trail at a ceremony which took place at the Duck Lake Regional Interpretive Centre. The Louis Riel Trail connects major sites of the 1885 North-West Rebellion.^[45]

Transit

Prince Albert Transit is the local city bus service with Saskatchewan Transportation Company providing intercity service for passengers and freight throughout Saskatchewan, with connecting service to national bus routes.

Air Transport

Glass Field Airport has regular flights to Saskatoonand Regina and serves as an access point to communities and mining operations North of Prince Albert.

Education

Anglican Bishop John McLean opened Emmanuel College on November 1, 1879, the first University of the District of Saskatchewan. A federal act later incorporated Emmanuel College into the University of Saskatchewan Emmanuel College moved to Saskatoon in 1907 to become a part of the provincial University of Saskatchewan, following the inception of Saskatchewan as a province in 1905.^[46]

The Saskatchewan Rivers School Division operates 33 schools^[47] and the Prince Albert Catholic School Division operates nine schools. The city has five high schools. St. Mary High School, and Rivier Academy (private, co-ed) are part of the Prince Albert Catholic School Division, while Carlton Comprehensive High School (largest high school in Saskatchewan), Wesmor (Acronym of the rural elementary schools Wildrose, East Central, Spruce Home, Meath Park, Osborne, and Redwing), and P.A.C.I (Prince Albert Collegiate Institute) are in the Saskatchewan Rivers School Division.

Post-secondary schools found in Prince Albert include the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) Woodland Campus, First Nations University of Canada (Northern Campus), Gabriel Dumont Institute, Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT), and Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program (SUNTEP).

Local media

Events

Concerts

• On April 18, 2003 acclaimed 90's rap artist Vanilla Ice played a concert at the now defunct Outer Limits Bar (sometimes referred to as the "O'Deadly").^[48]
• The Northern Lights Casino also helps to bring in many small independent and major country and native bands to the city. Some artists include Freddy Fender, Donny Parenteau, Michelle Wright, among others.
• In the summer of 2005 Tom Cochrane did a live free show as part of the province's Centennial Celebrations. It was held in Prime Ministers Park.
• 12th Street Station is a venue at the Prince Albert Winter Festival. It showcases a variety of genres such as blues, rock, jazz, among others. It has grown in popularity each year.
• Since the E.A. Rawlinson Centre for the Arts^[49] was built, Prince Albert is now able to bring in bigger more well known acts. The first show at the Rawlinson Centre was on April 2, 2003, and Chantal Kreviazuk was the headliner. Other acts to perform in the Rawlinson Centre include Adam Gregory, Colin James, Rita MacNeil, Theresa Sokyrka, Arrogant Worms, Canadian Brass, Doc Walker, David Usher, Girlicious, among others.

Drama

Carlton High School is known for its productions dealing with topics such as Nazism, dark Gothic romances, and light-hearted children's plays. Every year, three productions are put on with one being a children's play that tours the public elementary schools in November. The next play is put on in early March and is a contestant in the region 7 drama festival. The final play is often presented in early May, consisting of a large cast and crew. Most often this play is of a Shakespearean genre, but with a strange modernized twist. The drama club often does a short film to complement the final play.^[50]

Carlton High School also has a French drama group called Les Solipsistes, directed by Michael Bowden, a French immersion and core French teacher. The group performs two plays every year, one Christmas play, directed towards children, and a competition play for the drama festival.^{[citation needed]}

Prince Albert is also home to the Odyssey Dinner Theatre, which puts on two or three plays a year, which are always accompanied by a dinner.^[51]

Over the last three years Shakespeare in the Park has been performed in Kinsmen Park, and produced by Prince Albert's ShortStuff Productions. ShortStuff Productions is a local theatre group started by Joan and Desmond Short. Their past shows have included Jesus Christ Superstar, Baba & Gido's 50th Wedding Anniversary, and The Rocky Horror Show.^{[citation needed]}

Prince Albert's newest theatre group, SmokeScreen Productions, was formed in 2005. The group was formed by 4 friends who love theatre and wanted to have fun.^{[citation needed]} The group's first production was The Ferris Wheel, and they have since performed numerous plays such as The Midlife Crisis of Dionysis, Whoppers, and many more. SmokeScreen productions has won numerous awards at Saskatchewan's Theatre festivals such as Best Play, Best Director, Best Technical, Best Actor, as well as numerous Honorable Mentions.^{[citation needed]}

Broadway North started back in 1994 by a group of creative visionaries looking to stage a summer theatre performance of “West Side Story”, Broadway North has since grown a reputation for staging fabulous Musical Theatre productions and as an excellent training ground for young performers.

Festivals

Every year Prince Albert has a variety of festivals, fairs, shows, etc. Different times of the year yield different festivals.

Since 1990 the city of Prince Albert has hosted the "Lil Jim Festival" each year. Lil Jim is the nickname of a short but tremendously talented soccer player from the city. The true name of this soccer player is unknown, so many people believe Lil Jim exists merely as a fictional legend. During its first few years the festival was a one-day event. The festival grew in popularity throughout the early 90s though, and by 1995 it was expanded to a two-day event. The festival continued to grow after its 1995 expansion. In 2001 it became the week long event it is today. Now the Lil Jim Festival is one of Prince Albert's premiere events. People from all over Saskatchewan attend it annually. The festival has also become a substantial source of revenue for the city.

Sports

The city is home to the Prince Albert Raiders of the Western Hockey League. The Raiders, who won the Memorial Cup in 1985, play out of the 3,571 seat Art Hauser Centre.^[66] The city is also home to the Prince Albert Mintos of the Midget AAA Hockey League. They won the 2006 and 2007 Telus Cup. They also play out of the Art Hauser Centre.^[67]

A few of the sporting events of the Prince Albert area include the Bull Riders Challenge, Canadian Challenge Dog Sled Race, Canoe tours on the North Saskatchewan, Celtic Games (By McDowell), Chuck wagon and Chariot Races, Fresh Air Experience Road Race, Potash Golf Tournament, Rotary Club Ice Fishing Derby, and Sask-Loppett.^[6] The Sports Hall of Fame honours Prince Albert and area athletes, builders, and teams of notable merit.

The Alfred Jenkins Soccer Field House, budgeted at 11.1 million dollars, became operational in 2009.^{[citation needed]}

Museums and points of interest

There are three historical museums in Prince Albert. The combined The Evolution of Education Museum and Rotary Museum of Police and Corrections are located at the tourist information centre just off of Highway #2 South. The second museum, the Historical Society Museum, is located in an old Fire Hall at the north end of Central Avenue on River Street. The John G. Diefenbaker House is a historic site open to the public and is found on 249 19th Street West. The Prince Albert Heritage Museum (c. 1911) is a Municipal Heritage Property on the Canadian Register of Historic Places.^[68]

Across from the Historical Society Museum, is the site of Diefenbaker's constituency office that is not open to the public. Among the other heritage, historic and protected sites of Prince Albert are the Blockhouse from the 1885 Rebellion & First Presbyterian Church/School, Historic St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, Honeywood (Dr. A.J. Porter) Heritage Nursery, Keyhole Castle, LaColle Falls Hydroelectric Dam, Oldest Downtown Store, and The Cathedral Church of St. Alban the Martyr.^[62]

Other historical points of interest include:

• The St. Louis Light, a commonly visited, supposedly paranormal, phenomenon occurring south of the city.
• Fort de la Corne, a short distance east from Prince Albert, is the furthest westward post of the French Empire in North America (see New France).
• The Prince Albert Sanitorium, completed in 1930 and treated tuberculosis patients.^[69]
• The Buckland Wildlife Management Unit, located within 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) of the city.^[24]

Prince Albertans

People with varying degrees of public notoriety from Prince Albert including athletes, politicians, authors, actors, etc..

Name	Occupation	Notes
Bales, Mike	Hockey player	Was a NHL goalie for the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators.
Barlow, Burke	Musician	Barlow was a guitarist for the folk band The Deep Dark Woods from 2005 to 2012.
Bergen, Todd	Hockey player	Bergen is a retired NHL player who played one season with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1984–85.
Bower, Johnny William "The China Wall"	Hockey player	Bower is a National Hockey League Hall of Famer.[70]
Burgess, David Luther	World War I pilot and politician	Burgess was a World War I flying ace who, in 1926, was the sole challenger to Liberal Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King in a by-election held in Prince Albert. He ran as an Independent.
Cameron, Angus	Hockey player	Cameron was an NHL player for the New York Rangers.
Clarke, Lawrence	HBC official	Clarke was a Hudson's Bay Company Official, early Territorial Government Representative and prominent local citizen considered by some to be the instigator of the Northwest Rebellion of 1885.[71]
Comiskey, John	Football player	Plays center with the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL.
Crawford, Neil Stanley	Politician and jazz musician	Crawford practised law in Edmonton, Alberta, in the 1950s and 1960s. He served as an executive assistant to Prime Minister John Diefenbaker between 1961 and 1963 and served as Young Progressive Conservative Association President from 1963 to 1964. He had a jazz band composed of provincial MLAs called the Tory Blue Notes and played trumpet.
Dallman, Rod	Hockey player	NHL player for the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers; career penalty minute leader for the Springfield Indians. Born in Quesnel, British Columbia, played junior hockey for the Prince Albert Raiders, currently lives in Prince Albert.
Davis, Thomas Osborne	Politician	Davis was a Liberal Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons representing the Provisional District of Saskatchewan, and later a member of the Canadian Senate. He served on the town council for Prince Albert and was mayor from 1894 to 1895. He died in office as mayor when he was 60.
Dent, Ivor	Politician	Dent, CM was born in Prince Albert and became a politician in Alberta, Canada, a former mayor of Edmonton, and a former candidate for the Canadian House of Commons and the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.[72]
Dewdney, Selwyn Hanington	Author, illustrator, artist, activist and pioneer in both art therapy and pictography	Born in Prince Albert, moved to Kenora, Ontario. Received post secondary education at the University of Toronto where he received a general Bachelor of Arts. Ontario College of Education and received a High School Assistant's Certificate and Art Specialists Certificate. He also took a course in landscape painting.
Diefenbaker, John	Prime Minister	Diefenbaker, PC, CH, QC, FRSC, FRSA (September 18, 1895 – August 16, 1979) was the 13th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 21, 1957, to April 22, 1963. Diefenbaker House in Prince Albert is open as a museum to the public in the summer season. It is a home where Diefenbaker lived for ten years with his first wife, Edna Brower and when she died, his second, Olive Palmer.[73][74]
Dougherty, Liam	Ice dancer	Dougherty, born in Prince Albert is a provincial, national, and international ice dancer with several different partners.
Ducommun, Rick	Actor	Ducommun, born July 3, 1956, in Prince Albert is a Canadian actor and comedian, often seen in supporting roles on both television and the silver screen.[75]
Fresh, Tanner	Hip Hop musician, songwriter, and producer	Fresh is a former member of Fresh City, but moved to Toronto to start a solo career. He has achieved success locally, provincially, and nationally.
Fleming, Robert	Composer, pianist, organist, choirmaster and teacher
Goertzen, Glenda	Author	Goertzen, BFA, born in Morse, currently lives in Prince Albert and is a children's author.[76]
Guard, Kelly	Hockey player	Was signed to a contract in the NHL with Ottawa Senators though he never played a game. Played in Europe during the later part of his career, but retired due to sustaining an injury.
Hanson, Leot	Musician	Guitarist for the The Sheepdogs.
Henry, Dale	Hockey player	Henry played 132 games in the NHL for the New York Islanders.
Hicks, John V.	Poet	Hicks, born in England but resided in Prince Albert, became a published poet during the last two decades of his life receiving the Saskatchewan Order of Merit and an Honorary Doctorate in Literature from the University of Saskatchewan.[77]
Hill, Douglas	Author	Hill was a Canadian science fiction author, editor and reviewer born in Brandon, Manitoba but raised in Prince Albert.[78]
Hoback, Randy	Politician	Hoback was elected to represent the electoral district of Prince Albert in the 2008 Canadian federal election. He is a member of the Conservative Party.
Hovdebo, Stanley	Politician and educator	Hovdebo was a New Democratic Party member of the Canadian House of Commons. He was an educator by career. He served terms provincially and nationally.
Isbister, James	Métis leader	Isbister was a Canadian Métis leader who founded the Isbister settlement the precursor of Prince Albert and may have been the first farmer to grow wheat in the area.[79]
Jackson, Honoré	Métis leader	Louis Riel's secretary, leader of the Prince Albert Settler's Union in the early 1880s.[80]
Jerome, Harry	Sprinter
Karloff, Boris	Actor	Karloff was famous for his roles in horror films portraying characters like Frankenstein's Monster and The Mummy, resided in Prince Albert during the early 20th century.[81] He applied to Harry St. Clair of Prince Albert's Harry St. Clair players and toured with them between 1912 and 1914 before becoming famous in Hollywood.[82][83]
Lamont, John Henderson	Supreme Court Justice	Lamont was born in Horning's Mills, Canada West, but became a Prince Albert lawyer, Liberal politician, and Supreme Court Justice.[84]
Mair, Charles	Poet	Mair was a 19th-century Canadian nationalist poet who resided in Prince Albert for several years in the early 1880s.[85]
MacDowall, Day Hort	MLA	MacDowall was a prominent citizen and was elected as a representative for Prince Albert to the Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories in 1883 and served until 1885.[86]
Mason, Chris	Musician	Mason is the bassist for the folk rock band The Deep Dark Woods.
Manson, Dave	Hockey player	Manson is a retired NHL player starting out with the Chicago Blackhawks who is now an assistant coach with his former junior hockey team, WHL's Prince Albert Raiders.[87]
McKay, Thomas	Politician and farmer	McKay represented Prince Albert in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories from 1891 to 1894 and from 1898 to 1905. McKay was the brother-in-law of Lawrence Clarke, and like Clarke was connected to the Conservative Party of Canada. McKay was a Protestant Métis or Anglo-Métis individual, and was involved in the Saskatchewan Rebellion on the side of the federal government.
Montgomery, Lucy Maud	Author	Montgomery, CBE, between 1890 and 1891 at the age of 16, lived in Prince Albert with her father and step-mother. She later went on to publish 20 novels, over 500 short stories, an autobiography and a book of poetry.[88]
Morgan, Blair	Motocross/Snowcross athlete	Morgan was a five-time X-Games gold medalist for snowcross
Mrazek, Jerome	Hockey player	Mrazek is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played in one NHL game for the Philadelphia Flyers.[89]
Nelson, Jeff	Hockey player	Nelson played in the NHL for the Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators. He current plays for the Mississippi RiverKings in the Central Hockey League.
Nerland, Carney	RCMP informant	Nerland was a white supremacist, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police informant, who garnered national media attention in 1991 after killing a man on the basis of his skin colour.[90]
Newall, Ted	Entrepreneur	businessman
Parent, Ryan	Hockey player	Parent, born in Prince Albert, is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who plays for the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Parenteau, Donny	Country music singer, songwriter, and musician	Parenteau is a former fiddle player for country music star Neal McCoy, but moved back to Prince Albert to start a solo career. He has achieved success locally, provincially, and nationally.
Pederson, Denis	Hockey player	Pederson played 435 games in the NHL with such teams as New Jersey Devils, Vancouver Canucks, Phoenix Coyotes, Nashville Predators, and St. Louis Blues. He currently plays for Eisbären Berlin of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.
Robinson, Jessica	Country music singer	Robinson has achieved some success nationally in the country music genre.
Robson, Jim	Broadcaster	Born in Prince Albert, Robson was a radio and television broadcaster for the Vancouver Canucks from 1970 to 1999 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame and the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame.[91]
Ruskowski, Terry	Hockey player	Ruskowski is a retired NHL centre, who played for the Chicago Black Hawks, Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Minnesota North Stars. Previously, he played for the Houston Aeros of the WHA. Ruskowski is the only player to captain four different NHL teams.
Simair, Rod and Denyse	Artists	The Simairs are world renowned ceramic artists who live near Prince Albert. They are winners of numerous awards and prizes for their work in crystalline glazed porcelain.[92][93]
Stevenson, John	Politician	Liberal MLA and Senator.
Tapper, Richard Findlay	Swimmer	Tapper competed for New Zealand at the 1992 Summer Olympics
Taylor, Allan R.	Banker
Thompson, Max	Nordic combined skier	Thompson has competed nationally and internationally at the Olympics in the event.
Vickers, John	Opera singer	Vickers, CC was born in Prince Albert and is a retired Canadian opera tenor singer.[94]
Walter, Owen	Hockey player	In 2003 Walter was awarded the Brown University Charles A. Robinson Memorial Trophy for academic achievement before playing professionally.[95]
Weaver, George	Politician and metallurgical engineer
Wilson, Rick	Hockey player	Wilson, also born in Prince Albert, is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman and head coach. He is currently an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars.[96]
Yeo, Dylan	Hockey player	Yeo currently plays for the Toronto Marlies in the AHL.[97]

See also

References

Book references

• Abrams, Gary W. D. (1966). Prince Albert: The First Century. Modern Press, Saskatoon. 

External links

• Carlton Comprehensive High School
• E.A. Rawlinson Centre Official Site
• Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan >>Prince Albert
• Map of Prince Albert at Statcan
• NASA balloons launched from Prince Albert – History of the use as stratospheric balloon launch base of the Grass Field airport between 1985 and 1990
• Prince Albert on Google Maps
• Prince Albert Historical Society
• Prince Albert Airport
• Prince Albert Mintos (midget AAA hockey)
• Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
• Prince Albert National Park
• Prince Albert Patriot Website
• Prince Albert Potluck Community - For Woodland SIAST students and young singles and couples.
• Saskatchewan Roman Catholic Churches ~ Online Parish Registers ~ History >> Prince Albert
• St. Paul's Presbyterian Church
• Virtual Prince Albert – Interactive 360 panorama imagery and more!
• Waskesiu – in Prince Albert National Park

		Redwing Spruce Home Prince Albert National Park
	Shellbrook		Birch Hills
	Prince Albert
		Red Deer Hill

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Coordinates: 53°12′N 105°45′W / 53.200°N 105.750°W / 53.200; -105.750