Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Saskatoon shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Saskatoon offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Saskatoon at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Saskatoon? Wrong! If the Saskatoon is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Saskatoon then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Saskatoon? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Saskatoon and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Saskatoon wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Saskatoon then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Saskatoon site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Saskatoon, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Saskatoon, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

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Saskatoon is located in central [Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Saskatoon is the most populous city in the province of Saskatchewan, and has been since the mid-1980s when it surpassed the provincial capital of Regina, Saskatchewan. City of Saskatoon Population Projection 2006-2011, p. 11, Figure 10. Residents of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians.

Saskatoon is often called the "City of Bridges" for its seven river crossings (it is also occasionally referred to as "The Paris of the Prairies", for the same reason). The name Saskatoon comes from the Cree language inanimate noun "Saskatoon berry," which refers to a sweet, violet-coloured berry that grows in the area. A long-time nickname for Saskatoon is "Hub City", while the name is also commonly abbreviated "S'toon". Following the release of the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit in 1988, the city became popularly known as "'Toontown", after a similarly named location in the film, although the nickname "'Toontown" had been in use in Saskatoon prior to the film's release. Another, less commonly used nickname is "POW City". POW stands for Potash, Oil, and Wheat. POW City Kinsmen Club

History The first permanent settlement of Saskatoon occurred in 1883 when Toronto Methodists, wanting to escape the liquor trade in that city, decided to set up a "dry" community in the rapidly-growing Prairie region. The settlers, led by John Lake (settler), arrived on the site of what is now Saskatoon by traveling by railway from Ontario to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and then completing the final leg via horse-drawn cart (the railway had yet to be completed to Saskatoon).

A town charter for the west side of the river was obtained in 1903 (Nutana became a village in that year). In 1906 Saskatoon became a city with a population of 4,500, which included the communities of Saskatoon, Riversdale, and Nutana. In 1955 Montgomery Place and in 1956 the neighboring town of Sutherland, Saskatchewan was annexation by the fast growing City of Saskatoon The Sentinel January 2006, This Month in History URL accessed February 2, 2007

Demographics )The 2006 census listed Saskatoon as the largest city of Saskatchewan with a residential population of 202,340, which grew 2.8 per cent from 2001. Saskatoon population up 2.8%, Regina up 0.6%, CBC News (Canadian Press), March 13, 2007. As of 2005, the civic government of Saskatoon claimed a population of approximately 220,000. The above land area figure was provided by the City of Saskatoon in January 2006 and takes into account recent annexations.

According to the 2001 census, some 1 in 5 people, or 20.6 per cent of the population, consists of youths under the age of 14, while those over 65 constitute only 11.8 per cent of the population. The median age of Saskatoon residents is 34.4 years of age, three years younger than Canada as a whole. Saskatoon is growing at an annual rate of 0.62 per cent between 1996 and 2001. The 2001 census lists the residential population of Saskatoon as 196,861.

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Ethno-cultural Groups

The majority of Saskatoon's inhabitants profess to be of Christian faith. A large contingent of people also do not profess a faith at all. Some 78.5% profess to be Christian, mostly Protestant and Roman Catholic. Minority faiths include Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, and Islam, who do not constitute 1 per cent combined.

First Nations The Saskatoon area was inhabited long before any permanent settlement was established, to which the ongoing archæological work at Wanuskewin Heritage Park and other locations bears witness. Canada's First Nations population has been increasingly urbanized, and nowhere is that more apparent than in Saskatoon, where the First Nations population increased by 382% from 1981 to 2001 Aboriginal Conditions in Census Metropolitan Areas, 1981-2001, Statistics Canada, ISBN 0-662-40884-5, Table 1.; however, a portion of this increase, possibly as much as half, is believed to be due to more people identifying themselves as Aboriginal in the census rather than migration or birth rate. Saskatoon has a higher percentage of First Nations population than any other major Canadian city Aboriginal Conditions in Census Metropolitan Areas, 1981-2001, Statistics Canada, ISBN 0-662-40884-5, Figure 3. at nearly 9%, although Winnipeg and Regina both exceed 8%; in certain neighbourhoods such as Pleasant Hill, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, this percentage exceeds 40%.

Economy Scientific research Saskatoon is recognized as one of the world's leading agricultural biotechnology centres. Department of Industry and Resources Some of this research takes place at Innovation Place Research Park and the University of Saskatchewan (U of S). The U of S hosts the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) that conducts infectious diseases research to develop infectious diseases controls for humans and animals.

The University of Saskatchewan is also home to the Saskatchewan Isotope Laboratory, which studies environmental and climate change around the world. These studies provide secular records of environmental change that are critical to developing more accurate models of future environmental and climate variability that will dictate the economic well-being of the Prairie Provinces over the coming decades.

The U of S campus is the major employer in the city. As well, the campus is home to the Canadian Light Source, which is the largest scientific project completed in Canada in over 50 years. The 179 million dollar project resulted in a national synchrotron radiation facility that is used for a wide range of world-class scientific research.

Mining The world's largest publicly traded uranium company, Cameco, and the world's largest potash producer, PotashCorp, have corporate headquarters in Saskatoon. Nearly two-thirds of the world's recoverable potash reserves are located in the Saskatoon region. Uranium plays an important role in Saskatoon's economy, with the city also hosting Areva NC Canadian headquarters (a subsidiary of France-based AREVA).

Food processing and manufacturing Food processing is an important industry in Saskatoon. The city is the headquarters of Mitchell's Gourmet Foods, formerly known as Intercontinental Packers, which produces the Olympic Fine Meats line of products and is one of Canada's largest meat processors, employing more than 1,400 Saskatonians. However, in late 2006, Maple Leaf Foods, owners of Mitchell's, announced it would be closing down its major plant in Saskatoon resulting in the loss of approximately 450 local jobs, along with an additional 350 jobs that were expected to be created by the construction of a new Mitchell's "kill plant" in the city's north end.http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/story.html?id=6f529f42-0ae0-48a7-9fd9-044ae76c8b81&k=56849http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewan/story/2007/03/01/hogs.html

Saskatoon is home to several manufacturing companies such as Hitachi Canadian Industries, as well as several companies in the Information Technology and telecom fields. Saskatoon is home to SED Systems, MPR Teltech, Vecima Networks, and Solido Design Automation. Saskatoon also hosts a Minacs and a Marriott International call centre. First Nations Bank of Canada executive offices are located in Saskatoon.

After explosive residential growth in the 1970s and early 1980s, by the late 1980s development of new communities slowed to a trickle as the economy experienced a downturn. By 2005 however, Saskatoon was in the midst of another growth boom with construction under way on no fewer than four major residential areas, plus early planning launched on several proposed business parks and the Blairmore Suburban Development Area, also known as the "West Sector", a large recently annexed area on the city's west side which is expected to include seven residential communities, a business park, and a "suburban centre" in the coming years. (Construction of the suburban centre, which will include two major high schools and necessitate realignment of Highway 7, began in 2006. Government of Saskatchewan News)

Retail In terms of commercial development, Saskatoon was somewhat slow in embracing the big box store format that replaced the traditional shopping mall in the mid-to-late 1990s, with the city's first true "power centre" not opening until the early 2000s. One of the city's main commercial districts, 8th Street East, experienced an influx of new businesses in the early 2000s after a number of automobile dealerships relocated to a new " auto mall" on the city's south side, leaving large vacancies along 8th Street. The opening of the city's first power centre, Preston Crossing, in 2002–2003 saw several major retailers such as Wal-Mart Canada and Canadian Tire leave their original shopping mall locations in favour of the new site, requiring the malls to scramble to find replacement tenants. Construction of a second power centre on the city's south side is under way. The development of these larger centres has led to something of a decrease in services in the downtown areas, with the few grocery stores in that region going out of business or closing their doors in favour of the larger stores in the peripheral regions of the city.

The downtown core is seeing increased development with projects such as River Landing, lofts and entertainment going ahead. Located in the downtown core, Midtown Plaza (Saskatoon) is the largest shopping centre in the city with Sears Canada and Hudson's Bay Company as anchors. The city is also home to Market Mall (Saskatoon) and The Centre (Saskatoon) on the east side, Confederation Mall on the west side and The Mall at Lawson Heights in the north end.

Urban Reserves Saskatoon is the home of Canada's first urban reserve, or Indian reserve created within existing city limits. (Other reserves had been absorbed into adjacent cities before this.) As part of the aboriginal land claim process that was started in the 1950s and finalised in the 1992 Treaty Land Entitlement Framework Agreement, the Muskeg Lake First Nation claimed a vacant 33-acre tract east of the Sutherland Industrial, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan neighbourhood in 1984; the area was Crown land that had been intended for a correctional facility but never used. Following negotiations between the band, the City of Saskatoon, and the federal government, the area was designated as an Indian Reserve in 1988.

The City and the band formed an Urban Reserve Partnership, where the land is managed by the band but serviced by the City. The reserve is known as the McKnight Commercial Centre and is completely integrated into the neighbouring industrial area. It includes three buildings, with more than 100,000 square feet of floor space, that house over 40 businesses employing over 300 people, and further expansion due in 2007–2008. Instead of the businesses paying municipal taxes to the City, the band collects these taxes (which by agreement are the same as they would be anywhere else in the City) as well as the sales taxes in Canada; the band then pays the City a "fee for municipal services", which equals the amount of the municipal taxes, and remits the sales taxes to their respective governments. In return, the City built all the infrastructure needed to develop and service the land, including additional road access, and provides all services, including snow removal, policing, and utilities. This ensures that on-reserve businesses do not receive a tax advantage, although their Indian Register employees benefit because on-reserve income is non-taxable. (Status Indians are also exempt from paying sales taxes on a reserve.) The reserve includes a mixture of Aboriginal- and non-Aboriginal-owned businesses. Urban Reserves in Saskatchewan, Western Economic Diversification Canada. Urban Reserves: The City of Saskatoon's Partnership with First Nations, Lorne A. Sully and Mark D. Emmons, City Planning Branch, City of Saskatoon, April 22, 2004. Common Questions, Theresa Dust, Q.C. (City Solicitor for the City of Saskatoon), 2006.

Following the success of the Muskeg Lake urban reserve, and following the same model, 28 more urban reserves have been created in Saskatchewan, including three each in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Yorkton, Saskatchewan and Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan.

The Sounding Sky urban reserve is the second urban reserve in Saskatoon. Owned by the One Arrow First Nation, it houses the Fire Creek gas station and confectionery at 20th Street and Avenue P. This land was declared an urban reserve in November 2005 and developed in 2006, replacing a small strip mall. Business at home in Pleasant Hill, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, January 5, 2007. There are three more parcels of land in Saskatoon that are owned by First Nations and expected to receive urban reserve status: Canterbury Towers (owned by the Yellow Quill First Nation) and Avord Towers (owned by The Battlefords Tribal Council), both office towers in the Central Business District, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; and an office complex in the Airport Business Area, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan owned by the English River First Nation.

Queen Elizabeth Power Station The city receives its power from the main SaskPower power grid. The city's nearest power generation plant is located on Saskatoon's southwestern outskirts on Spadina Crescent (south of the city dump entrance on Power Road). The station was built in the 1950s and named after Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom in 1959. This is a natural gas fired station to meet peak demand. SaskPower base load facilities are primarily hydro electric and coal fired.

Climate Saskatoon is in a dry-prairie/savanna biome and experiences warm summers and very cold winters. The city has four distinct seasons. Extreme temperatures range from -50°C in winter to 41°C (-58°F to 104°F) in summer. Saskatoon is fairly dry; the average annual precipitation is 347.2mm (13.7in), with the summer being the wettest season. A positive aspect of the low precipitation is that Saskatoon is one of the sunniest cities in Canada as a result, averaging 2,381 hours of bright sunshine annually. The extreme temperatures are also more tolerable on account of the typically low humidity.

The lowest temperature ever recorded in Saskatoon was -50°C in 1893. The lowest wind chill ever recorded was -61.9°C. The highest temperature ever recorded in Saskatoon was 41°C in 1988.

Geography

Saskatoon lies on a long belt of rich, potassic chernozem in middle-southern Saskatchewan and is found in the Aspen parkland biome. The lack of surrounding mountainous topography gives the city a relatively flat grid, though the city does sprawl over a few hills and into a few valleys. The lowest point in the city is the river, while the highest point is disputed between the suburb of Sutherland in the east side and the Silverwood-River Heights areas in the city's north end. Saskatoon, on a cross-section from west to east, has a general decline in elevation above sea level heading towards the river, and on the east bank of the river, the terrain is mostly level until outside the city, where it begins to decrease in elevation again.

Saskatoon is divided into east and west sides by the South Saskatchewan River. It is then divided into Suburban Development Areas (SDA) which are composed of neighbourhoods.

Landmarks

One of the city's best known landmarks is the Delta Bessborough, better known as The Bessborough, the Hotel Bessborough or, more colloquially, "The Bess" (or "The Bez"; the latter is phonetic). Built by the Canadian National Railway as a Canada's grand railway hotels during the Great Depression of the 1930s as a make-work project, the hotel was designed to resemble a Bavarian castle. The hotel has passed out of the ownership of the CNR and has survived several changes in ownership, as well as the suggestion that it be demolished in order to restore the riverbank. The Bessborough and the Mendel Art Gallery are currently the only two major structures located on the river side of Spadina Crescent. Over the years, the Bessborough has become Saskatoon's most iconic symbol and most recognizable skyline feature; one of the most frequently-circulated photographs depicting Saskatoon is of the hotel framed in one of the arches of the Broadway Bridge (Saskatoon).

The city is currently redeveloping the south downtown region of River Landing. This redevelopment will result in the development of a Hotel/Spa to the downtown core, a huge, new theater complex with twelve theatres with stadium-style seating owned by Cineplex Entertainment which opened in the Summer of 2006, parkland, a new facility for Persephone Theatre (currently located outside the downtown core), and a year round home for the Saskatoon Farmers Market.

Transportation Saskatoon is located on the Yellowhead Highway also known as Saskatchewan Highway 16 connecting Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, and British Columbia. Highways Saskatchewan Highway 5, Saskatchewan Highway 7, Saskatchewan Highway 11, Saskatchewan Highway 12, Saskatchewan Highway 14, Saskatchewan Highway 219, Saskatchewan Highway 684, and Saskatchewan Highway 762 all meet at Saskatoon. Saskatchewan Highway 60, which meets up with route 7 just west of Saskatoon, goes south to nearby Pike Lake Provincial Park. Another Highway, Saskatchewan Highway 41, terminates at Hwy 5 just east of the present city limits.The following bridges cross the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon:

Construction of Saskatoon's "ring road", Circle Drive, began in the mid-1960s (after having first been proposed in 1913) but as of 2006 the freeway was still only three-quarters completed.

The Canadian Pacific Railway and the Canadian National Railway have connections to Saskatoon. Saskatoon is a stop on The Canadian passenger transcontinental rail route operated by VIA Rail. A station for passenger travel is located in the west end of the city. The many provincial transportation connections and geographic location of Saskatoon give it one of its nicknames The Hub City. The Saskatchewan Railway Museum is located just outside the city.

The Saskatoon/John G. Diefenbaker International Airport (YXE) is the main airport for the city with scheduled and charter service within North America. Saskatoon/Corman Air Park is located south-east of Saskatoon and is primarily used by private aircraft.

Transit services in Saskatoon are operated by Saskatoon Transit, a division of the municipal government. The system operates a network of regular and express bus routes. The system was revamped on July 2, 2006, creating a better system and increased access to most parts of the city. The express routes are called DART routes - Direct Access Rapid Transit.

Education . Central Industrial, Saskatoon, SaskatchewanSaskatoon has a number of higher education institutions:

Saskatoon has 78 elementary schools and 14 high schools (with three more under construction), serving about 37,000 students. Saskatoon has two school boards, The Saskatoon Public School Division and the Saskatoon Catholic School Division.

Saskatoon is home to five units of the Canadian Cadet Movement:

Arts and culture Galleries and museums The Mendel Art Gallery is situated on the bank of the South Saskatchewan River. Over its 41 year history, the Mendel Art Gallery’s permanent collection has grown to exceed 5,000 works of art. In 2005, it began a major renovation project that will expand the size of the gallery by seventy per cent. In September 2005, however, the City of Saskatoon announced that it had entered discussions with the Mendel to the end of having the Mendel abandon its renovation/expansion project in favor of instead relocating the facility to a new arts and culture centre that is planned for the south downtown area; the Mendel has reportedly rejected this suggestion.

Saskatoon is also home of the Saskatchewan Western Development Museum. This museum, one of four throughout the province, documents early pioneer life in Saskatchewan. It is noted for its interior recreation of a "Boom Town" main street, including one original building relocated from its original site. The Saskatchewan Railway Museum is located just outside the city and includes displays of rolling stock and historic railway buildings from various parts of the province.

Wanuskewin Heritage Park is a National Historic Site situated five km to the north of Saskatoon. It is an Aboriginal peoples in Canada archaeological site and features displays, special events, and activities.

Events and festivals Saskatoon's major arts venue is the Saskatoon Centennial Auditorium, recently renamed as TCU Place in January 2006, which is located adjacent to Midtown Plaza downtown. Since opening in 1967, it has hosted scores of concerts, theatrical performances, live events such as the Telemiracle telethon, high school graduation and university convocation ceremonies, and conventions. It is also home to the Saskatoon Symphony. It recently underwent a multi-million dollar renovation to its main theatre (named in honor of former mayor and senator Sidney Buckwold) and in 2005 began an expansion to add additional convention facilities; this project was scheduled for completion in the spring of 2006.

For rock concerts and major shows, the Credit Union Centre (formerly Saskatchewan Place) is the main venue. It is Saskatchewan's largest arena, with a capacity of 11,300 for sporting events and 14,000 for concerts. Musical acts from Saskatoon include Wide Mouth Mason and The Northern Pikes.

Saskatoon hosts many festivals and events in the summer, including the Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan, the Sasktel Saskatchewan Jazz Fest, the Northern Saskatchewan International Children's Festival, the Saskatoon Fringe Theatre Festival (a showcase of alternative theatre), FolkFest (a cultural festival), and the Canada Remembers Airshow.

For over 25 years, Saskatoon has hosted a gathering of antique automobiles, (mainly from the 1960s) that has grown into an event called "Cruise Weekend". The event is usually held on the last weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) in August. Activities include a poker derby, dances, and a show 'N' shine with over 800 cars from all over western Canada. They park in the downtown core on the Sunday. No admission is charged and everyone is free to walk around and enjoy the atmosphere. Around 5 or 6 p.m. most of the vehicles cruise to the east side and go up and down 8th Street. Hundreds of people line the streets to watch the constant stream of vintage cars and hopefully catch a glimpse of some tire squealing or other antics. The city police are constantly vigilant and more than a few cars have ended up on a tow truck hook, taken away to the impound.

The city's annual exhibition (now called the Saskatoon Exhibition but also known in previous years as Pioneer Days and "The Ex") is held every August. Until the late 1990s the fair was held in mid-July, and for many years coincided with "Louis Riel Day", a downtown-based celebration of the life of the famous rebel, which included a canoe/running/horseback riding relay race winding through the parks on both sides of the river and on the river itself. Other events included a cabbage roll-eating contest, tug-of-war competitions and live musical performances. Louis Riel Day was a regular summer event from the late 1960s until the early 1990s when a lack of major sponsors forced its cancellation. In the late 1990s, the Saskatoon Exhibition was rescheduled to August so that it no longer was in direct competition with the Calgary Stampede, which frequently overlapped the event.

Saskatoon was the 2007 host city for the Juno Awards, Canada's foremost music industry honours.

Movie theatres Galaxy Theatre

At present, there are only two single-screen theatres in the city- the Broadway Theatre, which primarily shows arthouse films, and the Roxy (formerly the Towne Cinema), an "atmospheric-style" theatre which recently reopened after sitting unused for over a decade. The remainder of the city's theatres are multiplex-style buildings. In the downtown core, there are only two theatres: the Empire Theatres and the Cineplex Entertainment. The city's other movie theatres are the Rainbow (a second-run cinema) and the Centre Cinemas, located adjacent to each other in The Centre mall on the city's east side.

Royal presence (Princess Anne) visited Saskatoon's King George School, named for her great-grandfather, in 2004.

Visitors to Saskatoon

Highlights

Sports and recreation Ice hockey is one of the most popular sports in Saskatoon and is home to many strong amateur teams. Such as the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League, who host their games in Credit Union Centre (formerly known as Saskatchewan Place). As well Saskatoon is home to many amateur teams at the Junior B and Midget AAA levels, as well as several youth teams. The biggest chance for professional hockey came in 1982. Bill Hunter, a local sports promoter, attempted to purchase the St. Louis Blues (hockey) of the National Hockey League and move it to Saskatoon, but the move was prevented by the league. This was due to Saskatchewan's and especially Saskatoon's small size in relation to both St. Louis, Missouri and the other cities in the NHL at the time. However, it did cause the building of the Credit Union Centre, on the city's northern edge.

As for women's hockey, Saskatoon and the province as a whole are represented by the Saskatchewan Prairie Ice of the NWHL, which is based near Regina, Saskatchewan in Lumsden, Saskatchewan. However, there is a strong youth female hockey presence in Saskatoon with a Midget AAA team and several youth teams in the city.

Canadian football is likely the most successful on field sport in Saskatoon. The Saskatoon Hilltops of the Canadian Junior Football League host their games at Gordie Howe Bowl. The Hilltops have won 12 national junior championships throughout their history. As well, the University of Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Huskies are one of the top University football programs in Canada. The Huskies have played in four of the last five Vanier Cup games, including the most recent in 2006 held in Saskatoon. As well, many Saskatonians support the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. The Roughriders play in Regina, Saskatchewan but are notable for their strong support from all areas of the province.

Baseball, however has been less than well supported in Saskatoon. The Saskatoon Yellow Jackets college summer league baseball team is a member of the Western Major Baseball League and play their games at Cairns Field. They are not affiliated with any Major League Baseball team nor do they carry any professional players. In the past other teams have attempted to grace Saskatoon's professional sports landscape including the Saskatoon Riot, Saskatoon Smokin' Guns, Saskatoon Stallions and the latest being the Saskatoon Legends, who folded during the 2003 season. However, there is hope that the Northern League (baseball) will find an owner for its proposed Saskatoon franchise and begin play in 2009 at Cairns Field.

The University of Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Huskies play Canadian Interuniversity Sport league games at the University Campus. Their facilities include 4,997 seat Griffiths Stadium, 700 seat Rutherford Arena, and a new state-of-the-art Physical Activity Complex that opened in August 2003 with the opening of the new College of Kinesiology Building. The Huskies participate in twelve sports at the CIS level and have been most successful in men's hockey and football lately.

In 2007, two new sports teams came into being in Saskatoon, the Saskatchewan SWAT of the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League and the Saskatoon Accelerators in the Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League. The Accelerators play at Credit Union Centre, while the SWAT split their games between Credit Union Centre and Kinsmen Arena. The SWAT play Tier I, Junior B lacrosse and will play their inaugural season in early 2007. The indoor soccer franchise intends to begin full operations in 2008.

Motor racing is a popular sport in Saskatoon. Saskatchewan International Raceway has been in operation for over 40 years; SIR is home to 1/4 mile NHRA drag racing and holds racing events from May to September. As well, just north of the city lies Auto Clearing Motor Speedway; the track is home to local stock car racing, as well as races for several different Western Canadian series.

For horse racing fans, Marquis Downs at Prairieland Park offers live horse racing from May to October.

On the recreation side, Lions Skatepark was built in the Riversdale area in 2003. As well Saskatoon is home to several golf courses and various parks which include tennis courts, ball diamonds and soccer pitches for spring, summer and fall use and outdoor rinks for winter use.

See: List of Sports Franchises in Saskatoon

Facilities and services Local media Shopping centres Law and order

Hospitals

Sister cities

Notables Notable persons who were born, grew up or lived in Saskatoon:

Saskatoon in popular culture Movies and television

Television Series

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Location relative to other communities in Saskatchewan {| width = 75% border="1" cellpadding="4" align="center" cellspacing="0" style="background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse;"| width="35%" align="center" || width="30%" align="center" | North: Martensville, Saskatchewan | Warman, Saskatchewan| width="35%" align="center" ||-| width ="10%" align="center" | West: {{Infobox Settlement|official_name = Saskatoon|other_name =|native_name = |nickname = The Bridge City, The Hub City, Toontown, POW City|settlement_type = |motto =|image_skyline = Saskatoon_Skyline_Night.jpg|imagesize =|image_caption = Saskatoon skyline at night|image_flag = Ca-sk-sa.gif|flag_size =|image_seal =|seal_size =|image_shield =|shield_size =|city_logo =|citylogo_size =|image_map = Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Location.png|mapsize = 190px|map_caption = Location of Saskatoon (indicated by the red star)|image_map1 =|mapsize1 =|map_caption1 =|image_dot_map =|dot_mapsize =|dot_map_caption =|dot_x = |dot_y =|pushpin_map = |pushpin_label_position = |pushpin_map_caption =|pushpin_mapsize =|subdivision_type = Country|subdivision_name = Canada|subdivision_type1 = Province|subdivision_name1 = Saskatchewan|leader_name =[Don Atchison|leader_title2 =[Members of the Canadian House of Commons|leader_name2 ={{Collapsible list|title = List of MPs|title_style =|list_style =|1 = Carol Skelton|3 = [Maurice Vellacott-->|leader_title3 =[Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan|leader_name3 ={{Collapsible list|title = List of MLAs|title_style =|list_style =|1 = Graham Addley|3 = [Lorne Calvert|5=[Eric Cline|7=[Andy Iwanchuk|9=[Ted Merriman|11 = [Peter Prebble|13 =-->|leader_title4 =|leader_name4 =|established_title = Establishment|established_date = 1883|established_title2 = Incorporation|established_date2 = 1906|established_title3 = |established_date3 =|area_magnitude =|unit_pref = |area_footnotes = City of Saskatoon Quick Facts|area_total_km2 = 144|area_land_km2 =|area_water_km2 =|area_total_sq_mi =|area_land_sq_mi =|area_water_sq_mi =|area_water_percent =|area_urban_km2 =|area_urban_sq_mi =|area_metro_km2 =|area_metro_sq_mi =|population_as_of = 2001|population_footnotes =|population_note =|population_total = 202,425 ([List of the 100 largest municipalities in Canada by population)|population_density_km2 = 1305.5|population_density_sq_mi =|population_metro = 233,923 (List of the 100 largest metropolitan areas in Canada)|population_density_metro_km2 =|population_density_metro_sq_mi =|population_urban =|population_density_urban_km2 =|population_density_urban_sq_mi =|population_blank1_title =|population_blank1 =|population_density_blank1_km2 = |population_density_blank1_sq_mi =|timezone = North American Central Time Zone|utc_offset = -6|timezone_DST =|utc_offset_DST =|latd=52 |latm=07 |lats=54 |latNS=N|longd=106 |longm=39 |longs=09 |longEW=W|elevation_footnotes = |elevation_m = 481.5|elevation_ft =|postal_code_type =|postal_code =|area_code =306|blank_name =GDP per capita|blank2_info =|website = City of Saskatoon Official Website|footnotes =-->

Saskatoon is located in central [Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Saskatoon is the most populous city in the province of Saskatchewan, and has been since the mid-1980s when it surpassed the provincial capital of Regina, Saskatchewan. City of Saskatoon Population Projection 2006-2011, p. 11, Figure 10. Residents of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians.

Saskatoon is often called the "City of Bridges" for its seven river crossings (it is also occasionally referred to as "The Paris of the Prairies", for the same reason). The name Saskatoon comes from the Cree language inanimate noun "Saskatoon berry," which refers to a sweet, violet-coloured berry that grows in the area. A long-time nickname for Saskatoon is "Hub City", while the name is also commonly abbreviated "S'toon". Following the release of the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit in 1988, the city became popularly known as "'Toontown", after a similarly named location in the film, although the nickname "'Toontown" had been in use in Saskatoon prior to the film's release. Another, less commonly used nickname is "POW City". POW stands for Potash, Oil, and Wheat. POW City Kinsmen Club

History The first permanent settlement of Saskatoon occurred in 1883 when Toronto Methodists, wanting to escape the liquor trade in that city, decided to set up a "dry" community in the rapidly-growing Prairie region. The settlers, led by John Lake (settler), arrived on the site of what is now Saskatoon by traveling by railway from Ontario to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and then completing the final leg via horse-drawn cart (the railway had yet to be completed to Saskatoon).

A town charter for the west side of the river was obtained in 1903 (Nutana became a village in that year). In 1906 Saskatoon became a city with a population of 4,500, which included the communities of Saskatoon, Riversdale, and Nutana. In 1955 Montgomery Place and in 1956 the neighboring town of Sutherland, Saskatchewan was annexation by the fast growing City of Saskatoon The Sentinel January 2006, This Month in History URL accessed February 2, 2007

Demographics )The 2006 census listed Saskatoon as the largest city of Saskatchewan with a residential population of 202,340, which grew 2.8 per cent from 2001. Saskatoon population up 2.8%, Regina up 0.6%, CBC News (Canadian Press), March 13, 2007. As of 2005, the civic government of Saskatoon claimed a population of approximately 220,000. The above land area figure was provided by the City of Saskatoon in January 2006 and takes into account recent annexations.

According to the 2001 census, some 1 in 5 people, or 20.6 per cent of the population, consists of youths under the age of 14, while those over 65 constitute only 11.8 per cent of the population. The median age of Saskatoon residents is 34.4 years of age, three years younger than Canada as a whole. Saskatoon is growing at an annual rate of 0.62 per cent between 1996 and 2001. The 2001 census lists the residential population of Saskatoon as 196,861.

{{Canada_CP_2006|pop=202,340|popDelta=+2.8%|landArea=170.83|popDensity=1184.4|popRank=17|medianAge=34.3|medianAgeM=33.1|medianAgeF=35.5|privateDwell=89,646|privateDwellusual=84,384|medianHHIncome=41,991-->

Ethno-cultural Groups

The majority of Saskatoon's inhabitants profess to be of Christian faith. A large contingent of people also do not profess a faith at all. Some 78.5% profess to be Christian, mostly Protestant and Roman Catholic. Minority faiths include Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, and Islam, who do not constitute 1 per cent combined.

First Nations The Saskatoon area was inhabited long before any permanent settlement was established, to which the ongoing archæological work at Wanuskewin Heritage Park and other locations bears witness. Canada's First Nations population has been increasingly urbanized, and nowhere is that more apparent than in Saskatoon, where the First Nations population increased by 382% from 1981 to 2001 Aboriginal Conditions in Census Metropolitan Areas, 1981-2001, Statistics Canada, ISBN 0-662-40884-5, Table 1.; however, a portion of this increase, possibly as much as half, is believed to be due to more people identifying themselves as Aboriginal in the census rather than migration or birth rate. Saskatoon has a higher percentage of First Nations population than any other major Canadian city Aboriginal Conditions in Census Metropolitan Areas, 1981-2001, Statistics Canada, ISBN 0-662-40884-5, Figure 3. at nearly 9%, although Winnipeg and Regina both exceed 8%; in certain neighbourhoods such as Pleasant Hill, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, this percentage exceeds 40%.

Economy Scientific research Saskatoon is recognized as one of the world's leading agricultural biotechnology centres. Department of Industry and Resources Some of this research takes place at Innovation Place Research Park and the University of Saskatchewan (U of S). The U of S hosts the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) that conducts infectious diseases research to develop infectious diseases controls for humans and animals.

The University of Saskatchewan is also home to the Saskatchewan Isotope Laboratory, which studies environmental and climate change around the world. These studies provide secular records of environmental change that are critical to developing more accurate models of future environmental and climate variability that will dictate the economic well-being of the Prairie Provinces over the coming decades.

The U of S campus is the major employer in the city. As well, the campus is home to the Canadian Light Source, which is the largest scientific project completed in Canada in over 50 years. The 179 million dollar project resulted in a national synchrotron radiation facility that is used for a wide range of world-class scientific research.

Mining The world's largest publicly traded uranium company, Cameco, and the world's largest potash producer, PotashCorp, have corporate headquarters in Saskatoon. Nearly two-thirds of the world's recoverable potash reserves are located in the Saskatoon region. Uranium plays an important role in Saskatoon's economy, with the city also hosting Areva NC Canadian headquarters (a subsidiary of France-based AREVA).

Food processing and manufacturing Food processing is an important industry in Saskatoon. The city is the headquarters of Mitchell's Gourmet Foods, formerly known as Intercontinental Packers, which produces the Olympic Fine Meats line of products and is one of Canada's largest meat processors, employing more than 1,400 Saskatonians. However, in late 2006, Maple Leaf Foods, owners of Mitchell's, announced it would be closing down its major plant in Saskatoon resulting in the loss of approximately 450 local jobs, along with an additional 350 jobs that were expected to be created by the construction of a new Mitchell's "kill plant" in the city's north end.http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/story.html?id=6f529f42-0ae0-48a7-9fd9-044ae76c8b81&k=56849http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewan/story/2007/03/01/hogs.html

Saskatoon is home to several manufacturing companies such as Hitachi Canadian Industries, as well as several companies in the Information Technology and telecom fields. Saskatoon is home to SED Systems, MPR Teltech, Vecima Networks, and Solido Design Automation. Saskatoon also hosts a Minacs and a Marriott International call centre. First Nations Bank of Canada executive offices are located in Saskatoon.

After explosive residential growth in the 1970s and early 1980s, by the late 1980s development of new communities slowed to a trickle as the economy experienced a downturn. By 2005 however, Saskatoon was in the midst of another growth boom with construction under way on no fewer than four major residential areas, plus early planning launched on several proposed business parks and the Blairmore Suburban Development Area, also known as the "West Sector", a large recently annexed area on the city's west side which is expected to include seven residential communities, a business park, and a "suburban centre" in the coming years. (Construction of the suburban centre, which will include two major high schools and necessitate realignment of Highway 7, began in 2006. Government of Saskatchewan News)

Retail In terms of commercial development, Saskatoon was somewhat slow in embracing the big box store format that replaced the traditional shopping mall in the mid-to-late 1990s, with the city's first true "power centre" not opening until the early 2000s. One of the city's main commercial districts, 8th Street East, experienced an influx of new businesses in the early 2000s after a number of automobile dealerships relocated to a new " auto mall" on the city's south side, leaving large vacancies along 8th Street. The opening of the city's first power centre, Preston Crossing, in 2002–2003 saw several major retailers such as Wal-Mart Canada and Canadian Tire leave their original shopping mall locations in favour of the new site, requiring the malls to scramble to find replacement tenants. Construction of a second power centre on the city's south side is under way. The development of these larger centres has led to something of a decrease in services in the downtown areas, with the few grocery stores in that region going out of business or closing their doors in favour of the larger stores in the peripheral regions of the city.

The downtown core is seeing increased development with projects such as River Landing, lofts and entertainment going ahead. Located in the downtown core, Midtown Plaza (Saskatoon) is the largest shopping centre in the city with Sears Canada and Hudson's Bay Company as anchors. The city is also home to Market Mall (Saskatoon) and The Centre (Saskatoon) on the east side, Confederation Mall on the west side and The Mall at Lawson Heights in the north end.

Urban Reserves Saskatoon is the home of Canada's first urban reserve, or Indian reserve created within existing city limits. (Other reserves had been absorbed into adjacent cities before this.) As part of the aboriginal land claim process that was started in the 1950s and finalised in the 1992 Treaty Land Entitlement Framework Agreement, the Muskeg Lake First Nation claimed a vacant 33-acre tract east of the Sutherland Industrial, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan neighbourhood in 1984; the area was Crown land that had been intended for a correctional facility but never used. Following negotiations between the band, the City of Saskatoon, and the federal government, the area was designated as an Indian Reserve in 1988.

The City and the band formed an Urban Reserve Partnership, where the land is managed by the band but serviced by the City. The reserve is known as the McKnight Commercial Centre and is completely integrated into the neighbouring industrial area. It includes three buildings, with more than 100,000 square feet of floor space, that house over 40 businesses employing over 300 people, and further expansion due in 2007–2008. Instead of the businesses paying municipal taxes to the City, the band collects these taxes (which by agreement are the same as they would be anywhere else in the City) as well as the sales taxes in Canada; the band then pays the City a "fee for municipal services", which equals the amount of the municipal taxes, and remits the sales taxes to their respective governments. In return, the City built all the infrastructure needed to develop and service the land, including additional road access, and provides all services, including snow removal, policing, and utilities. This ensures that on-reserve businesses do not receive a tax advantage, although their Indian Register employees benefit because on-reserve income is non-taxable. (Status Indians are also exempt from paying sales taxes on a reserve.) The reserve includes a mixture of Aboriginal- and non-Aboriginal-owned businesses. Urban Reserves in Saskatchewan, Western Economic Diversification Canada. Urban Reserves: The City of Saskatoon's Partnership with First Nations, Lorne A. Sully and Mark D. Emmons, City Planning Branch, City of Saskatoon, April 22, 2004. Common Questions, Theresa Dust, Q.C. (City Solicitor for the City of Saskatoon), 2006.

Following the success of the Muskeg Lake urban reserve, and following the same model, 28 more urban reserves have been created in Saskatchewan, including three each in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Yorkton, Saskatchewan and Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan.

The Sounding Sky urban reserve is the second urban reserve in Saskatoon. Owned by the One Arrow First Nation, it houses the Fire Creek gas station and confectionery at 20th Street and Avenue P. This land was declared an urban reserve in November 2005 and developed in 2006, replacing a small strip mall. Business at home in Pleasant Hill, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, January 5, 2007. There are three more parcels of land in Saskatoon that are owned by First Nations and expected to receive urban reserve status: Canterbury Towers (owned by the Yellow Quill First Nation) and Avord Towers (owned by The Battlefords Tribal Council), both office towers in the Central Business District, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; and an office complex in the Airport Business Area, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan owned by the English River First Nation.

Queen Elizabeth Power Station The city receives its power from the main SaskPower power grid. The city's nearest power generation plant is located on Saskatoon's southwestern outskirts on Spadina Crescent (south of the city dump entrance on Power Road). The station was built in the 1950s and named after Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom in 1959. This is a natural gas fired station to meet peak demand. SaskPower base load facilities are primarily hydro electric and coal fired.

Climate Saskatoon is in a dry-prairie/savanna biome and experiences warm summers and very cold winters. The city has four distinct seasons. Extreme temperatures range from -50°C in winter to 41°C (-58°F to 104°F) in summer. Saskatoon is fairly dry; the average annual precipitation is 347.2mm (13.7in), with the summer being the wettest season. A positive aspect of the low precipitation is that Saskatoon is one of the sunniest cities in Canada as a result, averaging 2,381 hours of bright sunshine annually. The extreme temperatures are also more tolerable on account of the typically low humidity.

The lowest temperature ever recorded in Saskatoon was -50°C in 1893. The lowest wind chill ever recorded was -61.9°C. The highest temperature ever recorded in Saskatoon was 41°C in 1988.

Geography

Saskatoon lies on a long belt of rich, potassic chernozem in middle-southern Saskatchewan and is found in the Aspen parkland biome. The lack of surrounding mountainous topography gives the city a relatively flat grid, though the city does sprawl over a few hills and into a few valleys. The lowest point in the city is the river, while the highest point is disputed between the suburb of Sutherland in the east side and the Silverwood-River Heights areas in the city's north end. Saskatoon, on a cross-section from west to east, has a general decline in elevation above sea level heading towards the river, and on the east bank of the river, the terrain is mostly level until outside the city, where it begins to decrease in elevation again.

Saskatoon is divided into east and west sides by the South Saskatchewan River. It is then divided into Suburban Development Areas (SDA) which are composed of neighbourhoods.

Landmarks

One of the city's best known landmarks is the Delta Bessborough, better known as The Bessborough, the Hotel Bessborough or, more colloquially, "The Bess" (or "The Bez"; the latter is phonetic). Built by the Canadian National Railway as a Canada's grand railway hotels during the Great Depression of the 1930s as a make-work project, the hotel was designed to resemble a Bavarian castle. The hotel has passed out of the ownership of the CNR and has survived several changes in ownership, as well as the suggestion that it be demolished in order to restore the riverbank. The Bessborough and the Mendel Art Gallery are currently the only two major structures located on the river side of Spadina Crescent. Over the years, the Bessborough has become Saskatoon's most iconic symbol and most recognizable skyline feature; one of the most frequently-circulated photographs depicting Saskatoon is of the hotel framed in one of the arches of the Broadway Bridge (Saskatoon).

The city is currently redeveloping the south downtown region of River Landing. This redevelopment will result in the development of a Hotel/Spa to the downtown core, a huge, new theater complex with twelve theatres with stadium-style seating owned by Cineplex Entertainment which opened in the Summer of 2006, parkland, a new facility for Persephone Theatre (currently located outside the downtown core), and a year round home for the Saskatoon Farmers Market.

Transportation Saskatoon is located on the Yellowhead Highway also known as Saskatchewan Highway 16 connecting Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, and British Columbia. Highways Saskatchewan Highway 5, Saskatchewan Highway 7, Saskatchewan Highway 11, Saskatchewan Highway 12, Saskatchewan Highway 14, Saskatchewan Highway 219, Saskatchewan Highway 684, and Saskatchewan Highway 762 all meet at Saskatoon. Saskatchewan Highway 60, which meets up with route 7 just west of Saskatoon, goes south to nearby Pike Lake Provincial Park. Another Highway, Saskatchewan Highway 41, terminates at Hwy 5 just east of the present city limits.The following bridges cross the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon:

Construction of Saskatoon's "ring road", Circle Drive, began in the mid-1960s (after having first been proposed in 1913) but as of 2006 the freeway was still only three-quarters completed.

The Canadian Pacific Railway and the Canadian National Railway have connections to Saskatoon. Saskatoon is a stop on The Canadian passenger transcontinental rail route operated by VIA Rail. A station for passenger travel is located in the west end of the city. The many provincial transportation connections and geographic location of Saskatoon give it one of its nicknames The Hub City. The Saskatchewan Railway Museum is located just outside the city.

The Saskatoon/John G. Diefenbaker International Airport (YXE) is the main airport for the city with scheduled and charter service within North America. Saskatoon/Corman Air Park is located south-east of Saskatoon and is primarily used by private aircraft.

Transit services in Saskatoon are operated by Saskatoon Transit, a division of the municipal government. The system operates a network of regular and express bus routes. The system was revamped on July 2, 2006, creating a better system and increased access to most parts of the city. The express routes are called DART routes - Direct Access Rapid Transit.

Education . Central Industrial, Saskatoon, SaskatchewanSaskatoon has a number of higher education institutions:

Saskatoon has 78 elementary schools and 14 high schools (with three more under construction), serving about 37,000 students. Saskatoon has two school boards, The Saskatoon Public School Division and the Saskatoon Catholic School Division.

Saskatoon is home to five units of the Canadian Cadet Movement:

Arts and culture Galleries and museums The Mendel Art Gallery is situated on the bank of the South Saskatchewan River. Over its 41 year history, the Mendel Art Gallery’s permanent collection has grown to exceed 5,000 works of art. In 2005, it began a major renovation project that will expand the size of the gallery by seventy per cent. In September 2005, however, the City of Saskatoon announced that it had entered discussions with the Mendel to the end of having the Mendel abandon its renovation/expansion project in favor of instead relocating the facility to a new arts and culture centre that is planned for the south downtown area; the Mendel has reportedly rejected this suggestion.

Saskatoon is also home of the Saskatchewan Western Development Museum. This museum, one of four throughout the province, documents early pioneer life in Saskatchewan. It is noted for its interior recreation of a "Boom Town" main street, including one original building relocated from its original site. The Saskatchewan Railway Museum is located just outside the city and includes displays of rolling stock and historic railway buildings from various parts of the province.

Wanuskewin Heritage Park is a National Historic Site situated five km to the north of Saskatoon. It is an Aboriginal peoples in Canada archaeological site and features displays, special events, and activities.

Events and festivals Saskatoon's major arts venue is the Saskatoon Centennial Auditorium, recently renamed as TCU Place in January 2006, which is located adjacent to Midtown Plaza downtown. Since opening in 1967, it has hosted scores of concerts, theatrical performances, live events such as the Telemiracle telethon, high school graduation and university convocation ceremonies, and conventions. It is also home to the Saskatoon Symphony. It recently underwent a multi-million dollar renovation to its main theatre (named in honor of former mayor and senator Sidney Buckwold) and in 2005 began an expansion to add additional convention facilities; this project was scheduled for completion in the spring of 2006.

For rock concerts and major shows, the Credit Union Centre (formerly Saskatchewan Place) is the main venue. It is Saskatchewan's largest arena, with a capacity of 11,300 for sporting events and 14,000 for concerts. Musical acts from Saskatoon include Wide Mouth Mason and The Northern Pikes.

Saskatoon hosts many festivals and events in the summer, including the Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan, the Sasktel Saskatchewan Jazz Fest, the Northern Saskatchewan International Children's Festival, the Saskatoon Fringe Theatre Festival (a showcase of alternative theatre), FolkFest (a cultural festival), and the Canada Remembers Airshow.

For over 25 years, Saskatoon has hosted a gathering of antique automobiles, (mainly from the 1960s) that has grown into an event called "Cruise Weekend". The event is usually held on the last weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) in August. Activities include a poker derby, dances, and a show 'N' shine with over 800 cars from all over western Canada. They park in the downtown core on the Sunday. No admission is charged and everyone is free to walk around and enjoy the atmosphere. Around 5 or 6 p.m. most of the vehicles cruise to the east side and go up and down 8th Street. Hundreds of people line the streets to watch the constant stream of vintage cars and hopefully catch a glimpse of some tire squealing or other antics. The city police are constantly vigilant and more than a few cars have ended up on a tow truck hook, taken away to the impound.

The city's annual exhibition (now called the Saskatoon Exhibition but also known in previous years as Pioneer Days and "The Ex") is held every August. Until the late 1990s the fair was held in mid-July, and for many years coincided with "Louis Riel Day", a downtown-based celebration of the life of the famous rebel, which included a canoe/running/horseback riding relay race winding through the parks on both sides of the river and on the river itself. Other events included a cabbage roll-eating contest, tug-of-war competitions and live musical performances. Louis Riel Day was a regular summer event from the late 1960s until the early 1990s when a lack of major sponsors forced its cancellation. In the late 1990s, the Saskatoon Exhibition was rescheduled to August so that it no longer was in direct competition with the Calgary Stampede, which frequently overlapped the event.

Saskatoon was the 2007 host city for the Juno Awards, Canada's foremost music industry honours.

Movie theatres Galaxy Theatre

At present, there are only two single-screen theatres in the city- the Broadway Theatre, which primarily shows arthouse films, and the Roxy (formerly the Towne Cinema), an "atmospheric-style" theatre which recently reopened after sitting unused for over a decade. The remainder of the city's theatres are multiplex-style buildings. In the downtown core, there are only two theatres: the Empire Theatres and the Cineplex Entertainment. The city's other movie theatres are the Rainbow (a second-run cinema) and the Centre Cinemas, located adjacent to each other in The Centre mall on the city's east side.

Royal presence (Princess Anne) visited Saskatoon's King George School, named for her great-grandfather, in 2004.

Visitors to Saskatoon

Highlights

Sports and recreation Ice hockey is one of the most popular sports in Saskatoon and is home to many strong amateur teams. Such as the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League, who host their games in Credit Union Centre (formerly known as Saskatchewan Place). As well Saskatoon is home to many amateur teams at the Junior B and Midget AAA levels, as well as several youth teams. The biggest chance for professional hockey came in 1982. Bill Hunter, a local sports promoter, attempted to purchase the St. Louis Blues (hockey) of the National Hockey League and move it to Saskatoon, but the move was prevented by the league. This was due to Saskatchewan's and especially Saskatoon's small size in relation to both St. Louis, Missouri and the other cities in the NHL at the time. However, it did cause the building of the Credit Union Centre, on the city's northern edge.

As for women's hockey, Saskatoon and the province as a whole are represented by the Saskatchewan Prairie Ice of the NWHL, which is based near Regina, Saskatchewan in Lumsden, Saskatchewan. However, there is a strong youth female hockey presence in Saskatoon with a Midget AAA team and several youth teams in the city.

Canadian football is likely the most successful on field sport in Saskatoon. The Saskatoon Hilltops of the Canadian Junior Football League host their games at Gordie Howe Bowl. The Hilltops have won 12 national junior championships throughout their history. As well, the University of Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Huskies are one of the top University football programs in Canada. The Huskies have played in four of the last five Vanier Cup games, including the most recent in 2006 held in Saskatoon. As well, many Saskatonians support the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. The Roughriders play in Regina, Saskatchewan but are notable for their strong support from all areas of the province.

Baseball, however has been less than well supported in Saskatoon. The Saskatoon Yellow Jackets college summer league baseball team is a member of the Western Major Baseball League and play their games at Cairns Field. They are not affiliated with any Major League Baseball team nor do they carry any professional players. In the past other teams have attempted to grace Saskatoon's professional sports landscape including the Saskatoon Riot, Saskatoon Smokin' Guns, Saskatoon Stallions and the latest being the Saskatoon Legends, who folded during the 2003 season. However, there is hope that the Northern League (baseball) will find an owner for its proposed Saskatoon franchise and begin play in 2009 at Cairns Field.

The University of Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Huskies play Canadian Interuniversity Sport league games at the University Campus. Their facilities include 4,997 seat Griffiths Stadium, 700 seat Rutherford Arena, and a new state-of-the-art Physical Activity Complex that opened in August 2003 with the opening of the new College of Kinesiology Building. The Huskies participate in twelve sports at the CIS level and have been most successful in men's hockey and football lately.

In 2007, two new sports teams came into being in Saskatoon, the Saskatchewan SWAT of the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League and the Saskatoon Accelerators in the Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League. The Accelerators play at Credit Union Centre, while the SWAT split their games between Credit Union Centre and Kinsmen Arena. The SWAT play Tier I, Junior B lacrosse and will play their inaugural season in early 2007. The indoor soccer franchise intends to begin full operations in 2008.

Motor racing is a popular sport in Saskatoon. Saskatchewan International Raceway has been in operation for over 40 years; SIR is home to 1/4 mile NHRA drag racing and holds racing events from May to September. As well, just north of the city lies Auto Clearing Motor Speedway; the track is home to local stock car racing, as well as races for several different Western Canadian series.

For horse racing fans, Marquis Downs at Prairieland Park offers live horse racing from May to October.

On the recreation side, Lions Skatepark was built in the Riversdale area in 2003. As well Saskatoon is home to several golf courses and various parks which include tennis courts, ball diamonds and soccer pitches for spring, summer and fall use and outdoor rinks for winter use.

See: List of Sports Franchises in Saskatoon

Facilities and services Local media Shopping centres Law and order

Hospitals

Sister cities

Notables Notable persons who were born, grew up or lived in Saskatoon:

Saskatoon in popular culture Movies and television

Television Series

Music

Books

Location relative to other communities in Saskatchewan {| width = 75% border="1" cellpadding="4" align="center" cellspacing="0" style="background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse;"| width="35%" align="center" || width="30%" align="center" | North: Martensville, Saskatchewan | Warman, Saskatchewan| width="35%" align="center" ||-| width ="10%" align="center" | West:

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