Prince Albert, Saskatchewan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Prince Albert
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City
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| City of Prince Albert | |||
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| Nickname(s):
"P.A."
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| Motto(s):
Gateway to the North
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 Prince Albert
Location in Saskatchewan
Prince Albert
Location in Canada
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| Country | Canada | ||
| Province | Saskatchewan | ||
| Census division | 15 | ||
| Rural municipality | Prince Albert | ||
| Town | 1885 | ||
| Incorporated City | October 8, 1904 | ||
| Area
(2021)
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| • Land | 67.17 km2 (25.93 sq mi) | ||
| • Population centre | 21.37 km2 (8.25 sq mi) | ||
| • Census agglomeration | 2,537.68 km2 (979.80 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 440 m (1,440 ft) | ||
| Population
(2021)
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| • Total | 37,756 | ||
| • Density | 562.1/km2 (1,456/sq mi) | ||
| • Population centre | 36,768 | ||
| • Population centre density | 21.37/km2 (55.3/sq mi) | ||
| • Census agglomeration | 45,718 | ||
| • Census agglomeration density | 2,537.68/km2 (6,572.6/sq mi) | ||
| Demonym(s) | Prince Albertan | ||
| Time zone | UTC−06:00 (CST) | ||
| Forward sortation area |
S6V - S6X
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| Isbister Settlement | 1862 | ||
| SK HQ North-West Mounted Police | 1886 | ||
| Climate | Dfb | ||
Prince Albert is the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is located in the middle of the province, right next to the North Saskatchewan River. People often call it the "Gateway to the North." This is because it's the last big city before you head into the northern parts of Saskatchewan, which are full of natural resources.
Just 51 km (32 mi) north of the city, you'll find Prince Albert National Park. This park is famous for its many lakes, thick forests, and diverse wildlife. The city itself sits in a special area where two types of natural environments meet: the aspen parkland and the boreal forest. Prince Albert is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Prince Albert No. 461, but it's a separate city with its own government.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
The local Cree people called this area kistahpinanihk. This name means "sitting pretty place" or "great meeting place."
Early Settlements
The first trading post here was built in 1776 by Peter Pond. Later, in 1862, James Isbister, who worked for the Hudson's Bay Company, settled in the area. He started farming, and by 1866, several families had joined him, calling their new home Isbister's Settlement.
The community grew in 1866 when Reverend James Nisbet arrived. He was a minister who came to start a mission for the Cree people. Nisbet named the mission after Albert, Prince Consort, who was the husband of Queen Victoria. Prince Albert, the city, gets its name from him.
In 1879, a school was opened at the mission by Lucy Margaret Baker. Around the same time, the local Freemasons started the first lodge in what is now Saskatchewan. The settlement was made up of two main parts: "The Mission" in the center and "Porter Town" to the west. These two areas eventually joined to form Prince Albert.
Important Events and Leaders
In 1884, Honore Jaxon and James Isbister helped bring Louis Riel back to Canada. Riel had been living in the United States after the Red River Rebellion in 1869–1870. Many people gathered to hear him speak after his return.
During the North-West Rebellion in 1885, soldiers from Prince Albert faced tough battles. Settlers nearby found safety with the North-West Mounted Police in a quickly built fort in Prince Albert. The town, with about 800 people, officially became a town that same year. Its first mayor was Thomas McKay. In 1904, Prince Albert became a city.
Prince Albert was once the capital of the District of Saskatchewan. This was a special area of the North-West Territories. But in 1905, Saskatchewan became a province, and Regina was chosen as the new capital.
The Saskatchewan Federal Penitentiary was built in Prince Albert in 1911. The city was also considered for the University of Saskatchewan, but that was built in Saskatoon instead.
Prime Ministers from Prince Albert
Did you know that three Canadian Prime Ministers have represented the Prince Albert area in Parliament?
- John Diefenbaker, Canada's 13th Prime Minister (1957–1963), represented Prince Albert from 1953 until he passed away in 1979.
- William Lyon Mackenzie King, the tenth Prime Minister, was the Member of Parliament for Prince Albert from 1926 to 1945.
- Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the seventh Prime Minister, represented the area briefly in 1896.
Royal Visitors
Prince Albert has also had the honor of welcoming members of Canada's Royal Family:
- Princess Margaret visited in 1958 and 1980.
- Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York visited in 1989.
- Prince Edward visited in 2003.
Geography and Climate
Prince Albert is located on the White Fox Plain, which is part of the Saskatchewan River lowlands. The land here is a mix of aspen parkland to the south and boreal forest to the north of the North Saskatchewan River. The river flows right through the middle of the city.
The soils are different on each side of the river. North of the river, the forest soils are sandy. South of the river, the soils are rich and black. The city itself has a mix of both. This is where Saskatchewan's treeline begins. North of the city, you'll find forests of Jack Pine and other boreal forest trees in Prince Albert National Park and Nisbet forest.
Most of Prince Albert's people and businesses are on the south side of the river. Only a few neighborhoods, an industrial area, and the airport are on the north side.
Weather in Prince Albert
Prince Albert has a humid continental climate. This means it has warm summers and cold winters. The average low temperature in January is −22.8 °C (−9.0 °F), making it the coldest month. July is the hottest month, with an average high of 24.2 °C (75.6 °F).
The highest temperature ever recorded was 39.4 °C (102.9 °F) on July 19, 1941. The coldest temperature ever recorded was −56.7 °C (−70.1 °F) on February 1, 1893. Winters here last about five months.
| Climate data for Prince Albert Airport, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1884–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high humidex | 11.7 | 10.6 | 19.4 | 30.8 | 35.1 | 41.3 | 41.8 | 40.6 | 36.0 | 29.9 | 18.5 | 8.3 | 41.8 |
| Record high °C (°F) | 12.8 (55.0) |
12.8 (55.0) |
20.0 (68.0) |
32.2 (90.0) |
35.6 (96.1) |
38.8 (101.8) |
39.4 (102.9) |
36.7 (98.1) |
36.1 (97.0) |
30.6 (87.1) |
19.4 (66.9) |
11.1 (52.0) |
39.4 (102.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −11.6 (11.1) |
−7.9 (17.8) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
9.1 (48.4) |
17.3 (63.1) |
21.5 (70.7) |
24.2 (75.6) |
23.4 (74.1) |
17.6 (63.7) |
8.5 (47.3) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
−9.2 (15.4) |
7.4 (45.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −17.2 (1.0) |
−14.1 (6.6) |
−7.4 (18.7) |
2.7 (36.9) |
10.1 (50.2) |
15.2 (59.4) |
17.9 (64.2) |
16.7 (62.1) |
10.9 (51.6) |
3.1 (37.6) |
−6.5 (20.3) |
−14.4 (6.1) |
1.4 (34.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −22.8 (−9.0) |
−20.3 (−4.5) |
−13.4 (7.9) |
−3.8 (25.2) |
2.7 (36.9) |
8.7 (47.7) |
11.6 (52.9) |
9.8 (49.6) |
4.2 (39.6) |
−2.4 (27.7) |
−10.9 (12.4) |
−19.4 (−2.9) |
−4.7 (23.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −55.0 (−67.0) |
−56.7 (−70.1) |
−45.6 (−50.1) |
−33.9 (−29.0) |
−16.1 (3.0) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
0.6 (33.1) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−15.6 (3.9) |
−26.1 (−15.0) |
−45.0 (−49.0) |
−49.4 (−56.9) |
−56.7 (−70.1) |
| Record low wind chill | −59.7 | −57.9 | −50.0 | −43.1 | −18.3 | −9.2 | 0.0 | −3.2 | −16.0 | −28.2 | −49.7 | −54.1 | −59.7 |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 18.6 (0.73) |
11.5 (0.45) |
14.5 (0.57) |
27.7 (1.09) |
43.1 (1.70) |
86.4 (3.40) |
77.2 (3.04) |
50.4 (1.98) |
41.9 (1.65) |
29.7 (1.17) |
16.0 (0.63) |
15.5 (0.61) |
432.3 (17.02) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 0.3 (0.01) |
0.1 (0.00) |
1.7 (0.07) |
19.2 (0.76) |
40.3 (1.59) |
86.4 (3.40) |
79.0 (3.11) |
51.2 (2.02) |
41.5 (1.63) |
21.6 (0.85) |
2.5 (0.10) |
0.6 (0.02) |
344.3 (13.56) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 23.4 (9.2) |
14.4 (5.7) |
15.3 (6.0) |
10.2 (4.0) |
2.1 (0.8) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.3 (0.1) |
9.9 (3.9) |
16.1 (6.3) |
19.9 (7.8) |
111.5 (43.9) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 10.6 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 8.7 | 10.0 | 13.3 | 13.7 | 10.0 | 9.4 | 9.4 | 8.4 | 9.5 | 118.4 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 0.5 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 6.1 | 9.9 | 13.3 | 13.8 | 10.1 | 9.2 | 7.3 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 74.2 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 11.7 | 9.1 | 7.1 | 4.3 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 2.8 | 8.0 | 11.1 | 55.3 |
| Average relative humidity (%) (at 15:00 LST) | 70.0 | 65.5 | 60.4 | 47.4 | 40.9 | 51.0 | 54.1 | 50.8 | 51.0 | 58.3 | 71.3 | 73.8 | 57.9 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 93.9 | 126.5 | 175.9 | 225.1 | 269.2 | 275.0 | 297.7 | 289.7 | 187.1 | 136.1 | 78.0 | 74.7 | 2,229 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 37.2 | 45.7 | 47.9 | 53.8 | 54.8 | 54.3 | 58.5 | 63.3 | 49.0 | 41.3 | 29.9 | 31.6 | 47.3 |
| Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada (sun 1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
People of Prince Albert
| Historical populations | ||
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| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1901 | 1,785 | — |
| 1911 | 6,254 | +250.4% |
| 1921 | 7,558 | +20.9% |
| 1931 | 9,905 | +31.1% |
| 1941 | 12,299 | +24.2% |
| 1951 | 17,149 | +39.4% |
| 1961 | 24,168 | +40.9% |
| 1971 | 28,464 | +17.8% |
| 1981 | 31,380 | +10.2% |
| 1991 | 34,181 | +8.9% |
| 1996 | 34,771 | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 34,291 | −1.4% |
| 2006 | 34,138 | −0.4% |
| 2011 | 35,129 | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 35,926 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | 37,756 | +5.1% |
In 2021, the population of Prince Albert was 37,756 people. This was a 5.1% increase from 2016. The city covers an area of 67.17 km2 (25.93 sq mi).
Most adults over 25 in Prince Albert have a high school diploma. Many also have a college or university degree.
Diverse Communities
Prince Albert is known for having a large Indigenous population. About 44.65% of the city's residents identify as Indigenous.
| Panethnic group | 2021 | 2016 | 2011 | 2006 | 2001 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
| Indigenous | 16,120 | 44.65% | 14,830 | 42.44% | 13,930 | 40.65% | 12,140 | 36.3% | 10,180 | 30.45% |
| European | 15,765 | 43.66% | 17,280 | 49.45% | 19,210 | 56.05% | 20,420 | 61.06% | 22,640 | 67.72% |
| Southeast Asian | 1,750 | 4.85% | 1,250 | 3.58% | 395 | 1.15% | 115 | 0.34% | 140 | 0.42% |
| South Asian | 1,045 | 2.89% | 660 | 1.89% | 170 | 0.5% | 165 | 0.49% | 100 | 0.3% |
| African | 805 | 2.23% | 475 | 1.36% | 190 | 0.55% | 165 | 0.49% | 120 | 0.36% |
| East Asian | 210 | 0.58% | 180 | 0.52% | 235 | 0.69% | 250 | 0.75% | 115 | 0.34% |
| Middle Eastern | 170 | 0.47% | 120 | 0.34% | 35 | 0.1% | 95 | 0.28% | 15 | 0.04% |
| Latin American | 155 | 0.43% | 75 | 0.21% | 50 | 0.15% | 85 | 0.25% | 100 | 0.3% |
| Other/multiracial | 60 | 0.17% | 90 | 0.26% | 0 | 0% | 10 | 0.03% | 20 | 0.06% |
| Total responses | 36,105 | 95.63% | 34,945 | 97.27% | 34,270 | 97.55% | 33,445 | 97.97% | 33,430 | 97.49% |
| Total population | 37,756 | 100% | 35,926 | 100% | 35,129 | 100% | 34,138 | 100% | 34,291 | 100% |
| Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses | ||||||||||
Most residents (58.8%) identify as Christian. About 36.1% say they have no religion or have secular beliefs.
Prince Albert's Economy
Prince Albert is located where rich farmland meets the boreal forest. This special location has helped the city become a "Gateway to the North."
In the past, people thought the Transcontinental Railway would pass through Prince Albert. This would have made the city a huge hub. But the railway chose a different route, which slowed the city's growth.
The La Colle Falls hydroelectric power dam was an attempt to bring cheap electricity to attract businesses. But the project was stopped in 1927 because the city almost went bankrupt. In 1945, Prince Albert National Park was created. This helped boost the city's economy through tourism.
Today, Prince Albert is a center for many things. It supports agriculture, forestry, tourism, mining, and retail. It serves a large area, including northern communities.
There are new projects happening around Prince Albert. People are looking for diamonds east of the city. There's also interest in Bio-fuels, which use plants to make energy. Uranium mining in northern Saskatchewan might also bring new businesses to the area.
The government sector is a big employer in Prince Albert. About 11% of workers have government jobs. The city has three prisons: the Prince Albert Correctional Centre, Pine Grove Correctional Centre, and the Saskatchewan Federal Penitentiary.
The forestry industry is also very important. Prince Albert is home to the Provincial Forestry Centre. This building hosts many businesses and groups related to wood and forests.
The Prince Albert Pulp Company was once the biggest employer. It closed in 2006. Later, Paper Excellence bought the mill in 2011. They planned to reopen it, but it closed again in 2014.
Fun Things to See and Do
Prince Albert has three historical museums. The The Evolution of Education Museum and the Rotary Museum of Police and Corrections are at the tourist information center. The Historical Society Museum is in an old Fire Hall downtown. You can also visit the John G. Diefenbaker House, which is a historic site.
Other interesting places include:
- The St. Louis Light: A mysterious light south of the city that many people visit.
- Fort de la Corne: A historic French fort located east of Prince Albert.
- The Buckland Wildlife Management Unit: A place to see wildlife, just 4 km (2.5 mi) from the city.
- Kinsmen Ski and Snowboard Centre: A great spot for winter sports at Little Red River Park.
Sports and Activities
Prince Albert is home to the Prince Albert Raiders, a hockey team in the Western Hockey League. They play at the 3,571-seat Art Hauser Centre. The Raiders won the Memorial Cup in 1985.
The city also has the Prince Albert Mintos, a junior hockey team. They won the Telus Cup in 2006, 2007, and 2014. They also play at the Art Hauser Centre.
Prince Albert has hosted several big sports events:
- The 1993 North American Indigenous Games.
- The 2018 U-18 Men's Softball World Cup.
- The city will host the 2025 Men's Softball World Cup in 2024 and 2025.
In 2014, Prince Albert hosted the 11th Saskatchewan Winter Games. Over 1,800 amateur athletes from across Saskatchewan came to compete.
City Connections
Bridges
The Diefenbaker Bridge is the only road bridge that connects the north and south sides of Prince Albert. It's also the only bridge in the area that connects southern and northern Saskatchewan. This bridge is very important for travel in the region.
Historic Trails
In 1866, a trail was made from Prince Albert to Fort Carlton. This trail connected the community to the Carlton Trail, which was a main travel route in Western Canada.
The Qu'Appelle – Prince Albert Trail was used from 1883 to carry mail and goods. It went from the train station at Qu'Appelle to Prince Albert.
Railways
In 1890, the Qu'Appelle, Long Lake and Saskatchewan Railroad and Steamboat Company (QLSRSC) train arrived in Prince Albert. The goal was to connect the three major cities of Saskatchewan. Later, this line was sold to the Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR).
Both the CNoR and Grand Trunk Pacific (GTP) railways served Prince Albert. They were later taken over by the government and became the Canadian National Railway (CN).
For many years, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and CN were very active in Prince Albert. They mainly transported lumber and grain. In 1991, CPR stopped its train operations in Prince Albert. Many smaller CN lines were also closed in the 1990s.
Today, the Carlton Trail Railway (CTRW) operates on the old CN line. They store train cars, transport grain, and fix engines.
Highways
Prince Albert is connected by several highways: SK 2, SK 3, SK 11, SK 55, and SK 302.
Part of Highway 2 is called the Veterans Memorial Highway. Highway 3 is part of the CanAm Highway. Highway 11 is known as the Louis Riel Trail. It connects important places from the 1885 North-West Rebellion.
Local Travel
Prince Albert Transit is the city's bus service. It serves the south side of the city.
Air Travel
Glass Field Airport has regular flights to Saskatoon and Regina. It also helps people get to communities and mining areas north of Prince Albert. Many people from Prince Albert travel to Saskatoon for flights to other places.
Learning in Prince Albert
The first university in the area, Emmanuel College, opened in 1879. It later moved to Saskatoon to become part of the University of Saskatchewan.
The Saskatchewan Rivers School Division runs 33 schools. The Prince Albert Catholic School Division runs nine schools. The city has five high schools: St. Mary High School, Rivier Academy, Carlton Comprehensive High School, Wesmor, and P.A.C.I. École Valois is the only French-speaking school, offering classes from preschool to grade 12.
For higher education, Prince Albert has the Woodland campus of Saskatchewan Polytechnic. There are also extension campuses for the University of Regina and the University of Saskatchewan. Other schools include the First Nations University of Canada (Northern Campus), Gabriel Dumont Institute, Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT), and Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program (SUNTEP).
Media
To learn more about news and entertainment in Prince Albert, you can check out the local media.
Famous People from Prince Albert
Many notable people have come from Prince Albert. You can find a list of them at List of people from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
