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Prince Albert, Saskatchewan

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Downtown Prince Albert

Prince Albert is the third-largest city (after Saskatoon and Regina) with a population of 41,072 as of 2006, in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. It is situated more-or-less 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 most northerly major centre as well to its being situated where the agricultural prairie of the south meets the forested and lakeland areas of the north. Prince Albert National Park, located just 51km north of the city, has a huge wealth of lakes, forest, and wildlife.

Contents

[edit] History

The first white man to come through the area that is now Prince Albert was Henry Kelsey in 1692. The first establishment in the area was a trading post set up by Peter Pond, which the area is now named after (1776).

James Isbister, an Anglo-Metis 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. He later moved back to Prince Albert and lived out his remaining days there.

The community was founded in 1866, by Rev. James Nisbet, a Canada Presbyterian Church minister who came to establish a mission for the Cree. It was he who named the community after Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, in honour of the deceased 1861 husband of Queen Victoria. In 1879 the Presbyterian Church brought out Lucy Margaret Baker to run the mission school.

In 1884 Honore Jaxon and James Isbister were involved in the movement which brought Louis Riel back to Canada.

In the Northwest Rebellion of the following year, Prince Albert Volunteers bore the heaviest casualties of the fighting at the Battle of Duck Lake, and 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 on to Prince Albert to relieve the town.

1885 also marks the year that Prince Albert was incorporated as a town under its first mayor, Thomas McKay.

In 1904, the settlement was incorporated as the city of Prince Albert, then named after Prince Albert Victor, father of the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII). Its government is of a council-mayor type.

By odd political coincidence, the federal constituency of Prince Albert has been represented by three prime ministers of Canada:

There are three historical museums of high interest 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. Across from the Historical Society Museum, is the site of Diefenbaker's constituency office that is not open to the public.

Famous people from Prince Albert include sprinter Harry Jerome, singer Jon Vickers, and ice hockey player Johnny Bower. Prince Albert was also for a time home to Lucy Maud Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables. As well, Boris Karloff, 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.

In the early beginnings of Saskatchewan, Prince Albert was one of the choices to house either the University of Saskatchewan or the Saskatchewan Federal Penitentiary. Due to Saskatoon's convenient location, the university was built there, and the penitentiary was built in Prince Albert.

[edit] Interesting facts

[edit] Social Problems

[edit] Obesity

According to Statistics Canada, Prince Albert has been rated as third highest health region in the country for obesity with 26.7% of the population deemed to be obese. This is over 66% higher than the national average of 15.5%.

[edit] Infant Mortality

The infant mortality rate, which is a universal indicator of population health status, suggests that Prince Albert has double the Canadian average of infant deaths per 1000 live births and is almost 30% higher than the Saskatchewan average.

[edit] Low Incomes

Over half the population in the city has an income under the national average. A recent Prince Albert Health District Assessment of Community Needs and Capacities (1999) indicated that 25% of its population has an income of less than $20,000 per year. These low-income areas also represent the areas where large numbers of young children reside. *Note this data is before the 2006 closure of the Prince Albert Pulp and Paper mill.

[edit] Education Shortfalls

Only 44% of the population has some form of post-secondary education; 26% of the population has not achieved a high school diploma.

[edit] High Unemployment

The unemployment rate is high in Prince Albert; in a significant number of areas more than 40% of the population is unemployed. Frequently, the areas of high unemployment also have large numbers of young children.

[edit] Poverty On the Rise

A comparison of the five-year statistics from the Prince Albert Share-A-Meal Food Bank (Clayton, 2002) indicates that from 1996 until 2001 there has been:

  • A 21% increase in the number of adults and a 35% increase in the number of children under 18 years of age utilizing these services- 4066 children in 2001;
  • A 33% increase in the number of single parents utilizing these services;
  • A 40% increase in the number of couples with children utilizing these services;
  • A relatively constant proportional ratio (approximately 3:2) of referrals between dual and lone parent families. Single parents(59% in 1996 and 58% in 2001), couples with children (41% in 1996 and 42% in 2001). Contrary to public wisdom there are almost as many dual parent referrals as single parent referrals; and
  • A 22% increase in the number of new referrals and a total increase in all referrals of 17%.

This indicates a very significant increase in food security issues for children in both single parent and dual parent homes. Many of these food security issues are economically based. Our mapping study indicated that about half the population in the city had incomes below the national average of $45,739. However, a recent Prince Albert Health District Assessment of Community Needs and Capacities (1999) indicates that 25% of the population has an income less than $20,000.

[edit] Sports

The city is home to the Prince Albert Raiders of the Western Hockey League. They play out of the 3,366 seat Art Hauser Centre.

[edit] Arts and Entertainment

[edit] Music Scene

[edit] Metal

  • Prince Albert has housed a small metal scene for the past few years. Although, it remains primarily a teenage gathering, the metal scene continues to gain steam through the country. Some of the more prominent bands are Cessate, Dead Like God, and The Dirty Sanchez Orchestra. Because of this small metal scene, Prince Albert has the chance to see many struggling underground bands of the genre from all throughout the country. Currently, all the shows can be seen at the Muskoday First Nation south of the city.

[edit] Punk rock

  • In the 1990`s the local punk band Oswald's Walking Connection enjoyed some prominence being featured on a continental compilation CD and releasing a few independent recordings before breaking up. For a short time, the punk band Counter-State emerged, playing only once to a small crowd. Before the band's demise in late 2005, they were able to release the EP Fighting For Our Lives. Basing heavy influences on bands like Aus Rotten and Leftöver Crack, this band of street punks helped put Prince Albert on the map for Canadian punks everywhere.

[edit] Rave/Electronic

  • In the late 1990's and early turn of the century Prince Albert had a relatively vibrant electronic dance music scene. Local groups such as 3thos Productions (pronounced 'ethos') and Da Funk Squad (DFS) were responsible for the majority of events put on in the city during this period. The scene began to dwindle after public perception of these events began to emerge in favour of a viewpoint that 'raves' were facilitating the use of elicit substances. The combination of this viewpoint and changing trends in society played a role in the highly decreased prevelancy of these events in Prince Albert and elsewhere.

[edit] Christian rock

  • Prince Albert has a small Christian rock following. A couple of Christian pop rock bands have emerged in the last few years. Expense Paid, Roberta and 2-50 (Two Fifty) Ties are three of those bands. Each of those bands are usually more popular in their home church. Here is a link to one of 2-50 Ties videos recorded on October 15, 2006 with "In The Deep" out of the U.S. backing them up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gzt1sbymV1A (This is a cover tune from United, but 2-50 Ties has written their own songs)

[edit] Alternative rock

  • Prince Albert has a small alternative rock scene. In the last few years bands have come and gone with 44 Slide achieving some success as they have recorded two albums. "Slave to the System" is a ten song full length album while their newest album "Greed" is a five song EP. 44 Slide has performed at various festivals in the city. But they have been well received in the Saskatchewan capital Regina.
  • Another band that seems to have stood the test of time is Idle Thoughts. The three-piece band, led by Jason Moon, released its first album, "crappystinkylove", in 1996, and currently releases a new song each month to its website, www.idlethoughts.ca, where friends and fans can download for free.

[edit] Country

  • Prince Albert has been known for their country music scene across Saskatchewan.
  • One of Prince Albert's foremost venue for showcasing local and talent from outside of the Prince Albert regin is the Country North Show. The Country North Show has been huge success since its inception many years ago and has been a launching pad for many artists in the area.
  • Various artists from the area have gone on to do bigger and better things. Those artists include Jessica Robinson and Donny Parenteau. After a stint as a Neal McCoy fiddle player, Parenteau returned home to launch his own solo career. Other artists stay in the city and become well known throughout the local country music scene. Heidi Munro, Rick Martin (sometimes alongside his band Country Connection), Steppin' Out, among others
  • Parenteau and country/gospel artist Rick Martin have even won Saskatchewan Country Music Awards in their respective categories.
  • One of the biggest supporters of the country music scene in the area has been Six Shooters Saloon.

[edit] Concerts

  • 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 promoting the Live 8 concert later in the year. 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.

[edit] 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 the 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 Shakespearean orient but with a strange modernized twist. As well, the drama club often does a short film to complement the final play.

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.

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

Over the last three years, Prince Albert has had the pleasure of being home to Shakespeare in the Park, produced by Prince Albert's very own 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.

[edit] Festivals

Every year Prince Albert has a variety of festivals, fairs, shows, etc. for you to check out. Different times of the year yield different festivals.

[edit] 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 most northern city in the province. This physical location has led to the creation of the slogan "Gateway to the North."

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's primary market has an estimated population of 85,697. The secondary market represents many of the northern communities that have a strong presence in Prince Albert's current retail market but also a possible market area expansion zone. This secondary area adds 17,000 people to the population for a total market area of approximately 103,000.

The future of wood processing in Prince Albert is in doubt because of an October 5, 2005 announcement by Weyerhaeuser stating it would be closing down the Pulp and Paper Mill located just east of the city. The closure began on January 3, 2006 with paper production being stopped. The pulp mill continued operating until April 13, 2006, when the Weyerhaeuser Pulp and Paper Mill officially closed. The 690 people who were employed by Weyerhaeuser lost their jobs. It is expected that many more jobs will be lost because some other businesses in the forestry industry relied mainly on the Pulp and Paper Mill. The closure is speculated to have a negative impact on the economy, causing housing prices to drop.

Prince Albert's primary industries are mining, forestry and agriculture. A maximum-security penitentiary also exists to the west of the city.

[edit] Education

The city has a total of five high schools. St. Mary High School, and Rivier Academy (private, all-girls) 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.

The Saskatchewan Rivers School Division operates 26 schools and the Prince Albert Catholic School Division operates nine schools.

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, and Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT).

[edit] Royal presence

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

Main Article: Monarchy in Saskatchewan

[edit] Local media

[edit] Radio stations

[edit] Television stations

[edit] Newspapers

[edit] Famous Prince Albertans

Notable persons who were born or lived in Prince Albert include:

Catherine James and Matthew Kozun love physics and chesse.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

[edit] Attractions


  North: Prince Albert National Park  
West: Shellbrook Prince Albert East: Melfort
  South: Red Deer Hill  
Image:Flag of Saskatchewan.svg Saskatchewan
Census Divisions: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18
SARM Divisions: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6
Cities: Estevan - Flin Flon (part) - Humboldt - Lloydminster (part) - Melfort - Melville - Moose Jaw - North Battleford - Prince Albert - Regina - Saskatoon - Swift Current - Weyburn - Yorkton
See also: List of rural municipalities in Saskatchewan, SARM

Coordinates: 53°12′N 105°45′Wde:Prince Albert (Saskatchewan) eo:Prince Albert, Saskaĉevano fr:Prince Albert (Saskatchewan) id:Prince Albert, Saskatchewan pl:Prince Albert pt:Prince Albert (Saskatchewan)

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