Fort Saskatchewan

History

Prior to colonization of the region, the area around what is now Fort Saskatchewan was a gathering place and home for many Indigenous nations, including the Cree and Métis. Indigenous peoples of the region commonly travelled the North Saskatchewan River by canoe. The Cree name of the area of modern-day Fort Saskatchewan is (Birch Hills) because birch bark was an important component for making canoes and scrolls with Cree syllabics inscribed on them. Inspector William D. Jarvis, who led a column of North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) during the March West, established Sturgeon Creek Post in 1875. As headquarters of 'G' Division, it hosted patrols that extended as far as Fort Simpson and Chesterfield Inlet. Swift Runner (Ka-Ki-Si-Kutchin), a Cree man, was considered by locals to be smart and trustworthy, and he had previously served as a guide for local police. The CNR station is a modified third-class station design (100-19 plan); a "special station" that was used by CNR at the most significant stops along their line. It has several unique features, such as a longer footprint than other third-class stations, and a freight shed; these reflected Fort Saskatchewan's status as the centre of an agricultural district and the largest community on the CNR line between Edmonton and North Battleford, Saskatchewan. A second freight shed was built on the west side of the station in 1911; a sign of the growth in population and rail traffic that Fort Saskatchewan experienced. The old piers still stand in the river as of 2022. As of 1987, all freight and passenger rail connections occur in Edmonton, and a new bridge, downstream and northeast of Fort Saskatchewan's downtown, carries a rail line that goes through Fort Saskatchewan's industrial area without going through residential…

Geography

Fort Saskatchewan has a humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfb) with warm summers and cold winters. Precipitation peaks during summer time, and snowfall peaks from November to January. Fort Saskatchewan is divided into seven residential neighbourhoods and two industrial parks. Downtown is the city's oldest neighbourhood, and currently experiencing a larger commercial vacancy rate than the local average due to its low catchment area. Bridgeview, Clover Park, Pineview, and Sherridon are mature residential neighbourhoods, and Westpark and Southfort — the city's newest neighbourhoods — are still under development as of 2021. Eastgate Business Park and the Industrial Business Park both sit on the eastern edge of the city.

Most-observed species

• Black-billed Magpie

  Pica hudsonia (Sabine, 1823) · Aves
  7,572
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  6,105
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  6,043
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  5,594
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  4,543
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,843
• Ring-billed Gull

  Larus delawarensis Ord, 1815 · Aves
  3,777
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  3,338

Most recent

• M 3.9 — 2026-05-09
  15 km SSW of Smoky Lake, Canada
• M 4.3 — 2026-04-01
  10 km N of Bon Accord, Canada