Saskatoon is the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Straddling a bend in the South Saskatchewan River and located along the Trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway, it is centrally located in the province and has served as the cultural and economic hub of the region since its establishment in 1882 as a Temperance colony.
The city is home to the University of Saskatchewan, the Meewasin Valley Authority which protects the South Saskatchewan River and provides for the city's popular riverbank park spaces, and Wanuskewin Heritage Park, a National Historic Site of Canada representing nearly 6,000 years of First Nations history.
There is a significant Indigenous population in the city, and several urban Reserves within its boundaries. It is known for its relatively diverse and vibrant culture, as well as its eight (plus two planned) river crossings, earning it the nicknames"Paris of the Prairies" and "Bridge City."
Historic neighbourhoods of Saskatoon include Nutana and Riversdale, which were both separate towns before amalgamating with the town of Saskatoon and incorporating as a city in 1906. Nutana, Riversdale, their historic main streets of Broadway Avenue and 20th Street respectively, as well as the downtown core and other central neighbourhoods, are seeing significant reinvestment and redevelopment today. Similarly, the old rail town of Sutherland was annexed by the city in 1956 and is now another historic neighbourhood of Saskatoon, just beyond the University lands.
