80+ Cool and Interesting Facts About Saskatchewan
Interesting Facts About Saskatchewan
Are you Looking to learn some fun and interesting facts about Saskatchewan? We have you covered!
Before heading to Saskatchewan on our epic road trip, we wanted to learn everything we could about this fascinating province. And after having travelled there, we were not disappointed!
Whether you’re a born-and-raised Saskatchewanian or just someone who’s curious about this beautiful part of Canada, you’ll be surprised at the amazing things that Saskatchewan has to offer.
From its natural wonders and vibrant cities to its rich history and unique culture, Saskatchewan is full of fascinating facts and stories that will leave you amazed.
Interesting Facts About Saskatchewan
In this blog post, we’ll uncover some little-known tidbits about this amazing province that are sure to leave you amazed and maybe even a little surprised.
Official Fun Facts About Saskatchewan
From population to the capital city to the official tree, many of these fun facts about Saskatchewan really surprised us!
1. People from Saskatchewan are called Saskatchewanians.
They are also called Saskatchewanites.
2. The flag of Saskatchewan is green and gold.
The colours represent the forests in the north and grain fields in the south. Saskatchewan’s flag also includes a prairie lily and the province’s coat of arms.
3. Saskatchewan’s slogan is “Land of Living Skies.”
In 1997 a contest was held to find the best slogan for the province’s licence plates. The winner was chosen from a pool of 33,587 entries.
4. Saskatchewan’s official animal is the white-tailed deer.
The deer can be found throughout the province’s forests and grasslands. The name actually comes from the white underside of the tail, which is usually only seen when the deer is running or frightened.
5. Saskatchewan’s official fruit is the Saskatoon Berry.
Named after the province’s largest city, Saskatoon Berries are slightly tart and are often used to make jam or pie.
6. Saskatchewan’s official flower is the Western Red Lily.
The lily was chosen in 1941. It grows in meadows and semi-wooded areas and is a protected species in Saskatchewan.
7. Saskatchewan’s official bird is the Sharp-tailed Grouse.
Chosen in 1945, the grouse is Saskatchewan’s most popular game bird.
8. Saskatchewan’s official tree is the White birch.
Chosen in 1988, the white birch, this hardwood tree is found across most of the northern part of the province. Birch is mostly used for lumber, as well as in the production of plywood, veneer and fuel.
9. Saskatchewan’s official grass is needle-and-thread grass.
The needle-and-thread grass is a native bunchgrass which can be found in the dry, sandy soils of the Northern Plains. The name is derived from the shape of the seeds, which have sharp points and long, twisted, thread-like fibres.
10. Saskatchewan’s official mineral is Sylvite.
Saskatchewan is the world’s largest producer and exporter of Sylvite, also known as potash. Over 95 percent of the potash produced in Saskatchewan is used for fertilizer.
11. Saskatchewan does not have any UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
However, Wanuskewin, a First Nations center in Saskatoon, has now been placed on the list as a potential site.
12. Saskatchewan’s official tartan has 7 colours.
Saskatchewan’s Provincial District Tartan has seven colours. The tartan, which was registered with the Court of Lord Lyon King of Arms in Scotland in 1961, is made up of gold, brown, green, red, yellow, white and black.
13. Saskatchewan’s official fish is the walleye.
Saskatchewan is known for its world-class freshwater fishing. So during the province’s centennial in 2005, a contest was held in order to choose a Provincial Fish Emblem. The walleye was the overwhelming choice with over ten thousand votes.
14. Saskatchewan’s coat of arms says ‘Multis E Gentibus Vires’.
Meaning “From Many Peoples Strength.”
15. Saskatchewan is home to one of Canada’s largest Indigenous populations.
10% of people in Saskatchewan are First Nations. In addition, another 5% are Métis. Together, they make up one of the biggest Indigenous populations of any province, aside from Manitoba and the territories.
16. Saskatchewan is named after the river of the same name.
The name ‘Saskatchewan‘ comes from the Cree word, ‘Kisiskatchewanisipi‘, meaning swift flowing river.
17. There are five Indigenous groups in Saskatchewan.
These groups include Cree, Dakota, Nakota, Dene, and Saulteaux.
18. Saskatchewan is home to territories covered by several treaties.
The treaties covered include 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10.
19. Saskatchewan has a relatively small population.
Saskatchewan only has a population of approximately 1.18 million people. Incredibly, this is less than the cities of Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, or Calgary.
Interesting and Fun Facts About Saskatchewan Geography
Saskatchewan really has a rich and varied landscape. From lakes to sand dunes, and everything in between, visitors are often surprised by how incredible Saskatchewan’s geography really is.
20. Saskatchewan is a landlocked province.
Along with Alberta, Saskatchewan is one of only two provinces or territories that are landlocked.
21. Saskatchewan is the middle of the three prairie provinces.
Saskatchewan is bordered by Alberta to its west and Manitoba to its east. It is also bordered by the Northwest Territories to the north and the US states of Montana and North Dakota to the south.
22. Saskatchewan is part of Western Canada.
Although Saskatchewan is a prairie province, not many people realize that it is actually a part of Western Canada.
23. Saskatchewan is the only Canadian province with no natural borders.
Saskatchewan is the only province with borders that are completely defined by parallels and meridians. It is located between the 49th and 60th parallels North, and the 101°21’41″ and 110th meridians West.
24. Saskatchewan is the 7th largest province.
At 651,036 km2 (251,366 mi2), Saskatchewan is the 7th largest province or territory. It is similar in size to Afghanistan.
25. Cypress Hills is the highest point in Saskatchewan.
For the most part, this prairie province is pretty flat. However, Cypress Hills is considered Saskatchewan’s highest point at 1,392 m (4,567 ft) high.
26. Cypress Hills is Canada’s first interprovincial park.
Shared between Saskatchewan and Alberta, Cypress Hills became Canada’s first interprovincial park in 1989.
27. The Athabasca Sand Dunes are one of the northernmost active sand dunes in the world.
The dunes are located inside Athabasca Sand Dunes Provincial Park and are only accessible by floatplane. The nearest city to the dunes is Uranium City.
28. Saskatchewan is home to purple sand beaches.
Purple sand beaches are definitely a unique phenomenon. They can be found in northern Saskatchewan at Hunter Bay and at Prince Albert National Park.
Purple beaches are brought about by accumulating large amounts of almandine-pyrope garnet, or other purple minerals like manganese or rose quartz in the local sediment.
Interesting and Fun Facts About Saskatchewan History
Saskatchewan has a rich history steeped in culture. From Indigenous beginnings to European settlement, Saskatchewan’s museums and cultural centres have incredible exhibitions filled with our storied past.
29. There is very old evidence of indigenous people in Saskatchewan.
Indigenous remains in Northern Saskatchewan go back as early as 6000 BCE.
30. When Europeans first came to Saskatchewan, they found several indigenous groups.
Athapaskans (Dene or Chipewyan), Cree, Nakota, and Dakota First Nations lived in Saskatchewan at the time of European arrival.
31. Saskatchewan was once a part of Rupert’s Land.
In 1670, English King Charles II claimed a large area of land which would eventually come to be known as Rupert’s Land. This land includes part of what is now known as Saskatchewan.
32. The first trading post in Saskatchewan was built in 1774.
The trading post, known as Cumberland House, was built on the Saskatchewan River in the province’s northeast.
33. Rupert’s Land was sold to Canada by the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1870.
The area of Saskatchewan then became part of the Northwest Territories.
34. Saskatchewan officially became part of the Northwest Territories in 1882.
In 1882, Saskatchewan was designated as one of the official districts of the Northwest Territories.
35. The Trans-Canada Railway was built across Saskatchewan in the early 1880s.
As a result, an increase in migration was experienced into the early 1900s. Many people came to the area to open farms.
36. Saskatchewan became a province in 1905.
The province of Saskatchewan was created in 1905, with Regina as its capital.
37. In 1885, Métis leader Louis Riel staged a rebellion.
The Métis and First Nations were unhappy with the hunting laws brought about by the treaties.
38. Louis Riel was executed in Regina.
In 1885, Métis leader Louis Riel was tried and executed for treason in Regina. He was responsible for leading the Red River rebellion.
39. Saskatchewan was hit by a tornado in 1912.
The tornado struck Regina and was considered the deadliest tornado in Canadian history.
40. Saskatchewan was one of the first provinces to give women the right to vote.
In 1916, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba became the first provinces to allow women to vote.
41. Moose Jaw was once known as the “Sin City of the North.”
After liquor was banned in 1916, bootlegging took off in the 1920s, and gangsters including Al Capone conducted whiskey smuggling from underground caves in Moose Jaw and Cypress Hills.
42. In 1910 Saskatchewan formed its CFL team.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders became a team in 1910.
43. Saskatchewan was the first province to get a universal health plan.
In fact, in 1961 the province was the first to get a universal health plan in all of North America.
44. It took a long time for indigenous people to get the right to vote.
In 1949, First Nations peoples finally gained the right to vote in Saskatchewan.
45. The University of Saskatchewan once accepted grain as payment for tuition.
In 1969 and 1970, the University of Saskatchewan accepted grain for tuition fees to help out local rural families during the international drop in wheat prices.
Fun Facts About Saskatchewan Cities and Towns
Saskatchewan is filled with incredible cities and towns that are picturesque and fun to explore. But some of them really stand out for their unique reputations! While some places have fun attributes, others are just plain weird, or even scary, to think about!
46. Regina is the capital city of Saskatchewan.
Located in the south-central part of the province, Regina is also the second-largest city in Saskatchewan.
47. Saskatoon is the largest city in Saskatchewan.
Saskatoon is also the largest metropolitan area in the province and home to the University of Saskatchewan.
48. Half of Saskatchewan’s population lives in just two cities.
Half of Saskatchewan’s population lives in either Saskatoon or Regina. This means that the vast majority of the population lives in the southern part of the province.
49. There are only 16 cities in Saskatchewan.
Although there aren’t many large cities in Saskatchewan, there are tons of smaller towns sprinkled across the province.
50. Saskatchewan shares a city with Alberta.
Lloydminster sits directly on the border between Saskatchewan and Alberta. This means the town is split between two time zones as well. However, residents of the entire city go by Alberta time.
51. Moose Jaw is also home to the Al Capone Tunnels.
Originally built by Chinese railway workers to escape persecution, the tunnels are supposedly where the notorious gangster hid out and bootlegged alcohol in the early 1930s.
Interesting Facts About Saskatchewan Lakes
Saskatchewanians are blessed with an abundance of gorgeous lakes and rivers. Not only do they have fresh, reliable drinking water, but they also have the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of water-related pastimes. We found some of these fun facts about Saskatchewan lakes to be quite astounding!
52. Saskatchewan actually has a lot of lakes.
Almost 10 percent of Saskatchewan is water. The province is home to over 100,000 lakes.
53. Little Manitou Lake is like the Dead Sea.
Little Manitou Lake, just like the Dead Sea, contains so many minerals that you will easily float on it. In fact, Manitou Lake is three times saltier than the ocean.
54. Saskatchewan shares two of its lakes with other provinces.
Athabasca Lake is shared with Alberta and Reindeer Lake is shared with Manitoba. Together, these two lakes cover an area larger than Montenegro.
Fun Facts About Saskatchewan Nature
Saskatchewan is a gorgeous province filled with many varied landscapes, vistas, and nature. So we would be remiss if we did not have a section of our fun facts about Saskatchewan dedicated to nature.
55. Saskatchewan only has two national parks.
Prince Albert National Park and Grasslands National Park.
56. Saskatchewan is home to only 39 provincial parks.
This is in comparison to Alberta which has about 500 parks and British Columbia which is home to well over 1000.
57. Grasslands National Park wasn’t created until 1980.
Located in the southern part of the province, Grasslands National Park is one of the country’s last remaining undisturbed prairie grasslands. It is also home to the country’s only black-tailed prairie dog colonies.
58. Saskatchewan is actually covered with boreal forests.
Although Saskatchewan is considered to be a prairie province, the northern half of the province is actually covered with boreal forests.
59. Prince Albert National Park has purple sand beaches.
Named after the husband of Queen Victoria, the park is located in the northern part of the province in the boreal forest. Prince Albert National Park is one of the places in Saskatchewan where you can find purple beaches.
The colouring, as we mentioned, is caused by garnet sand carried there from the Canadian Shield.
60. Saskatchewan is the sunniest area in Canada.
In fact, Lower Saskatchewan and Alberta are sometimes called the Sun Belt of Canada.
61. Saskatchewan gets a lot of tornadoes.
On average, Saskatchewan gets hit with over a dozen tornadoes per year.
62. Saskatchewan has a huge range of temperatures.
The hottest temperature ever recorded in Saskatchewan was 45.0°C (113°F), and the lowest was −56.7°C (−70°F). That is an astounding difference of over 100 degrees Celsius (or 183 degrees Fahrenheit)!
63. Sixty percent of Canada’s wheat is grown in Saskatchewan.
Wheat also accounts for 44 percent of the area sown to crops in Saskatchewan.
More Fun, Interesting or Just Plain Weird Facts About Saskatchewan
This is one of my favourite categories in our list of fun facts about Saskatchewan! It’s a mash-up of miscellaneous tidbits of cool and sometimes weird information we gathered while researching Saskatchewan.
64. Saskatchewan is home to the RCMP.
Regina is home to Canada’s only Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) training academy.
65. Saskatchewan has its own slang.
With words like bunnyhug (hoodie), buttcrack (meaning rural areas in the middle of nowhere), and dainties (sweet treats), it might be tough for out-of-towners to follow along!
66. Cree is the second most spoken language in Saskatchewan.
In fact, there are over 20,000 native speakers in the province.
67. Saskatchewan is in the Central Time Zone.
Although the province is geographically located in the Mountain Time Zone, it follows the Central Time Zone.
68. Saskatchewan doesn’t follow daylight savings time.
The province further complicates things by not following daylight savings time like its neighbouring provinces.
69. Saskatchewan produces a lot of mustard.
In fact, Saskatchewan is the world’s leading producer of mustard.
70. Saskatchewan’s economy was once agriculture-based.
Today, however, agriculture makes up less than 10% of the GDP. Mining, oil, finance, and social services now account for larger contributions.
71. Saskatchewan has more roads than any other province.
In fact, Saskatchewan has 250,000 km (160,000 mi) of roads. That’s enough to travel around the world 4 times.
72. Curling is the official sport of Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan’s curling team won three Canadian and World women’s championships in the ’90s. The team also won the first-ever women’s Olympic gold medal in curling in 1998.
Cool Facts About Saskatchewan Landmarks and Attractions
Saskatchewan is home to several notable landmarks and attractions. There are a ton of fun facts about Saskatchewan tied to these sites, so we chose some of the best ones for this post.
73. Saskatchewan is where you will find the oldest bird sanctuary in North America.
The Last Mountain Lake Bird Sanctuary is the oldest bird sanctuary in North America. It is located between Saskatoon and Regina.
74. Saskatchewan is home to numerous roadside attractions.
Some of these include the world’s largest coffee pot, paperclip, lily, and a replica of the Eiffel Tower.
75. Moose Jaw is where you will find the world’s largest moose.
Mac the Moose held the record until Norway built a larger one. Moose Jaw then gave Mac taller antlers to reclaim the title.
76. The largest T. Rex skeleton was found in Saskatchewan.
The T. Rex Discovery Centre in Eastend is home to the largest T. Rex skeleton ever found. Named Scotty, the skeleton was discovered in 1991.
Fun Facts About Famous People from Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is home to many famous people who have left their mark on the world. In this section, we’ll explore some fun and interesting facts about these notable Saskatchewanians, from musicians and actors to politicians and inventors.
77. Several famous actors, musicians, and athletes were born in Saskatchewan.
Some famous people from Saskatchewan include actors Leslie Nielsen, Kim Coates, Cas Anvar, Kari Matchett and Tatiana Maslany. A couple of famous NHL players include Gordie Howe and Glenn Hall.
Several famous Indigenous people from Saskatchewan include artist Alen Sapp and musician Buffy Sainte-Marie.
78. Saskatchewan has never produced a Canadian Prime Minister.
No Canadian Prime Minister has ever been born in Saskatchewan. However, Ontario native John Diefenbaker grew up there. Saskatoon’s airport is named after him.
79. Joni Mitchell became popular after performing in Saskatoon.
Joni Mitchell, an Alberta-born musician, first made a name for herself performing in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
80. Saskatchewan has produced more NHL hockey players per capita than any other province.
The Budweiser beer company has notoriously given the province an ice sculpture and wooden trophy to say thank you for this.
81. Saskatchewan does not have its own NHL team.
Saskatchewan has never had its own NHL team because the province’s population is not large enough to support it.
82. Saskatchewan is home to a CFL team.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are the province’s only CFL team. Fans are collectively known as Rider Nation.
83. Humphry Osmond was the first in the world to use the word “psychedelic.”
He was an English psychiatrist who was researching the application of psychedelic drugs at the Weyburn Mental Hospital in Saskatchewan.
Final Thoughts on Our List of Interesting and Fun Facts About Saskatchewan
We hope you enjoyed this journey through the wonderful world of Saskatchewan!
Although we’ve barely scratched the surface of all the amazing things this province has to offer, we hope these fun and interesting facts about Saskatchewan have given you a newfound appreciation for this special part of Canada.
So whether you’re a local or a visitor, we encourage you to keep exploring all that Saskatchewan has to offer. Who knows, maybe you’ll even discover some new facts to add to this list!
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