Prince Albert - History

Prince Albert is located in central Saskatchewan in Canada. It lies on the North Saskatchewan River, 25 miles (40 km) west of its confluence with the South Saskatchewan and 88 miles (142 km) northeast of Saskatoon.

During 1691 - 1692, explorer Henry Kelsey visited the area that was to become Prince Albert, but it was more than a century later when the man honoured as being the founder of the City arrived.

The city was founded in 1866 by the Reverend James Nesbit as a Presbyterian mission station, near the site of a fur-trading post established in 1776. Named for Queen Victoria's consort, it developed as a lumbering centre in the early 1900's.

James Nisbet (Scottish) who came to Canada graduated from Knox College in Toronto and was called west by the Presbyterian Church in 1862. Physically hardy, skilled from his youth in carpentry and possessing some experience in farming, Nisbet was well fitted to be both pioneer and missionary. By the habitation of Nisbet and his party, the evolution from settlement to City began.

The first municipal election was in 1885. In the same year the community was incorporated as a town.

Five years later the first train arrived from Regina in and a small station was built near what is presently known as 3^rd  Avenue West. The days of isolation were over; the city was now a part of the outside world.

In 1904, Prince Albert was incorporated as a City and by 1911 it had quadrupled in acreage. Further annexation in 1912 established boundaries, which were virtually unchanged until 1966. The vigorous growth of the post-war era reflected the general prosperity of the province's economy.

The City became a sales and service centre to the agricultural communities surrounding it. The forest industry became one of the most important industries. In the 1970's & 80's uranium and gold discoveries increased employment and stimulated Northern Saskatchewan's economy.

Prince Albert flag was designed by Miss Milda Hunter of Arborfield and modified by Mr Carter Watson and the Celebration's Committee during Prince Albert's 75^th Jubilee Year in 1979.

Prince Albert now serves as a distribution point for northern Saskatchewan and the area's gold- and uranium-mining concerns. Its industries include oil extraction, woodworking, pulp and paper milling, and food packaging. The  city is also a resort and gateway to Prince Albert National Park, and its Lund Wildlife Exhibit contains numerous specimens of Canadian wildlife displayed in natural surroundings. It is the site of a federal penitentiary and several technical and vocational institutes. Sturgeon Lake and other Indian reservations are nearby.

The population in 1991 was 34,181. 

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