Keywords Rivers

The South Saskatchewan is formed in southern Alberta by the junction of the BOW and OLDMAN rivers. It flows east past MEDICINE HAT, Alta, then northeast into Saskatchewan, past SASKATOON, and continues a course roughly parallel to the North Saskatchewan to the confluence some 130 km downstream.

The South Saskatchewan has been dammed about 100 km south of Saskatoon, creating a long broad reservoir, called LAKE DIEFENBAKER, which provides hydroelectric power and irrigation for southwestern Saskatchewan. From the confluence, the river continues nearly 600 km eastward through Tobin Lake and Cumberland Lake, Sask, into Manitoba, where it trends southeast past THE PAS and into CEDAR LAKE. The waters of the Saskatchewan enter Lake WINNIPEG at Grand Rapids and are carried to Hudson Bay by the NELSON RIVER.

Called Kisiskatchewani Sipi, "swift-flowing river," by the Cree, Henry KELSEY (1690) and the LA VÉRENDRYE family (circa 1739) were the first Europeans to see it. The modern rendering of the name was adopted in 1882 when part of the present-day province was made a district of the North-West Territories.

The section between Grand Rapids and CUMBERLAND HOUSE (built in 1774 by Samuel HEARNE) was hotly contested by the Hudson's Bay Company and North West Company. From Cumberland House to Edmonton, there are no rapids that could not be lined up or run down, although shifting gravel bars were a menace. This was a much-travelled route of the HBC traders and made Edmonton an early focal point of trade. The southern branch carried traders southwest to Wyoming and into the Rocky Mountains by Bow Pass.

In years when the sovereignty of the North-West was in question, the Saskatchewan made possible an east-west highway tying the area to English commercial enterprise on Hudson Bay and, via the Great Lakes, to Canadian interests centered in Montréal.

Edmonton, Satellite Image
In this satellite image, Edmonton appears as a bluish area to the right. The North Saskatchewan River winds through the city. The city is surrounded by prairie farms (pink shows the newly planted fields) which merge with the greenish regions of the foothills. The pale green shows Edmonton's green belt (courtesy Canada Centre for Remote Sensing).

South Saskatchewan River, Saskatoon
On the South Saskatchewan River, with the Bessborough Hotel in the left background (photo by Sherman Hines/Masterfile).

Tipi Rings
Tipi rings along valley rim on prairie upland near the South Saskatchewan River. Tipi rings are common along valley rims (photo by Cleve Wershler, courtesy Cottonwood Consultants Ltd).

Author JAMES MARSH

Links to Other Sites
Geoscape Canada
An extensive information source about the geological history, human settlement patterns, earth and water resources, and natural hazards found in locations across the country. Click on the red symbols on the interactive map of Canada to explore aerial landscapes, maps, photos, colourful online posters, and more. A Geoscape Canada website from Natural Resources Canada.

Rivers of Canada
This site highlights the political and economic importance of Canada’s major river systems. From the Canadian Council for Geographic Education.

Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan
The website for the comprehensive Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan. Browse by subject or search for specific articles.