Founded in 1882 by Ontario Methodist John Lake as a temperance colony, Saskatoon is located in the middle of prairie country. Today, the city is an agricultural and commercial hub, and a busy regional center for cattle ranchers and wheat farmers from surrounding communities. The region’s history is told in Saskatoon’s branch of the Western Development Museum, which focuses on the town’s boom years in the 1900s, re-creating the bustling main street of a typical prairie town, including its railroad station and a hotel.

The South Saskatchewan River meanders through the city and is bounded by many lush parks, including the outstanding 307-ha (760-acre) Wanuskewin Heritage Park . The park is devoted to First Nations history, with archaeological sites that confirm the existence of hunter-gatherer communities some 6,000 years ago. Some of the digs are open to the public, and the excellent park interpretive center has an archaeological lab explaining current research. The park’s wooded hills and marshy creeks are still held to be sacred lands by the Northern Plains peoples who act as interpretive guides. Easy-to-follow trails lead the visitor past tipi rings, buffalo trails, and a buffalo jump.

The riverbank also houses two museums, The Ukrainian Museum of Canada with its brightly colored traditional textiles, and the Mendel Art Gallery, with First Nations and Inuit pottery and glassware.