Saskatoon is a city located in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians.
Saskatoon is the most populous city in the province of Saskatchewan, and has been since the mid-1980s when it surpassed the provincial capital of Regina. The city had a population of 202,340 in the Canada 2006 Census, with a civic estimate of 218,900 in 2009. The city's census metropolitan area had a population of 233,923 in the 2006 Census. Statistics Canada estimated Saskatoon's CMA population as 257,300 in 2009.
The name Saskatoon [in Cree: sâskwatôn, "Saskatoon" or the locatives: misâskwatôminihk, lit: "at the saskatoon berry", misâskwatôminiskâhk, "at the place of many saskatoon berries", mînisihk "at the berry"] comes from the Cree inanimate noun misâskwatômina "saskatoon berries", which refers to the sweet, violet-coloured berry that grows in the area. It is also popularly described as the "Bridge City," for its seven river crossings.
The economy of Saskatoon has been associated with potash, oil and agriculture resulting in the moniker POW. Various grains, livestock, oil and gas, potash, uranium, gold, diamond, coal and their spin off industries fuel the economy. The world's largest publicly traded uranium company, Cameco, and the world's largest potash producer, PotashCorp, have corporate headquarters in Saskatoon. Nearly two-thirds of the world's recoverable potash reserves are located in the Saskatoon region.[1] Innovation Place founded in 1980 brings together almost 150 agriculture, information technology, and environmental, life sciences and agricultural biotechnology industries in a science park or technology park setting.
Saskatoon's other nickname, Hub city refers its ideal central location for distribution and logistics. Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport with 105,620 aircraft movements in 2008 was listed as the 19th busiest airport in Canada. Saskatoon is developing the South Central Business District, or block 146, which is called the River Landing Project. Long range planning is underway for an expected population of 270,000 by 2025 (2000 estimate). From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
