[edit]
Pre-colonization and founding[edit]
Prior to colonization of the region, the area around what is now Fort Saskatchewan was a gathering place and home for many Indigenous nations, including the Cree and Métis. Indigenous peoples of the region commonly travelled the North Saskatchewan River by canoe. The mouth of the Sturgeon River, located near modern-day Fort Saskatchewan's industrial business park, was an ideal location to gather the materials necessary to construct canoes. The Cree name of the area of modern-day Fort Saskatchewan is waskwayâhtik ispatinaw (Birch Hills) because birch bark was an important component for making canoes and scrolls with Cree syllabics inscribed on them.
Inspector William D. Jarvis, who led a column of North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) during the March West, established Sturgeon Creek Post in 1875. The post was soon renamed "Fort (on the) Saskatchewan", and it became a key northern police garrison. Its location caused outrage among residents of Edmonton, who held a meeting voicing their concern that the police garrison was located far from their settlement. Chief Factor Richard Hardisty, in charge of Fort Edmonton, wanted the police garrison to be located across the river and slightly upstream from his fort. However, Inspector Jarvis preferred the downstream site because he believed that its narrower and shallower river banks were better suited for a future railway crossing.
The NWMP made Fort Saskatchewan the headquarters of 'G' Division in 1885, and considered moving it to Edmonton to accommodate an expansion. The residents of Edmonton were enthusiastic about this proposal; they held a meeting to voice their support for the move, and submitted a 250-signature petition to the Minister of the Interior. However, the existing (temporary) NWMP barracks in Edmonton were so dilapidated that some officers mutinied in 1886 – an event known among police at the time as "the Big Buck". It was cheaper to expand Fort Saskatchewan at its current location than to rebuild and expand the garrison in Edmonton. Despite the efforts of Edmonton's residents, who would continue to protest and voice their discontent until 1888, Fort Saskatchewan remained where it was.
The interior of Fort Saskatchewan, c. 1884
The palisade wall surrounding the fort was dismantled in 1886, and the fort was expanded for a second time in 1889. As headquarters of 'G' Division, it hosted patrols that extended as far as Fort Simpson and Chesterfield Inlet. The NWMP transferred the property to the Alberta government in 1911 for the construction of a provincial jail, and the fort was soon demolished. Artifacts and structural features have been discovered during subsequent digs, including clothing buttons, a possible privy deposit, and structural remains of the original palisade wall. The site of the fort has been partially damaged by the installation of underground utilities, and the construction of the provincial jail. Fort Saskatchewan was incorporated as a village in 1899, a town in 1904, and a city in 1985.
Hanging of Swift Runner[edit]
Five hangings were conducted at the fort between 1879 and 1914. On December 20, 1879, Fort Saskatchewan's police garrison conducted the first hanging in the North-West Territories (which included present-day Alberta).
Swift Runner (Ka-Ki-Si-Kutchin), a Cree man, was considered by locals to be smart and trustworthy, and he had previously served as a guide for local police. He was expelled from Fort Saskatchewan, and later his tribe as well, after developing a severe addiction to whisky. After he eventually arrived back at Fort Saskatchewan alone, it was discovered that he killed and ate his six children, his wife, his brother, and his mother. Possible motives for his acts have been proposed, such as trauma from previously being forced to eat a deceased hunting partner out of necessity, or being possessed by Wendigo – a flesh eating spirit in some Indigenous cultures.
Charged for murder and cannibalism, Swift Runner was sentenced to death in August 1879 by a jury consisting of three Métis residents, four locals who knew the Cree language, and a Cree translator. Scaffolding was built for his hanging in December, and an army pensioner was paid $50 to act as the hangman. Local Indigenous Chiefs were also invited to observe the execution to pacify rumours of unnecessary cruelty inflicted upon the condemned. The hanging was delayed after locals used the trap from the scaffolding as fire kindling, and the hangman forgot straps to bind Swift Runner's arms. At 9:30 am, Swift Runner was hanged in front of 60 onlookers and pronounced dead shortly after. Within an hour, his body was cut from the rope and buried in the snow outside the fort walls.
Early growth[edit]
Arrival of the railway[edit]
Prior to the arrival of the railway, travellers to and from Edmonton had to traverse a dirt trail that wound around woods and swamps.
The Canadian Northern Railway (CNR) reached Fort Saskatchewan in 1905, placing the town on what would eventually become a transcontinental rail line. The CNR station is a modified third-class station design (100-19 plan); a "special station" that was used by CNR at the most significant stops along their line. It has several unique features, such as a longer footprint than other third-class stations, and a freight shed; these reflected Fort Saskatchewan's status as the centre of an agricultural district and the largest community on the CNR line between Edmonton and North Battleford, Saskatchewan. A second freight shed was built on the west side of the station in 1911; a sign of the growth in population and rail traffic that Fort Saskatchewan experienced. The station is the only surviving model 100-19 railway station in Alberta. In the decade after the railway arrived, the town's population nearly doubled to 993.
A colour postcard showing a train crossing the CNR bridge into Fort Saskatchewan. The wooden car deck can be seen below.
The first bridge leading to Fort Saskatchewan, crossing the North Saskatchewan River, was also built at this time; CNR paid for it in exchange for free land for its station. It had a railway deck on its upper level and a wooden road deck on its lower level. Previously, the only method to cross the river at Fort Saskatchewan was via ferry. At the time of the bridge's construction, the Edmonton Bulletin described it as the second largest bridge in the CNR. The road deck was too narrow to allow more than one-way traffic, and traffic lights were later installed on each side of the bridge to help prevent collisions. Some drivers ignored the traffic lights at night, and proceeded if they did not see any oncoming headlights; even if they had a red light. A heavy vehicle struck the bridge in 1950, and a girder was forced 18 inches (46 cm) out of alignment by the impact. The safety concerns illustrated by these two factors caused the province to open a new two-lane bridge downstream of the railway bridge. After it opened in 1957, the railway bridge's lower traffic deck was dismantled.
The railway station and line through Fort Saskatchewan were in use until the late 1980s. Declining rail traffic and safety concerns regarding the transportation of dangerous goods prompted the Canadian National Railway to divert the line away from the city's non-industrial areas. The station and its property, including the railway track directly in front of it, were sold to the Province of Alberta, which immediately re-sold it to Fort Saskatchewan. The 1905 bridge was demolished soon after the railway was diverted. The old piers still stand in the river as of 2022.
As of 1987, all freight and passenger rail connections occur in Edmonton, and a new bridge, downstream and northeast of Fort Saskatchewan's downtown, carries a rail line that goes through Fort Saskatchewan's industrial area without going through residential areas.
Combined fire and town hall[edit]
The Fort Saskatchewan Fire Department gathered outside of the combined fire/town hall in 1910.
Town council, meeting in the Odd Fellows Hall, approved the construction of a combined fire and town hall in 1905. The building would also contain two cells for police use. Council originally voted to purchase land for the building behind the Queen's Hotel for $675, but a public petition successfully persuaded council to instead purchase land on the north-west corner of 100 Avenue and 103 Street for $1,250. Local taxpayers voted for $6000 to be spent on the construction of the building, and $7000 on fire-fighting equipment.
The fire and town hall was completed in 1906; the fire department occupied the bottom level, and the town hall and council chamber were located on the upper floor. The fire department occupied the bottom floor until 1958, while the town hall was located in the building until 1970. The building is now privately owned and used as commercial space.
Hydroelectric dam[edit]
After purchasing the Fort Electric Company in 1910, Town Council voted to purchase land near the mouth of the Sturgeon River, and construct a $30,000 wooden hydroelectric dam and power plant which were expected to last approximately 20 years. The town had to take over construction of the dam and plant in 1911 after the contracted firm went bankrupt. There were two separate instances in June 1911 where water rose above the dam and flooded the construction area. By its completion in December 1911, Fort Saskatchewan had spent $80,000 on the project. Minor leaks were detected throughout the next few months, and the plant was shut down in April 1912 after a washout at the penstock damaged the canal, a bulkhead, and parts of the natural riverbank. This incident was blamed on faulty construction.
The town decided in September 1912 that there was no cost-effective way to repair the dam. It instead retrofitted its old power house for $3000, and absorbed the financial losses associated with prematurely decommissioning the dam. The power plant on the grounds of the jail supplied the entire town for eight years, during-which Fort Saskatchewan faced numerous issues with residents neglecting to pay their power bills. The town finalized an agreement for Calgary Power to purchase the town's equipment for $26,000 in June 1928, and supply the town with power for ten years.
Public emergencies[edit]
Downtown fire[edit]
A fire insurance map for Fort Saskatchewan published in 1912, but revised in 1913 after the downtown fire. The darker patches indicate the extent of the damage caused by the fire, because the revisions were pasted on top of the original map.
A fire swept through a large portion of the town's business section on January 21, 1913. It is thought to have started in the Queen's hotel, before quickly leaping across the street to nearby buildings. The fire department struggled to start their engine, and their hose froze; by the time they fixed their equipment, the fire was too large to be contained. Five businesses, primarily located in the Fetherstonhaugh Block, were lost to the fire — costing a total of $24,000 in damages. In the spring of 1913, construction began on $69,500 worth of buildings in the business section. These new buildings included the Williamson Block, which replaced the Fetherstonhaugh Block, and a new Queen's Hotel.
Influenza epidemic of 1918–1919[edit]
In response to the worsening Spanish Influenza outbreak, the local Board of Health placed Fort Saskatchewan under quarantine on October 30, 1918. Guards were placed at all roads leading into the town, and nobody could enter or leave without a pass from the health board. The town reached 86 cases of the Spanish Flu in November 1918, representing approximately nine percent of its total population. Fort Saskatchewan did not have its own hospital, so a local home owner, Mrs. Graham, donated her house to be used as a temporary medical facility; four residents were treated there. Three residents died from the Spanish Flu. The town's quarantine lasted for three weeks, and was lifted on November 17, 1918.
Provincial jail[edit]
The Fort Saskatchewan Correctional Institute in 1982
A $200,000 provincial jail opened in 1915 on the site of the old fort, to replace the 34-cell guard house that had been used since the NWMP fort was constructed in 1875. This was necessary because by the early 1900s, the guard house was often filled beyond capacity; in August 1912, it held up to 71 prisoners at one time. The fort was demolished after the jail opened, and in 1927 the prison's warden unveiled a cairn on the site of the old guard room, made from stones taken from its foundation, to commemorate the old fort.
There were various additions to the jail throughout the next 70 years, including more cell blocks, a gymnasium, a stand-alone power plant, and carpentry, auto body, and license plate shops. The prison grew food for inmates on a nearby 324 hectare (800 acre) farm. A new house for the warden and his family was completed in 1937, replacing the commanding officer's quarters of 1889. The warden's house was symbolically constructed on municipal grounds near the prison, rather than on the prison grounds themselves — providing convenient access to the prison for the warden while normalizing life for his wife and children. The warden's house was converted into office space in early 1973.The warden's house shortly after being repainted to its original colour schemeThe prison was primarily used to house people awaiting their trials or serving sentences of under two years, and 29 prisoners were hanged on-site between 1914 and 1960. Noteworthy prisoners who were executed include Florence Lassandro (the only woman hanged in Alberta), and Robert Raymond Cook (the last man to be hanged in Alberta). By 1973, the jail employed 220 people and housed 300 male and female offenders. The jail was replaced in 1988 when a new provincial correctional centre, which houses 546 inmates, was built south of Highway 15 (Veterans Way) on 101 Street. The cell blocks were demolished in 1992. The warden's house is the only remaining structure linked to the old jail; the last building on the actual prison grounds, the facility workshop, was demolished in 2014.
Riot[edit]
96 inmates rioted in the prison dining room on January 19, 1955, led by 12 ringleaders who barricaded themselves in the prison's bakery. The riot started only 24 hours after the chief guard and two other guards were dismissed. Dishes and furniture were thrown and smashed, and a store room in the bakery was destroyed by fire after the ringleaders torched clothing, boots, and other supplies that they found. Prisoners in a cell block believed to contain rioters shouted phrases such as "get the story straight" to nearby reporters. They claimed that they rioted because of the food at the jail. The fire was doused by the local fire department, and the riot was put down by 50 Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers from Edmonton, who were armed with tear gas and smoke grenades. After the ringleaders were pulled from the bakery, they were returned to their cells. The prison had previously seen an inmate sit-down in October 1950, and a small disturbance in March 1949, but this was the most significant act of aggression by inmates that the prison had seen. The riot caused $10,000 worth of damage.
1950–present[edit]
Sherritt Gordon Mines started construction on a $25-million nickel refinery in 1952, which started production in 1954. As a result, more industries constructed plants in Fort Saskatchewan. Between 1951 and 1956, the town's population doubled from 1,076 to 2,582. Dow Chemical acquired 700 acres in Fort Saskatchewan in 1959, opening its plant in 1961 and further expanding it in 1967. The population increased from 2,972 in 1961, when operations at Dow began, to 4,152 in 1966.
Fort Saskatchewan in 1980
The Fort Saskatchewan Town Police force (est. 1904) was disbanded in 1972, and the RCMP resumed policing duties in the town for the first time since 1917. As part of a royal tour during the XI Commonwealth Games, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip arrived in Fort Saskatchewan from Vegreville via a special train on August 2, 1978. The royal couple met with then-Premier Lougheed on the platform of the CNR station, gave a speech to local residents at Turner Park, and then traveled to Edmonton in a limousine.
Muriel Abdurahman was elected as Fort Saskatchewan's first female mayor in 1980. Abdurahman was elected for a second term in 1983, and she became the first mayor of the City of Fort Saskatchewan after it gained official city status in 1985. She later resigned as mayor to pursue a career in provincial politics, and was succeeded by Pryce Alderson.
Fort Saskatchewan annexed 952 hectares (2,350 acres) of land from Strathcona County on January 1, 2020. The land is mainly located south of the city's old boundaries. Fort Saskatchewan originally requested 2,000 hectares (4,900 acres) from Strathcona County, including industrial land to the north, but the two municipalities negotiated an agreement involving less land.
Since Fort Saskatchewan was incorporated as a town in 1904, it has had 30 residents serve as its mayor as of 2021.
Annexation dispute[edit]
Fort Saskatchewan submitted a bid to annex 784 hectares (1,940 acres) of industrial land to its east from Strathcona County in 1988. Dow Chemical was constructing a plant on some of this land, and the refinery was expected to generate $4 million in tax revenues once it was complete. After Fort Saskatchewan declined to split Dow's taxes between the two municipalities, and in protest over being "chiseled away" by its urban neighbours, Strathcona County submitted a counter-bid to the Local Authorities Board in 1989 to retake 1,400 hectares (3,500 acres) of land from Fort Saskatchewan. The claim encompassed most of Fort Saskatchewan's tax-rich industrial land, which had been ceded to the city in 1959. In the late 1980s, Fort Saskatchewan had the richest tax base in the Edmonton Area, with 74% involving commercial or industrial properties, and it had the lowest homeowners tax in the region. After the provincial government tried unsuccessfully to mediate an agreement between the two sides in late 1989, the Edmonton Metropolitan Regional Planning Commission voted in 1990 in favour of Fort Saskatchewan's bid, and rejected Strathcona County's counter-bid.
As the dispute continued into late 1990, Fort Saskatchewan purchased a full-page advertisement in the Edmonton Journal, urging the provincial government to respect the Local Authorities Board's "non-political decision", regardless of what its verdict was. The province announced that Fort Saskatchewan's bid was successful in 1991, stating that the city would annex 1,144 hectares (2,830 acres) of land from Strathcona County on December 31, 1991. In turn, the county would be protected from further annexations for 20 years, and the two municipalities would have to reach an agreement on tax-sharing. The two sides continued to face difficulties negotiating with one another, and neither believed that an arbitration process could be agreed upon. In March 1992, a Court of Queen's Bench judge ruled in favour of Strathcona County. He declared that over the next 19 years, the county was to receive approximately $27 million in tax revenue from the land annexed by Fort Saskatchewan, while the city would receive about $55 million of tax revenue over that same period. Mayor Pryce Alderson of Fort Saskatchewan, and Reeve Iris Evans of Strathcona County, issued a joint statement that welcomed the decision, stating that they would work together moving forward.
