City of Bridges: Life on the South Saskatchewan

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About

Every city needs a backbone - here in Saskatoon, it’s the slow moving waters of the great South Saskatchewan River. The river once provided water for the legions of buffalo who roamed the prairies, and the plains First Nations who hunted them, and now feeds the taps of every house in Saskatoon. As the backbone of the city, the river is a prominent character in almost every story from the city's history. Follow us on this tour as we follow the South Saskatchewan River through Saskatoon's major life events and growth into one of Canada's most prominent prairie cities.

This scenic riverbank tour starts at River Crossing on Spadina Crescent East, where you can see the devastating effects of the extreme prairie climate on the environment. After that, we’ll follow the promenade under the Senator Sid Buckwald Bridge, where we will find the next stop and learn about the geological foundations of Saskatchewan, along with the sad fate of the prairie buffalo. Then we’ll cross over the historic Traffic Bridge to learn about the settlement of Saskatoon by the Colonial Temperance Society. Mere steps away, we’ll see the “Worst Nautical Disaster In Prairie History,” that shook the foundation of the Traffic Bridge. We’ll leave the bridge for a nice walk along Meewasin Trail to Broadway Bridge, where we’ll learn how the site for Saskatoon was chosen and how the Great Depression spurred the bridge’s construction. After that stop, we’ll continue along the trail until we reach Saskatchewan Crescent East and 15th Street East, where we’ll learn about some of Saskatoon’s worst accidents, along with the affect wartime had on the city. Finally, we’ll end our tour at University Bridge for a reflection on the South Saskatchewan River’s continued importance to this day.

Links

• Website onthisspot.ca
• Download App apps.apple.com

Organizer

On This Spot

The On This Spot app takes people on guided walking tours through the history that surrounds them.

At each stop on their journey users will find themselves standing on the spot a historic photo was taken. They can view a then and now photo comparison, use the built in camera to create their own, and read about local history and how it ties into the broader human experience.

Based in Vancouver, On This Spot is working with heritage, tourism, and business organizations across Canada to expand the app's coverage.