The Battlefords

The Battlefords are in West Central Saskatchewan, consisting of the city of North Battleford and the town of Battleford. These two towns are separated by the North Saskatchewan River.

Understand
The name Battleford is derived from a fording area of the Battle River found at the confluence of the Battle River and the North Saskatchewan River. The English name of "Battle River" originates from indigenous languages, which was known as the "Fighting River" because it once marked the boundary between the Cree and Blackfoot Aboriginal Nations. In 1905, North Battleford came into being when the Canadian Northern Railway built a railway on the north side of the North Saskatchewan River.

North Battleford is an administrative centre and service hub for the economic, education, health and social needs of the region.

North Battleford had a permanent population of about 14,000 in 2011, but in 2018, the mayor said that the transient population would increase this to about 30,000 people. The Town of Battleford had about 4,000 people in 2011.



History
The Battleford area was the site of numerous independent and Hudson's Bay Company fur trading houses dating from the 1770s. William Holmes operated a post for the North West Company just above the confluence of the Battle and North Saskatchewan Rivers in 1784; at least three posts were in use between 1868 and 1914. Battleford was founded in 1875 as a fur trading post and North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) fort; its post office opened in 1877. Between 1876 and 1883, Battleford was the territorial capital of the North-West Territories (now Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nunavut, northern Quebec, northern Ontario and the Northwest Territories) before it was moved to Regina, and the NWMP fort (Fort Battleford) located there played an important role in the 1885 North-West Rebellion. It is also the terminus of the historic Swift Current-Battleford Trail.

In 1905, the construction of the Canadian Northern Railway main line to Edmonton placed the line on the north side of the North Saskatchewan River, bypassing Battleford. North Battleford was built along the railway line and was incorporated as a village in 1906, as a town in 1907, and as a city (with a population of 5,000) in 1913. Its position along the railway caused it to surpass Battleford as the major regional centre.

Climate
The weather in The Battlefords is generally dry and sunny. Summer daytime temperatures range from to. Evenings are cool, requiring a light sweater or jacket. Winter temperatures vary from to. There is sufficient snowfall for winter activities and sports.

Get in
North Battleford is northwest of Saskatoon on the Highway 16 (Yellowhead Highway), and  southeast of Lloydminster.



By bus
The city has two public bus routes that operate M-F 7AM-7PM and Sa 8AM-6PM. There is no transit service on Sundays and holidays. The Battlefords Handi-Bus System operates on a five-day-a-week demand basis. Call for more information. Adults $3, children 6-16 $2. (Jan 2018)

By taxi
Crown Cab serves the Battlefords and area. They also offer a wheelchair accessible van and car wash open 24 hours. Their office is at 1072 - 102nd Street North Battleford.

NB City Cab You can book online or by phone. Their office is at 2112-100th Street North Battleford.

Connect
When in The Battlefords, tune to Tourism Radio 100.5 FM for information on festivals, events and attractions.

Stay safe
In 2018, Maclean's magazine ranked North Battleford as Canada's most dangerous place for overall crime. The city's mayor, however,  said that this per-capita ranking was based on the town's permanent population, and that its ranking would be much lower of the crime rate were based on its total population.