Positioned along the banks of the North Saskatchewan River roughly 25 kilometres northeast of Edmonton, Fort Saskatchewan has grown into a full-fledged city with a population of 27,464, as recorded in the 2021 federal census. It sits within the Edmonton census metropolitan area and holds membership in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board, a governing body that brings together 24 municipalities across the greater Edmonton region. The city shares its borders with Strathcona County to the south and east, Sturgeon County to the north and west, and the City of Edmonton to the southwest, with Sturgeon County lying across the river to the north.
Roots in the North-West Mounted Police Era
Long before European settlement, the land now occupied by Fort Saskatchewan was a significant gathering place for Indigenous peoples, including the Cree and Métis. The North Saskatchewan River served as a major travel corridor, and the mouth of the Sturgeon River – located near what is now the city’s industrial business park – provided ideal conditions for sourcing materials to build canoes. In the Cree language, the area is known as waskwayâhtik ispatinaw, meaning Birch Hills, a name that reflects the importance of birch bark for canoe construction and for scrolls inscribed with Cree syllabics. The city’s colonial history began in 1875 when Inspector William D. Jarvis, who had led a column of North-West Mounted Police during the March West, established a post called Sturgeon Creek Post. That post was soon renamed Fort Saskatchewan and developed into a key northern garrison. Inspector Jarvis chose the downstream riverside location because he considered its narrower, shallower banks better suited for a future railway crossing, a decision that drew criticism from Edmonton residents who wanted the garrison closer to their settlement. Chief Factor Richard Hardisty of Fort Edmonton had lobbied for a site upstream, across the river from his post. In 1885, the NWMP designated Fort Saskatchewan the headquarters of ‘G’ Division. There were discussions about relocating the garrison to Edmonton, and Edmonton residents submitted a 250-signature petition to the Minister of the Interior in support of the move. The existing temporary barracks in Edmonton were in such poor condition, however, that the relocation did not proceed as hoped. The city was also home to a large provincial jail that operated for many years. A replica of the original fort was constructed next to its historical site and opened to the public in 2011, offering residents and visitors a tangible connection to that founding era. The original fort site itself was located across the river from the hamlet of Lamoureux.
Industry and Local Character
Fort Saskatchewan carries a strong association with the petrochemical and industrial sector. Major facilities operating in and around the city include Dow Chemical, Sherritt International, Nutrien (formerly known as Agrium), Linde (previously Praxair), and Shell Canada. These chemical plants have shaped the city’s economic identity and made it a notable industrial centre within the Edmonton region. Alongside its industrial reputation, the city maintains a more lighthearted point of distinction: a flock of 50 sheep that roams the Fort Heritage Precinct throughout the summer months, grazing on the grass and drawing the attention of both locals and visitors. This small but memorable tradition adds a distinctive character to a city that balances its industrial weight with community life and historical pride.