SASKATCHEWAN
- ORIGIN OF PROVINCE NAME: Derived from the Cree Indian word kisiskatchewanisipi, which means "swift-flowing river," and was first used to describe the Saskatchewan River.
- NICKNAME: Canada's Breadbasket (also: The Wheat Province).
- CAPITAL: Regina.
- ENTERED CONFEDERATION: 1 September 1905.
- MOTTO: Multis e gentibus vires (From many peoples strength).
- COAT OF ARMS: In the center, the provincial shield of arms displays a red lion, which symbolizes loyalty to the British Crown, and (over a field of green) three gold wheat sheaves, which symbolize Saskatchewan's agriculture. Above the shield is a crest with a beaver holding a western red lily and carrying a royal crown on its back. Supporting the shield are a lion on the left and a deer on the right; both wear collars made of Prairie Indian beads. Beneath the shield the provincial motto appears on a scroll entwined with western red lilies. The red signifies the fires that once swept the prairies, green represents vegetation, and gold symbolizes ripening grain.
- FLAG: Horizontal bars of equal width with green above (for the northern forests) and yellow below (for the southern grain region). The provincial shield of arms appears in the upper quarter on the staff side and a western red lily lies in the half farthest from the staff.
- FLORAL EMBLEM: Western red lily (also known as the prairie lily).
- TARTAN: Saskatchewan Tartan (gold, brown, green, red, yellow, white, and black).
- PROVINCIAL BIRD: Prairie sharp-tailed grouse.
- TREE: White birch.
- TIME: 6 AM CST = noon GMT; 5 AM MST = noon GMT.
Source Database: Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of Canadian Provinces
Table of Contents
AGRICULTURE | ARTS | CLIMATE
| COMMERCE | COMMUNICATIONS | DOMESTICATED ANIMALS | ECONOMY | EDUCATION | ENERGY AND POWER | ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION | ETHNIC
GROUPS | FAMOUS SASKATCHEWANERS | FISHING
| FORESTRY | FURTHER READINGS
| HEALTH | HISTORY | HOUSING
| INCOME | INDUSTRY | JUDICIAL SYSTEM | LABOR | LANGUAGES | LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS
| LOCAL GOVERNMENT | LOCATION
AND SIZE | MIGRATION | MINING | PLANTS AND ANIMALS | POLITICAL
PARTIES | POPULATION | PRESS | PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT | PUBLIC
FINANCE | RELIGIONS | SOURCE
CITATION | SPORTS | TAXATION | TOPOGRAPHY | TOURISM,
TRAVEL, AND RECREATION | TRANSPORTATION | VIEW MULTIMEDIA FILE(S)
Saskatchewan, almost rectangular in shape, is located between the two other prairie provinces, with Manitoba to the east and Alberta to the west. The Northwest Territories are to the north, and the US states of Montana and North Dakota are to the south. Saskatchewan covers some 251,700 square miles (651,900 square kilometers). It is the only province formed entirely of man-made borders.
The northern part of Saskatchewan lies on the Canadian Shield geologic formation which stretches across much of Canada. As a result, there are numerous lakes (nearly 100,000), rivers, bogs, and rocky outcroppings. About one-eighth of the entire province is covered with water. The southern part of the province is relatively flat prairie, with occasional valleys created by erosion from the glacial era. The south is where most of the population lives. The highest point is at Cypress Hills, 4,566 feet (1,392 meters) above sea level. The province has three major river systems, which all empty into Hudson Bay: North and South Saskatchewan, Assiniboine, and Churchill. Saskatoon, the largest city, is divided by the South Saskatchewan River.
Athabasca Provincial Park has sand dunes 100 feet (30 meters) high and semi-arid vegetation. Nowhere else in the world are dunes found so far north.
The whole province enjoys a hot, dry summer. The town of Estevan in the southeast averages 2,540 hours of sunshine per year, more than any other city in Canada. In Regina, the normal daily temperature ranges from 0°F (-18°C) in January to 66°F (19°C) in July. Normal daily temperatures for Saskatoon are -2°F (-19°C) in January and 66°F (19°C) inin July. The recorded high temperature in Saskatchewan of 113°F (45°C) was set on 5 July 1937 at Midale; the record low, -70°F (-56.7°C), was set on 1 February 1893 at PrPrince Albert.
Saskatchewan's southern plains were once covered by native prairie grass. Grass fires started by nature would often sweep over the plains. Western wheat grass, snowberry, and silver sage are common to Grasslands National Park, located in the extreme south. To the north, several types of berries and wildflowers, Labrador tea, and feather moss are commonly found under the aspens and black spruce trees of Prince Albert National Park.
The prairie sharp-tailed grouse, one of the province's most common native game birds, is the official bird of Saskatchewan. Other common bird species include the Hungarian partridge, ruffed grouse, and spruce grouse. Bison, eagles, osprey, white pelicans, beaver, elk, moose, and wolves inhabit Prince Albert National Park. Golden eagles, pronghorn antelope, prairie rattlesnakes, sage grouse, prairie falcons, bobcats, and porcupines are found in Grasslands National Park. Endangered and threatened species include ferruginous hawks, short-horned lizards, and burrowing owls. Lake trout, walleye, northern pike, and Arctic grayling are among 68 fish species in the province.
In 1997, the worst outbreak of avian botulism (a fatal bacterial disease among birds) in decades was reported at Saskatchewan's Old Wives Lake, where an estimated one million birds died (85 percent ducks).
Saskatchewan's annual carbon dioxide emissions are the second highest in Canada. Solid waste generation amounts to about 850,000 tons per year, or 0.85 tons per person. Saskatchewan has 867 municipal landfills and 12 hazardous waste sites.
The first European explorers and trappers to visit Saskatchewan encountered settlements of Aboriginal people. The Chipewyan Indians lived in the north, the nomadic Blackfoot roamed the eastern plains, and the Assiniboine inhabited the west. The territory of the Cree, who were long-time residents of the north, also extended southward to the plains.
The earliest explorer was Henry Kelsey, a Hudson's Bay Company agent. Around 1690 he followed the Saskatchewan River to the southern plains of Saskatchewan. Following the trappers came fur-trading companies and trading posts, which became the foundation of many present-day settlements.
For 200 years, the Hudson's Bay Company owned and administered the vast Northwest Territories. The Canadian government purchased the Territories in 1870, wishing to take advantage of the region's potential for agriculture and settlement. After the Dominion Lands Act of 1872 was passed to encourage homesteaders, the new railway began bringing settlers in to farm these rich lands. Communities grew around trading posts, mission schools, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police stations. In 1905, Saskatchewan separated from the Northwest Territories and entered the Canadian confederation, with Regina as the provincial capital.
EARLY YEARS AS A PROVINCE
At the turn of the century, most provinces permitted only male British subjects age 21 and older to vote. (Native peoples living on reservations were not allowed to vote in federal elections until 1960.) The women's suffrage movement gained popularity during World War I (1914-18), when many women began working outside the home to replace the men who were fighting in the war. Saskatchewan permitted women to vote in 1916.
During World War I (1914-18), Canada lost more than 68,000 soldiers. Veterans returning to Saskatchewan faced a bleak future of scarce low-paying jobs, while tariffs on imports kept prices for consumer goods high. Saskatchewan farmers, as in the other prairie provinces, had prospered from high wheat prices during World War I. But with the end of the war, global grain markets collapsed and wheat prices fell 50 percent by 1920.
During the 1920s, grain prices recovered and Canada experienced a period of rapid growth in industry. Transportation improvements--especially railways and roads--enabled businesses to flourish. Automobiles, telephones, electrical appliances, and other consumer goods became widely available.
Saskatchewan, like the other prairie provinces, was one of the poorest areas of Canada during the Great Depression. In addition to the falling grain prices of the 1920s, droughts and frequent crop failures devastated the economy of the province. Social welfare programs rapidly expanded during the 1930s, with much of the burden placed on the provincial and municipal governments. Provincial income in Saskatchewan decreased 90 percent during the 1930s, and some two-thirds of the province's population became reliant on welfare. In 1933, the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) was established in Regina as a representative body uniting farm, labor, and socialist political groups. The CCF advocated socialized planning and the elimination of capitalism. The CCF was strongest in Saskatchewan and British Columbia.
1940S-1990S
Following World War II (1939-45), consumer spending and immigration to Canada rapidly increased. Urbanization spread quickly by means of the National Housing Act, which made home ownership more easily available. Unemployment insurance and other social welfare programs were also created following the war. In 1945, the CCF became the first socialist government elected in North America. Its leader, Tommy Douglas, led the fight for public hospitalization and medicare. The recovery of the 1940s and 1950s saw the economy, once made up entirely of agriculture, become more varied. Oil, uranium, potash, coal, and other minerals were developed.
Canada's unity as a confederation has often been widely questioned. Most recently, the popular defeat of both the Meech Lake Accord of 1987 and the Charlottetown Accord of 1992 have failed to solve the issue of Québec's role in Canada. Meanwhile, many western Canadians have come to feel that the federal government treats them as less important than other Canadians. As a result, in many areas of Saskatchewan and other western provinces, voters have recently elected representatives who favor increased power for the provinces and decreased power for the federal government.
The Métis, people of mixed European and Aboriginal descent, were among the first settlers, many of them having migrated from Manitoba.
A major wave of immigration began in 1899 and continued until 1929. By the early 1920s, over 20 percent of all Canadians lived in the Prairie provinces (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta), up from just 8 percent in 1911.
In 1996, 18.2 percent of the 52,320 immigrants living in Saskatchewan had come from the United Kingdom, 13.8 percent from the United States, 6.1 percent from Germany, 5.6 percent from Poland, and 5.4 percent from China. Of the 7,755 recent immigrants who came to the province during 1991-96, 14.1 percent were from China, 10.8 percent were from the Philippines, 7.5 percent were from the United States, and 5.9 percent were from Hong Kong.
In 1996, 1.1 percent of Saskatchewan's residents age 5 and older had lived abroad in 1991. Some 11.1 percent had lived elsewhere in Saskatchewan, while 5.2 percent had lived in another province five years earlier. Alberta is the leading province of origin for incoming internal migration and the leading province of destination for outward internal migration. Since the mid-1980s, Saskatchewan has had a net loss from migration.
The structure of the provincial government reflects that of the federal government. For example, the provincial premier, as the majority party leader of the legislature, functions much like the Canadian prime minister. Provincial legislators, like their federal counterparts in Parliament, are elected to represent a constitutional jurisdiction and pass legislation. They do so as members of the 66-seat Legislative Assembly. A provincial lieutenant-governor approves laws passed by the legislature, much like the Governor General at the federal level. There is no provincial equivalent, however, to the federal Senate.
Saskatchewan's municipalities are classified as the following: rural municipalities, villages, resort villages, towns, and cities, as well as northern towns, northern villages, northern hamlets, and northern settlements. Villages must have at least 100 permanent residents and a tax base of C$200,000, while resort villages do not need permanent residents. Towns must have at least 500 permanent inhabitants. Cities are required to have a minimum population of 5,000. Saskatchewan has 9 cities and 144 towns.
The Canadian Constitution grants provincial jurisdiction over the administration of justice, and allows each province to organize its own court system and police forces. The federal government has exclusive domain over cases involving trade and commerce, banking, bankruptcy, and criminal law. The Federal Court of Canada has both trial and appellate divisions for federal cases. The nine-judge Supreme Court of Canada is an appellate court that determines the constitutionality of both federal and provincial statutes. The Tax Court of Canada hears appeals of taxpayers against assessments by Revenue Canada.
In 1996, there were 31 homicides in Saskatchewan, for a rate of 3 per 100,000 persons. The crime rate that year was 1,326 per 100,000 people for violent crimes, and 6,291 per 100,000 people for property crimes.
Regina has the Plains Historical Museum, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's Centennial Museum, the Saskatchewan Museum of Natural History, and the Saskatchewan Science Centre. Saskatoon is the home of the Western Development Museum, the Ukrainian Museum of Canada, the Ukrainian Museum of Culture, and the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame. The Right Honourable John G. Diefenbacker Centre in Saskatoon maintains the collection of papers, letters, and memorabilia of the late prime minister.
After Saskatchewan entered the confederation in 1905, political parties catered to the interests of farmers. The Liberal Party gained the majority of seats, eventually holding 91 percent of them in 1934. Soon, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) became more important, and often held the majority from 1944 to 1971.
The most recent general election was held on 21 October 1991. The parties held the following number of seats in Saskatchewan's Legislative Assembly in 1994: New Democratic Party, 55; Progressive Conservative, 10; and Liberal Party, 1.
Named after Queen Victoria (Victoria Regina), the capital is the site of Wascana Centre, one of the world's largest urban parks. Regina also has Buffalo Days, a week-long provincial exposition and summer fair. Festivals in Saskatoon include Folkfest (an ethnic heritage event), Winter Festival, and the Northern Saskatchewan International Children's Festival. Authentic powwows at Indian reservations, although not tourist events as such, are a cultural highlight of Saskatchewan in the summer. In 1996/97, Saskatchewan's 504 hotels and motels had receipts of C$361.1 million.
Saskatchewan is the only province where the number of people of British or French background is smaller than the number of people from other ethnic groups. Various European ethnic groups are found here, including British, German, Ukrainian, French, Norwegian, Polish, Dutch, Swedish, and Russian. Its Aboriginal ( Native Peoples) population was 109,545 in 1996, or 11.2 percent of the total. Many other non-European peoples (Chinese, blacks, Indians and other southern Asians, and Filipinos) live in Saskatchewan as well.
In 1996, 83.6 percent of all Saskatchewaners claimed English as their first language, 1.9 percent reported French, and 13 percent reported some other first language (1.5 percent had two or more native languages).
Most Saskatchewaners are Christian. Over half of the population, or 528,088 people, are Protestant. Membership in leading Protestant denominations includes United Church of Canada, 225,476; Lutheran, 83,070; Anglican, 71,203; Pentecostal, 17,801; Baptist, 15,823; and Presbyterian, 11,867. Catholics--32.5 percent of the population--number 321,402, with 300,634 Roman Catholics and 20,767 Ukrainian Catholics. About two percent of Saskatchewaners are Eastern Orthodox. Other faiths are also represented in smaller numbers, including Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, and Jews. About 111,749 Saskatchewaners report no religious affiliation.
During the frontier era, waterways such as the Clearwater and Churchill Rivers became established fur-trade routes, as did the overland Carlton Trail.
At 150,000 miles (250,000 kilometers), Saskatchewan today has more road surface than any other province. There are 481 miles (774 kilometers) of divided four-lane paved highways, 11,654 miles (18,755 kilometers) of two-lane paved roads, and 3,633 miles (5,847 kilometers) of gravel roads. In 1996, registered passenger automobiles numbered 378,320; trucks and power units, 386,654; and motorcycles, buses, and government vehicles, 14,827. Both Regina and Saskatoon have bus systems with more than 110 buses in each fleet.
International airports are located at Regina and Saskatoon. In 1996, Regina Airport handled 639,500 arriving and departing passengers on 20,846 flights, and Saskatoon Airport's 25,260 flights served 633,000 passengers.
Almighty Voice (1874-97) was a famous hero/outlaw and martyr who led a Cree Indian band resisting European settlement on the Saskatchewan prairie. T. C. "Tommy" Douglas (b.Scotland, 1904) was a famous political figure who led the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) to victory in the 1940s, thus establishing the first socialist government in North America. Gerhard Herzberg (b.Germany, 1904), recipient of the 1971 Nobel Prize in chemistry, was a professor at the University of Saskatchewan from 1935-45.
Noted Saskatchewaners in entertainment include emcee and producer Art Linkletter (b.1912), actor Leslie Nielson (b.1926), and singer and songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie (b.1941). Distinguished Saskatchewan authors include novelists W. O. Mitchell (b.1914), Rudy Wiebe (b.1934), L. R. Wright (b.1939), and short story writer Guy Vanderhaeghe (b.1951).
Hockey legends from Saskatchewan include Eddie Shore (1902-85), Emile Francis (b.1926), Gordon "Gordie" Howe (b.1928), Glenn "Chico" Resch (b.1948), and Bryan Trottier (b.1956).
In 1997/98, Saskatchewan had 195,245 students enrolled in its 839 elementary and secondary schools. Of the total student enrollment, 192,508 went to 795 public schools with 11,101 teachers and 2,737 went to 44 private schools with 109 teachers.
There are two major universities in the province: the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon with an enrollment of 13,770 full-time students and the University of Regina with about 7,500 full-time students. Among the University of Regina's colleges is the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College, the first university-level institution in North America operated by and for Native North Americans. Full-time enrollment at universities numbered 23,864 in 1997/98; there were also 7,364 part-time students. Enrollment in career programs in community colleges in 1996/97 was 2,787.
In 1998 there were 12,740 live births in Saskatchewan, for a rate of about 12.4 per 1,000 residents. The death rate in 1998 was 8.2 per 1,000 residents, with 8,410 deaths occurring that year. Reported cases of selected diseases in 1996 included chicken pox, 1,215; gonococcal infections, 404; giardiasis, 400; salmonellosis, 260; and campylobacteriosis, 239. There were three new AIDS cases reported in 1996. Between 1985 and 1998, 273 residents became infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Saskatchewan has 134 hospitals and health centers. The Regina General Hospital is the largest health care facility in southern Saskatchewan, with 483 beds. Saskatchewan has 4.8 hospital beds per 1,000 population.
Saskatchewan had 375,740 occupied private dwellings in 1996, up 2.6 percent from 1991. There were 372,820 private households in 1996, with an average size of 2.6 persons. Single family detached housing accounted for 75 percent of all households in Saskatchewan. In 1997, residential construction in Regina and Saskatoon accounted for 25 percent of the value of all building permits issued in the province.
Saskatchewan's estimated 1998 population of 1.03 million ranked it sixth out of the 13 Canadian provinces and territories (including Nunavut), with 3.4 percent of the national population. Saskatchewan's population density is the lowest among the four provinces of western Canada. As of 1996, 23 percent of all residents were under 15 years of age. About 63 percent of the population lived in cities in 1996. About 41 percent of Saskatchewan's total population lived in the province's two largest metropolitan areas in 1998. Greater Saskatoon had 223,000 residents that year, while the Regina area had 199,000. Other large cities and their 1996 populations include: Prince Albert, 41,706; Moose Jaw, 34,829; North Battleford, 17,987; and Yorkton, 17,713.
The Regina Symphony Orchestra is Canada's oldest symphony orchestra. Regina's Globe Theatre company is the city's oldest theater and performs in the old city hall downtown. Saskatoon also has a symphony orchestra and several theaters.
As of 1998, Saskatchewan had 20 AM and 18 FM radio stations, and 35 television stations. The Regina metropolitan area has 9 local AM and FM radio stations (including CBC French) and 4 broadcast television stations; Cable Regina offers 17 other Canadian and American cable stations.
Daily newspapers include The Leader-Post (Regina), The Star Phoenix (Saskatoon), the Times-Herald (Moose Jaw), and the Daily Herald (Prince Albert).
Professional sports teams in Saskatchewan include the Saskatoon Blades and the Regina Pats of the Western Major Hockey League. Saskatoon also has the Saskatchewan Storm of the World Basketball League, while Regina is the home of the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Roughriders are the oldest professional football team in North America and were the CFL champions in 1966 and 1989. The University of Saskatchewan Huskie football team won the national championship in 1990. Popular recreational sports include baseball, football, soccer, and curling (a game imported from Scotland in which large rounded stones with attached handle are slid down an ice-covered playing area toward a circular target).
About one-third of Saskatchewan's area consists of cultivated lands. In 1905, when Saskatchewan entered the Canadian confederation, agriculture was the only industry, and it centered on wheat farming. In 1907, the development of the Marquis strain of wheat (a fast-growing type that thrives in the short but intense growing season of the northern prairie) expanded farming and settlement in northern Saskatchewan. Today, Saskatchewan supplies over 25 percent of Canada's grain production, and crops include canola, rye, oats, barley, and flaxseeds, as well as wheat. The quantities of principal field crops produced in 1993 were: wheat, 16.5 million tons; barley, 4.4 million tons; canola, 2.6 million tons; oats, 1.4 million tons; flax, 556,000; and rye, 139,000 tons. Crop receipts in 1997 amounted to almost C$4.4 million, with wheat accounting for 54 percent of the total.
Saskatchewan is a major Canadian producer of cattle and hogs. As of 1996, the livestock population included 2.7 million head of cattle, 38,000 dairy cows, 757,000 hogs, 72,500 sheep, and 3.5 million chickens. The total value of livestock and poultry receipts in 1997 was C$1.19 billion.
Saskatchewan has Canada's largest reserves of heavy oil, in addition to light and medium crude deposits. In 1997, crude oil production totaled 146.6 million barrels (23.3 million cubic meters) and was valued at C$2.89 billion. Saskatchewan's 14,000 oil wells produce about 19 percent of Canada's annual oil output. Of Saskatchewan's total exported crude oil, 66 percent went to the United States. Crude oil from both Saskatchewan and Alberta is transported to market via the Interprovincial Pipe Line (IPL). The IPL originates in Edmonton and passes through Saskatchewan on its way to eastern Canada and the United States. Saskatchewan's natural gas production was 208.3 billion cubic feet (5.9 billion cubic meters) in 1997.
In 1997, 16.9 billion kilowatt hours of electricity were generated, while consumption within the province totaled 17.5 billion kilowatt hours.
Although commercial fishing is not a large contributor to the provincial economy, sport fishing on Saskatchewan's 94,000 lakes is very popular. Sport fishing is important to many local economies, especially in the northern parts of Saskatchewan. In 1998, the province had 139,586 residents and 44,640 non-residents licensed to fish within Saskatchewan. Popular game fish for sport anglers include walleye, perch, trout, Arctic grayling, goldeye, burbot, whitefish, and sturgeon.
About half of Saskatchewan is covered with forest. About 97 percent of the 71.2 million acres (28.8 million hectares) of forest land is provincial Crown land. Northern forests are Saskatchewan's most important renewable natural resource, with softwoods the focal point of forestry development. White birch, found primarily in the northern three-fourths of the province and long used by the Plains Indians to make birch bark canoes, is today used for lumber, plywood, veneer, and fuel. In 1996, the total timber harvest was 141 million cubic feet (4 million cubic meters). The value of forestry product exports in 1997 was C$622.5 million.
Saskatchewan has nearly two-thirds of the world's recoverable potash reserves. Canada is the world's largest producer of potash, and Saskatchewan produces about 85 percent of the national output. Potash, which is used in fertilizers, is mined near Saskatoon, Regina, Esterhazy, and Rocanville. In 1997, the total value of nonfuel mineral production was C$2 billion. Saskatchewan's uranium production was 11,416 tons in 1997, when it was valued at C$559.2 million. Other leading minerals for the province's mining industry include sodium sulfate, sand and gravel, salt, and gold.
In 1996, total trade amounted to more than C$15.8 billion, or C$32,619 per capita (per person). That year, 47 percent of trade was with other provinces and 53 percent was international. Saskatchewan's trade balance in 1996 had a surplus of C$77.1 million.
During the early 20th century, with land available at token prices, agriculture gradually replaced the fur trade. Today, other prominent industries include mining, meat processing, electricity production, and petroleum refining. In 1997, the gross domestic product (GDP) totaled C$28.26 billion, or 3.3 percent of Canada's total GDP.
The fiscal year runs from 1 April to 31 March. For 1997, total government expenditures were C$5.57 billion. The largest expenditure areas were health, education, interest on debt, social services, and agriculture and food. In the 1997/98 fiscal year, provincial debt amounted to 32.7 percent of the gross domestic product.
In 1997, average weekly wages amounted to C$527.14. Average family income in the province was C$49,483 in 1995. Personal disposable income was C$16,662 per person in 1996. The minimum wage was C$5.60 per hour in 1997.
In 1997, the total value of shipments by manufacturers was C$6.14 billion, up from C$5.28 billion in 1996. By value of shipments, the leading areas of manufacturing in Saskatchewan include food, C$1.26 billion; electrical and electronic products, C$323.9 million; chemicals and chemical products, C$482.9 million; fabricated metals, C$278.7 million; and forestry products, C$258.1 million.
In 1996, the labor force amounted to 503,500, of whom about 7.2 percent were unemployed. The overall unemployment rate for 1997 was 6 percent. That year, the service sector was the largest area of employment, at 34.7 percent, followed by trade, 15.9 percent; agriculture, 15.4 percent; transportation, communication, and utilities, 7.3 percent; manufacturing, 6.2 percent; public administration, 6.1 percent; construction, 4.9 percent; finance, insurance, and real estate, 4.5 percent; and forestry, fishing, and mining, 2.9 percent; and other sectors, 2.1 percent. There are just over 100,000 union members in Saskatchewan.
As of 1997, the basic personal income tax rate was 50 percent, with high income surtaxes of 15 percent and a flat tax rate of 2 percent on net income. The retail sales tax was 7 percent. Major consumption taxes are levied on gasoline and tobacco. In 1997, the average two-income family of four in Saskatchewan with a cash income of C$55,000 paid C$15,525 (28.2 percent) in provincial and federal taxes.
Corporate income tax rates in 1997 were as follows: small business rate, 8 percent; general business rate, 17 percent; and capital tax rate, 0.6-3.25 percent.
Websites
| Canada Tourism Commission. Canada. [Online] http://206.191.33.50/tourism/ |
| Escape to Saskatchewan! [Online] http://www.sasktourism.com/index.shtml |
| Government of Saskatchewan. [Online] http://www.gov.sk.ca/ |
| World Travel Guide. Canada. [Online] http://www.wtgonline.com/country/ca/index.html |
Source Citation: "SASKATCHEWAN." Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Canadian Provinces, 2nd ed. U*X*L, 1999. Reproduced in Discovering Collection. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale Group. October, 2001. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/DC/