Road map Saskatoon city surrounding area (Saskatchewan, Canada)

Valleys of the Saskatchewan

The North and South Saskatchewan rivers run parallel to each  other between Saskatoon and Prince Albert. Only a 40-km-wide wedge of  agricultural parkland separates the rivers. This peaceful scene was the  setting in which the Northwest Rebellion of 1885 began. The Metis and  the Indians, fearful for their rights and livelihoods, followed their  leader Louis Riel in a fight for independence. Throughout this region,  battle sites are now memorials to the ill-fated '85 uprising. Batoche is  usually the first stop on any journey for travelers seeking to learn  more about this episode in Canadian history.

Batoche National Historic Site [A2] At the end of the four-day  Battle of Batoche (May 12, 1885), 900 Canadian soldiers under Maj. Gen.  Frederick Middleton overwhelmed 300 Metis and Indians. The defeat  effectively ended Louis Riel's dream of a separate Indian-Metis nation  on the Canadian prairies. Today, Batoche is a 182-hectare national  historic site. The visitor reception area gives an overview to the life  of the Metis, and the outcome of the Batoche defeat. An exhibit hall  displays items pertaining to the Metis and the Canadian forces. Staff in  Metis costume lead visitors on tours of the battlefield, where trenches  and rifle pits are visible. Other site features include the mission of  St. Antoine de Padoue and the nearby rectory, still scarred by bullet  holes received during the battle. Visitors can reach Batoche Village—  the 1885 Metis "capital"—by taking a ferry across the South Saskatchewan  River.

Duck Lake [A2] A cairn west of this community marks the site  of the Battle of Duck Lake, in which Metis Indians repulsed the North  West Mounted Police on March 26, 1885. The Regional Interpretive Centre  highlights the contributions of the Indians, Metis, and early settlers  to Duck Lake's history. The center also contains a collection of pioneer  items, a theater, a tower with a viewing platform, and a sculpture  court. Ten murals on various buildings throughout Duck Lake depict major  events in the region's past. The jail that once held Almighty Voice is  located beside the mural dedicated to his memory. Щ North of Duck Lake,  the St. Laurent Shrine, built in 1874 and dedicated to Our Lady of  Lourdes, is the destination of a pilgrimage held twice every year.

Humboldt [D5] Named for 19th-century German explorer and  scientist Alexander Humboldt, this community is "the mustard capital of  the world" and a little bit of Germany on the prairies. It boasts  half-timbered buildings in the German style and a wi I кот men center  for visitors. The museum and gallery has displays depicting 1885-1970  lifestyles.

Melfort [A7] Agriculture is Melfort's economic mainstay.  Visitors can find out about crop production at the local Agriculture  Canada Research Station. Antique lovers may find old-time treasures at  Market Place. Melfort is dubbed "City of the Northern Lights" for the  spectacle that brightens its night sky virtually year-round.

Muenster [D5] Built in 1910 by Benedictine monks, St. Peter's  Cathedral displays 80 life-size portraits of saints, the work of famous  Saskatchewan artist Count Berthold von Imhoff. Just across the road, St.  Peter's Benedictine Abbey welcomes visitors, who can explore its  spacious grounds.

Rosthern [B2] Six kilometers east of Rosthern, Maple Grove  Farm was once home to Seager Wheeler (1869-1961), creator of new strains  of wheat and other crops. The farm, now a national historic site,  preserves its original character, as well as remnants of the plots where  Wheeler carried out his seed experiments.

ATTRACTIONS      

BATOCHE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE      

Batoche Village St. Antoine de Padoue

DUCK LAKE      

Duck Lake Regional Interpretive Centre Fort Carlton Provincial Park St. Laurent Shrine

HUMBOLDT      

Humboldt and District Museum

KINISTINO

Kinistino District Pioneer Museum

MELFORT      

Agriculture Canada Research Station Melfort and District Museum

MUENSTER

St. Peter's Benedictine

Abbey St. Peter's Cathedral

ROSTHERN

Mennonite Heritage Museum Seager Wheeler Maple Grove Farm National Historic Site

WAKAW

Wakaw Heritage Museum John Diefenbaker's Law Office (replica)