Saskatoon

Saskatoon (săskətūn'), city (1991 pop. 186,058), S central Sask., Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. The largest city in the province, it is the chief manufacturing and distribution center for central and N Saskatchewan. There are grain elevators, grain and flour mills, stockyards, meatpacking plants, oil refineries, potash-processing plants, and various light manufacturing ventures in the city. Saskatoon was settled in 1883 and grew rapidly after the coming of the railroad (1890). The Univ. of Saskatchewan with its affiliated colleges is there, and a dominion forestry station is nearby. The name derives from a Cree word for a berry found in the area.