North Battleford and Battleford

North Battleford and Battleford, together known as The Battlefords, face each other across the North Saskatchewan River Valley. Named after a ford in the Battle River, the area was the site of age-old conflicts between the Blackfoot and Cree. An important early settlement in the West, Battleford was chosen as the seat of the North-West Territories government from 1876 to 1882. Today, the communities are thriving industrial centers, although the North Battleford branch of the Western Development Museum focuses on rural life. The Allan Sapp Gallery displays works by Allan Sapp, one of Canada’s best-loved contemporary artists. His simple, delicately colored paintings and drawings celebrate
the traditions of the Northern Plains Cree community. Between the Saskatchewan and Battle rivers is the Fort Battleford National Historic Site containing a well-restored North-West Mounted Police post. The stockade has original buildings, including the lookout point in the commander’s residence, officers’ quarters, and restored barracks now housing a museum. Costumed guides tell the story of the time when 500 settlers took refuge in the stockade during the North-West Rebellion.

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