The
city of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan is the hometown of Calgary
Hitmen defenseman Dylan
Yeo. Prince Albert is the oldest city in Saskatchewan and is
also the third largest, with a population of approximately 40,000
people. Prince Albert is located in “north Saskatchewan” in the
valley of the North Saskatchewan River at a point where the prairie
landscape of the southern part of the province meets the northern
forest (click
here for a map). The city is “about 8 hours” away from Calgary,
and about “an hour” from Saskatoon, which is the closest large
city. Prince Albert is one of the sunniest cities in Canada with an
average of 6 hours of sunshine per day, and Dylan describes that
climate of his hometown as being “hot in (the) summer (and) cold in
(the) winter, most years.” Dylan grew up in Prince Albert and most
of his extended family lives in the city as well. When he’s away
from home Dylan says that the thing he misses the most are his
“family (and) friends.”
Growing
up in Prince Albert one common pastime for Dylan and the other kids
was to “(go) skating at outdoor rinks in the winter.” These days
when Dylan returns to his hometown his favourite things to do are to
“hang out with friends (and) go to lakes.” If you enjoy outdoor
activities, Prince Albert is a great place to visit. The area
around Prince Albert boasts numerous parks and scenic natural areas
including the Lakeland area to the north, which is home to an
abundance of lakes and is a great place for camping, fishing and
boating, and Little Red River Park to the east where you can enjoy
hiking, skiing, and many other fun activities.
The
city also has a rich history which is represented by its numerous
heritage sites, museums and galleries. Some of these include the
Prince Albert Arts Centre, a gallery located in the city’s original
Town Hall, which was built in 1893, and the Old Fire Hall, which was
built in 1911 and is now home to the Prince Albert Historical
Museum. Another great attraction is The Diefenbaker House, the home
of former Prime Minister John G. Diefenbaker, which has now been
turned into a museum.
Prince Albert is also home to a number of local
sports teams including the Hitmen’s WHL rivals, the Prince Albert
Raiders, who play at the Art Hauser Centre. When asked what he
thinks a tourist visiting his hometown should do or see Dylan
replied that they should “see the penitentiaries (both) women’s and
men’s”. The first penitentiary was built in Prince Albert in 1886,
and today the city is home to four correctional institutions and
also
The Rotary Museum of Police and Corrections. The
museum has various displays including former police uniforms, a
Thompson Sub Machine Gun, weapons made by inmates and disciplinary
items used at the Federal Penitentiary.
Prince Albert is a unique city with a lot of
interesting history and a beautiful natural landscape. The city is
home to a number of great attractions, and is a wonderful place to
visit or to live.
Thank-you
for reading about Dylan Yeo’s hometown! If you would like to learn
more about Prince Albert, Saskatchewan check out
www.citypa.ca or
www.patourism.ca.
Also, a big thanks to Dylan for taking the time to tell us about his
hometown and to the
City of Prince Albert for the pictures used in this article!
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"My Hometown"
