King George is an older

inner city The term ''inner city'' has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Sociologists some ...

neighbourhood located near the centre of

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. It consists mostly of low-density, single detached dwellings. As of 2011, the area is home to 1,902 residents. The neighbourhood is considered a lower-income area with an average family income of $47,581, an average dwelling value of $146,941 and a home ownership rate of 69.1%.

History

A buffalo kill site was found in the King George area, documenting its history back 6000 years. In modern times, the neighbourhood was surveyed in 1907 and originally named Riverview. After the arrival of the Barr Colonists in 1903, the land now referred to as Victoria Park (named after

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

) was sold to settler and entrepreneur, Frank Butler. Shortly thereafter, the land was subdivided and housing constructed despite an earlier plan that identified the riverbank be reserved for public use. When the City of Saskatoon acquired the land for recreational park purposes, all of the Butler subdivision (with the exception of the gardener's residence) was removed. In 1911, the Public School Board decided to relocate Prince of Wales School to the present site of King George School at 721 Avenue K South. In 1912 the name of the school was changed to honour King George V. Around 1929 the neighbourhood was renamed to incorporate the name of the new public school, and the boundary was redrawn to include the west portion of Spadina Crescent, along Victoria Park. The new boundaries also enclosed an area called Andrews Addition, identified on a 1913 map of registered subdivisions. Saskatoon's Municipal Swimming Pool (now Riversdale Pool) on Avenue H in Victoria Park opened on July 15, 1925, replacing the "swimming hole" cordoned off at the river's edge. Filtration and chlorination systems were primitive, and the pool was quickly dubbed the "Avenue Itch" pool. Despite having "its own peculiar smell, which was obvious for blocks", the pool was hugely popular with the people of Saskatoon. During the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, admission was "five cents if you had it, free if you didn't". The housing stock in King George was mostly built before 1960, with a slight majority being constructed prior to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. In 1980, the Saskatoon Public School Board designated King George as an Interagency Community School, being one of the first in the province to receive that designation. King George has struggled in its recent history, with a portion of the population living below the poverty line. The social ills that accompany poverty - substance abuse, violent crime and dilapidated housing - have often cast the area in a negative light. The municipal government and community groups are working to improve the neighbourhood and the lives of its residents.

Government and politics

King George exists within the federal electoral district of

Saskatoon West Saskatoon West (french: Saskatoon-Ouest) is a federal electoral district in Saskatchewan, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1979 to 1988, and again in 2015. This riding was created in 1976 from parts of Moose ...

. It is currently represented by

Brad Redekopp Brad Redekopp (born 1964/1965) is a Canadian politician who was elected to represent the riding of Saskatoon West in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2019 Canadian federal election. Biography Redekopp was born in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. ...

of the

Conservative Party of Canada The Conservative Party of Canada (french: Parti conservateur du Canada), colloquially known as the Tories, is a federal political party in Canada. It was formed in 2003 by the merger of the two main right-leaning parties, the Progressive Con ...

, first elected in 2019. Provincially, the area is within the constituency of

Saskatoon Riversdale Saskatoon Riversdale is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, Canada. It was held by two Premiers of Saskatchewan from 1991 to 2007 – Roy Romanow and Lorne Calvert. It is currently represented by Marv ...

. It is currently represented by

Danielle Chartier Danielle Chartier is a Canadian politician. She was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan in a by-election on September 21, 2009, representing the electoral district of Saskatoon Riversdale as a member of the Saskatchewan New Democ ...

of the

Saskatchewan New Democratic Party The Saskatchewan New Democratic Party (NDP) is a social-democratic political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It currently forms the official opposition, but has been a dominant force in Saskatchewan politics since the 1940s. Th ...

, first elected in 2009. In Saskatoon's non-partisan municipal politics, King George lies within ward 2. It is currently represented by Hilary Gough, first elected in 2016.

Institutions

Education

*King George School - public elementary, part of the

Saskatoon Public School Division Saskatoon Public Schools (SPS) or Saskatoon S.D. No. 13 is the largest school division in Saskatchewan serving approximately 24,000 students. Saskatoon Public Schools operates 49 elementary schools, 10 secondary schools and 3 associate or affi ...

. This school was built in 1912 from a design by David Webster, and constructed with Estevan brick with stone trim. The Masonic symbols on the façade are typical of Webster's designs. Plans called for a domestic science room on the upper floor, quarters for the caretaker, and a dining room. The final cost of construction was $156,210.

Other

*Royal Canadian Legion Chapter 63 - This branch of the

Royal Canadian Legion The Royal Canadian Legion is a non-profit Canadian ex-service organization (veterans' organization) founded in 1925. Membership includes people who have served as military, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provincial and municipal police, Royal ...

was originally located in downtown Saskatoon. It relocated to the Pensioners and Pioneers Pavilion on Spadina Crescent West in 2007, when the Legion Hall on 19th Street was sold and demolished as part of the

River Landing River Landing is an ongoing redevelopment district in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan that will create a commercial/cultural development along the bank of the South Saskatchewan River in downtown Saskatoon. River Landing is divided into two phases. The f ...

development. *Water Treatment Plant - Originally built in 1906 as a power plant, a filter plant for water services was added in 1911. Two unique features of the Plant include a geodesic dome built in 1988 to cover one of the clarifiers used in the water treatment process, and the reuse of the old Bay walkway that spanned 2nd Avenue between the former Bay building and its adjacent parking lot.

Parks and recreation

*St. Andrews Park (2.3 acres) *Victoria Park (38.8 acres) - named for

, this public park houses many facilities. While most of the park is in King George, a small portion of the park lies within the Riversdale neighbourhood. The facilities in the park include: :*Riverside Lawn Bowling Club - Lawn bowling club that operates from April to October. :*Riverside Badminton and Tennis Club - Members-only tennis club with both indoor and outdoor courts. :*Lions Skatepark - Skateboard park opened in 2003 with of space. :*Riversdale Pool - Features a waterslide, zero depth water for toddlers, diving boards, playground, volleyball court, basketball, lawn area with electric

barbecue Barbecue or barbeque (informally BBQ in the UK, US, and Canada, barbie in Australia and braai in South Africa) is a term used with significant regional and national variations to describe various cooking methods that use live fire and smoke t ...

and concession. :*Boat house and launch - Owned by the city, its tenants are the Saskatoon Rowing Club, Saskatoon Racing Canoe Club, Saskatoon Canoe Club, and Saskatoon Nordic Ski Club. The King George Community and School Association was created to promote a positive image of the neighbourhood and assist in the development of the cultural, educational, recreational, and social well-being of residents.

Commercial

Only a few businesses are located in King George, on Avenue P and Avenue H. 33 home-based businesses are based in the neighbourhood.

Transportation

King George is served by

Saskatoon Transit Saskatoon Transit (formerly Saskatoon Municipal Railway) is the public transport arm of the Saskatoon, City of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. It operates a fleet of Diesel engine, diesel buses. A total of 23 bus routes serve every area of the c ...

bus route #3.

Location

King George is located within the Core Neighbourhoods Suburban Development Area. It is bounded by 11th Street to the south, Avenue P to the west and the

South Saskatchewan River The South Saskatchewan River is a major river in Canada that flows through the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. For the first half of the 20th century, the South Saskatchewan would completely freeze over during winter, creating spectacular ...

to the east. The northern boundary starts at

and follows west down 17th Street; it then runs down the easement between Avenues M and N until 16th Street; finally, it follows 16th Street to Avenue P. Roads are laid out in a grid fashion; streets run east-west, avenues run north-south.

References

External links

King George neighbourhood profile - 2011King George Local Area Plan
{{Neighbourhoods of Saskatoon, selected=Core Neighbourhoods Neighbourhoods in Saskatoon