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Humboldt is a city in the province of
Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...
, Canada. It is located 113 km east 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 ...
at the junction of Highway 5 and Highway 20. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Humboldt No. 370.


History

Named after German explorer
Alexander von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (14 September 1769 – 6 May 1859) was a German polymath, geographer, natural history, naturalist, List of explorers, explorer, and proponent of Romanticism, Romantic philosophy and Romanticism ...
, Humboldt began as a telegraph station located on the
Carlton Trail The Carlton Trail was the primary land transportation route in the Canadian Northwest for most of the 19th century, connecting Fort Carlton to Edmonton along a line of intermediate places. It was part of a trail network that stretched from the ...
, a wagon route used in the early days of
western Canada Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West, or Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a list of regions of Canada, Canadian region that includes the four western provinces and t ...
as a route from Fort Garry (Winnipeg) to
Fort Edmonton Fort Edmonton (also named Edmonton House) was the name of a series of Trading post, trading posts of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) from 1795 to 1914, all of which were located on the north banks of the North Saskatchewan River in what is now ce ...
. The name "Humboldt" was approved in 1875 for a site in the North-West Territories along the Canadian Pacific Telegraph Line at which a repair station was built (8 km south-west of the present city site). Built in 1878, the Humboldt telegraph station played an integral part in communications for the developing West. With the
Métis The Métis ( , , , ) are a mixed-race Indigenous people whose historical homelands include Canada's three Prairie Provinces extending into parts of Ontario, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and the northwest United States. They ha ...
uprising led by
Louis Riel Louis Riel (; ; 22 October 1844 – 16 November 1885) was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political leader of the Métis in Canada, Métis people. He led two resistance movements against the Government of ...
taking place at Batoche just 100 km northwest, Humboldt became an important communication link between Prime Minister John A. Macdonald and his forces in the West, thus a site of strategic significance. General Frederick Middleton arrived in April 1885 with 950 soldiers, established a garrison at the station, and used it as his base for scouting operations. At that time, the Humboldt station was crucial, since the telegraph line further west was periodically cut so Humboldt was the last secure link to the East. On May 1, 1885, Humboldt became the site of a large supply depot under Lieutenant-Colonel George Taylor Denison III of the Governor General's Body Guard. A combined force of approximately 460 men built an elaborate series of entrenchments, converting the station into a fortified military encampment to protect the supplies. The troops left Humboldt in July 1885. The area was also the site of the first stagecoach robbery in Western Canada. Parts of the Carlton Trail in the form of wagon tracks/ruts still exist in the Humboldt area. Humboldt in its beginnings was primarily
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
. It became the largest settlement in the Territorial Abbey of Saint Peter-Muenster also called St. Peter's Colony established by
Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...
monks from St John's Abbey in Collegeville,
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
. Immigration to the area from both the
Northern Plains The Great Plains is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include the mix ...
states of the US and Germany was promoted by the German American Land Company. Many immigrants from the
German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...
settled in areas in and around Humboldt such as
Muenster Muenster may refer to: * Münster, Germany * Muenster, Saskatchewan * Muenster, Texas Muenster ( ) is a city in western Cooke County, Texas, Cooke County, Texas, United States, along U.S. Route 82 in Texas, U.S. Route 82. The population was 1,53 ...
,
Fulda Fulda () (historically in English called Fuld) is a city in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (''Kreis''). In 1990, the city hosted the 30th Hessentag state festival. Histor ...
, Pilger, St Gregor and Englefeld. Immigrants from the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
who were
ethnic Germans Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The constitution of Germany, implemented in 1949 following the end of World War ...
settled in the area west of Humboldt and south of the hamlet of Carmel. After being established as a community, Humboldt became an important location in Saskatchewan previously known as the "Heart of the Sure Crop District" for its reliable growing weather, which led the town to become a centre for farming equipment and supply businesses.


Humboldt Broncos bus crash

On April 6, 2018, the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team was involved in a serious bus crash. The bus was carrying the team to a playoff game in
Nipawin, Saskatchewan Nipawin () is a town in Saskatchewan, Canada, on the Saskatchewan River portion of Tobin Lake. The town lies between Codette Lake, created by the Francois-Finlay Dam (built in 1986) and Tobin Lake, created by the E.B. Campbell Dam built i ...
, when it collided with a tractor trailer loaded with peat moss at an intersection known as Armley Corner, near Nipawin. Sixteen of the 30 people on board the bus died — the driver, the general manager/head coach, the assistant coach, a radio commentator, a volunteer, the club's female trainer, and 10 players between the ages of 16 and 21. Fourteen players were injured, several of them seriously. News of the crash received significant national and international media coverage, and numerous dignitaries and politicians sent their condolences to the team and city. Two days after the crash, a vigil was held at the Elgar Petersen Arena in Humboldt, which was attended by over 5,000 people and televised nationally. Attendees included Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau (born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who served as the 23rd prime minister of Canada from 2015 to 2025. He led the Liberal Party from 2013 until his resignation in 2025 and was the member of Parliament ...
, the
Premier of Saskatchewan The premier of Saskatchewan is the first minister and head of government for the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The current premier of Saskatchewan is Scott Moe, who was sworn in as premier on February 2, 2018, after winning the 2018 Saska ...
, and popular Canadian sports personalities Don Cherry and Ron MacLean. Humboldt Mayor Rob Muench called the tragedy a "truly dark moment" for the city.


Climate

Humboldt experiences a
humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
(
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
''Dfb'') featuring long, cold winters and brief, warm summers. The region falls into the USDA
Plant Hardiness Zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most widely ...
3a. It is a great distance from any large bodies of water, and thus lacks any moderating influences on its climate. The latitudinal difference of Saskatchewan can typically explain a 6–8 °C difference mean in annual temperatures across the province. The highest temperature ever recorded in Humboldt was on 19 July 1941.
Environment Canada Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC; )Environment and Climate Change Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of the Environment (). is the Ministry (government department), department ...
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accessed 11 July 2016
The coldest temperature ever recorded was on 12 January 1916.
Environment Canada Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC; )Environment and Climate Change Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of the Environment (). is the Ministry (government department), department ...
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Demographics

In the 2021 Canadian census, 2021 Census of Population conducted by
Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; ), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. It is headquartered in ...
, Humboldt had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.


Economy

About 95% of all goods produced in the province directly depend on its basic resources (grains, livestock, oil and gas, potash, uranium and timber) and their refined products. Wheat, canola, flax, peas, rye, lentils, canary seed and barley are mainly grown in the area. Beef cattle production, pork production – as well as other livestock – are significant for the community. With many farmers in the area, agricultural-related businesses were formed. Some services offered are in trucking and financial management, finance, business services, wholesale trade, transportation, etc. Humboldt is in the heart of potash country with many people employed in the mines near the city. The manufacturing community represented in the "Iron Triangle" also employs a large number of people in the city and surrounding district.


Attractions

Humboldt has a number of heritage buildings listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places. They include the Canadian National Railways (
Canadian Northern Railway The Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR) was a historic Canada, Canadian transcontinental railway. At its 1923 merger into the Canadian National Railway , the CNoR owned a main line between Quebec City and Vancouver via Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Edmonto ...
) Station (built in 1905), a Post Office (built in 1911–1912), the Humboldt Provincial Court House (built in 1914–1920). and the Humboldt Water Tower (built in 1914) has been renovated with a spiral staircase and a circular observation platform on top. The Humboldt Post Office is a National Historic Site of Canada (built in 1911–1912). It houses the Humboldt and District Museum and Gallery. Across the street is the Humboldt and District Art Gallery in the old Merchant Bank Building. Marysburg Assumption Church is located north of Humboldt. Mount Carmel Shrine is located west and St. Peter's Abbey and St. Peter's Cathedral are east of the city in Muenster. The Humboldt Murals located in the town centre depict historic scenes.


Festivals

*The Summer Sizzler is held in late-June of each year. The event features a midway, demolition derby, cabaret, slo-pitch tournament, tractor pull, Sizzler Strut Marathon and live on-stage entertainment. On the opening day, there is a parade through downtown and a pancake breakfast at Centennial Park. *Canada Day celebrations occur every year on July 1 concluding with fireworks at the Uniplex. *The Humboldt StreetFest is held in mid-August and is organized by the Humboldt Downtown Business Improvement District.


Churches

Humboldt has ten churches: Humboldt Alliance Church, St. John's Lutheran, St. Andrew's Anglican Church, St. Augustine Catholic Church, Living Word Ministries, All Saints Ukrainian Catholic Church, Humboldt Bible Church, Westminster United Church of Canada, First Baptist Church and Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses.


Education

Humboldt has three elementary schools: two Catholic (St. Augustine and St. Dominic) and one public (Humboldt Public School). It has one public high school, Humboldt Collegiate Institute. It is co-managed by Horizon School Division No. 205 and Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools. Th
Humboldt Collegiate Institute
has senior and junior
volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
teams (boys' and girls'), senior and junior
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
teams (boys' and girls'),
soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
(boys' and girls'),
badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racket (sports equipment), racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net (device), net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per s ...
,
golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...
, cross-country,
track & field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and ...
and a nine-man
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
program known as HCI Mohawks. The Mohawks won provincial championships in 1975, 1996, 1997, 2008 and 2010. Carlton Trail Regional College has its headquarters in Humboldt.


Infrastructure


Transportation

The city is served by Highway 5 and Highway 20. Humboldt Airport, (TC LID: CJU4), is located south of the city. Humboldt is serviced by CN Rail and is home to a number of rail workers.


Health care

Humboldt District Health Complex is home to the Humboldt Hospital and Community Health Services. Humboldt has two medical clinics and four pharmacies in addition to local dental, chiropractic, home care, optometry, physiotherapy as well as health and wellness services.


Government


Humboldt City Council

The Humboldt City Council is the municipal governing body for the city. The council consists of the
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
and six
councillor A councillor, alternatively councilman, councilwoman, councilperson, or council member, is someone who sits on, votes in, or is a member of, a council. This is typically an elected representative of an electoral district in a municipal or re ...
s. The current council sits between 2020 and 2024. The last civic election was held on November 9, 2020. Historically, the mayor and councillors were elected to three-year terms; however, the terms have increased to four years. Michael Behiel was elected as Mayor in 2020, after serving as Councillor from 2016 to 2020. Rob Muench was elected for his first term as Mayor in the 2016 election, and had previously been on City Council for 10 years as Councilor. In 2020, he was elected as Councillor.


Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan

The City of Humboldt is the largest centre in the provincial electoral district of Humboldt-Watrous. Racquel Hilbert of the
Saskatchewan Party The Saskatchewan Party (SP or Sask Party) is a conservative political party in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The party was founded in 1997 by a coalition of former provincial Progressive Conservative ...
is the current MLA for the riding.


Member of Parliament

The City of Humboldt is currently within the federal electoral district of
Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek () is a federal electoral district (Canada), electoral district in Saskatchewan. It encompasses a portion of Saskatchewan formerly included in the electoral districts of Saskatoon—Humboldt, Saskatoon—Rosetown—B ...
which is represented by Kelly Block of the
Conservative Party of Canada The Conservative Party of Canada (CPC; , ), sometimes referred to as the Tories, is a Government of Canada, federal List of political parties in Canada, political party in Canada. It was formed in 2003 by the merger of the two main Right-wing ...
.


Notable people

Notable people who were born, grew up in or established their fame in Humboldt: * Kelly Bates, former CFL
guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...
, former head coach with the Simon Fraser Clan (2015-2017), and current offensive line coach with the BC Lions * Al Duerr, former mayor of
Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...
, Alberta * * Jillian Gallays, wrestler * Glenn Hall, former professional
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
goaltender In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as goalie or netminder) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their own team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays ...
.
Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...
champion and
Hockey Hall of Fame The Hockey Hall of Fame () is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) records, memorabilia and National Hockey Le ...
inductee * Lylian Klimek, sculptor * Otto Lang, Rhodes Scholar, law school dean, Federal Cabinet Minister, and executive * Brad Lauer, former
NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
forward and current assistant coach with the
Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Confere ...
*
Ross Lonsberry David Ross Lonsberry (February 7, 1947 – May 4, 2014) was a Canadian professional ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), left winger who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyer ...
, professional
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
player, two-time Stanley Cup champion with the
Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...
* Rusty Malinoski, professional wakeboarder * Kyle McLaren, former
NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
defenceman Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the l ...
*
Nathan Paetsch Nathan Paetsch (born March 30, 1983) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Buffalo Sabres and Columbus Blue Jackets. He is currently an assistant coach of the Roche ...
, former
NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
defenceman Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the l ...
* Lyndon Rush, 2010 Olympian bronze medal in four-man bobsleigh and 2014 Olympian Canadian bobsledder * David Schmidtz, political philosopher * Brianne Theisen-Eaton,
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
and 2016 Olympian, heptathlete and Canadian record-holder in the
women's pentathlon The pentathlon or women's pentathlon is a combined track and field event in which each woman competes in five separate events over one day (formerly two days). The distance or time for each event is converted to points via scoring tables, with t ...
, 2016 Olympic bronze medallist (heptathlon) *
Dustin Tokarski Dustin Michael Tokarski (born September 16, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). He ...
, NHL Goaltender * Brendan Witt, former
NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
defenceman Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the l ...
* Jeremy Wotherspoon,
speed skater Speed skating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors racing, race each other in travelling a certain distance on Ice skate, skates. Types of speed skating are long-track speed skating, short-track speed skating, and marath ...
with 67 World Cup wins


References


External links

* {{Authority control Cities in Saskatchewan Division No. 15, Saskatchewan