Fort Saskatchewan

Town in central Alberta, Canada; population (1996 est) 12,400. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River, 16 km/10 mi northeast of Edmonton. A centre of the petrochemical industry, it has a fertilizer plant and the Sheritt Mint, which produces coins and medallions. The Dow Chemicals plant, the largest chemical plant in Canada, is a major employer.

French-Canadian farmers came to the area in 1872, establishing one of Alberta's oldest settlements. The North West Mounted Police set up the Sturgeon Creek Post in 1875, which was converted to a prison in 1914 and closed in 1988. The Canadian National Railway arrived in 1905, and the Old Courthouse (1909) is now a museum. Sheritt Gordon Mines built a nickel refinery here in 1952.