Suburban Development Area Core Neighbourhoods Surveyed 1907 Area 83 ha Local time Monday 11:09 PM | Neighbourhood King George Construction 1907-1960 Population 1,902 (2011) | |
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Weather -11°C, Wind SE at 19 km/h, 80% Humidity | ||
King George is an older inner city neighbourhood located near the centre of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. 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%. According to MLS data, the average sale price of a home as of 2013 was $198,822.
Contents
- Map of King George Saskatoon SK Canada
- History
- Government and politics
- Education
- Other
- Parks and recreation
- Commercial
- Transportation
- Location
- References
Map of King George, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
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) 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, 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. 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-Rosetown-Biggar. It is currently represented by Carol Skelton of the Conservative Party of Canada, first elected in 2000 and re-elected in 2004 and 2006.
Provincially, the area overlaps two constituencies. The west part is within the constituency of Saskatoon Riversdale. It is currently represented by Danielle Chartier of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party (NDP) In Saskatoon's non-partisan municipal politics, King George lies within ward 2. It is currently represented by Councillor Pat Lorje. She first elected in 1979, and was re-elected in 1982, 1985, and 1988. Lorje then moved into provincial politics; she ran for the NDP and was elected in 1991, and re-elected in 1995 and 1999. She left politics in 2003 and moved to San Francisco with her husband. She returned to Saskatoon after a couple of years, and was again elected as Ward 2 councillor in 2006.
Education
Other
Parks and recreation
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 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 to the east. The northern boundary starts at South Saskatchewan River 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. A key three-way intersection at 11th Street, Avenue H and Spadina Crescent has been closed for several years to allow for expansion of a water treatment plant, forcing motorists transitioning between Avenue H and 11th Street to cut-through King George.