Lloydminster with 31,000 residents (2019, about 50% more than in 1999), straddling the Saskatchewan/Alberta border, 278 km west of Saskatoon and 250 km east of Edmonton. The city is incorporated by both provinces as a single city with a single municipal administration (and the residents inside this city pay income taxes at the lower of the two provincial rates, which is usally Alberta’s)
The main industry in the Lloydminster area is farming, heavy oil, and gas production. The bi-provincial heavy oil upgrader (which cost over $1.2 billion) allows them to transform 40,000 barrels of high-grade crude into light synthetic oil each day. The resources are located just beneath the Lloydminster and Cold Lake regions.
The city is attractive economically since there are no business taxes in the city. City growth is becoming vary evident with the opening of a Walmart, Staples and new Canadian Tire. Also is a relatively new hospital costing $22.5 million. The area 10 public elementary schools, three Catholic elementary schools, and a high school. Lakeland College provides first year university preparing students for major universities, it also offers one and two year career programs. An average home cost $85,000 to $95,000 on the Saskatchewan side with about another 10 to $15,000 added on the Alberta side. Houses can run as high as $180,000.
Looking for things to do, Weaver Park provides mini-golf, a wildlife display and campgrounds. There is the Barr Colony antique museum and numerous sports facilities including baseball diamonds, hockey rinks, curling rinks and Meadow Lake Provincial Park.
Lloydminster History
Lloydminster is located in the heart of Treaty 6, Lloydminster is the traditional homeland of the Plains Cree, Wood Cree, Dene, Saulteaux and Homeland of the Metis.
Lloydminster was founded in 1903 by the Barr Colonists, who came directly from the United Kingdom, and was intended to be an exclusively British utopian settlement centred on the idea of sobriety (alcohol-free, tobacco-free). They arrived when the area was still part of the North-West Territories, and located the town astride the Fourth Meridian of the Dominion Land Survey. This meridian was intended to coincide with the 110° west longitude, although the imperfect surveying methods left the meridan inexact.
The town was named for George Lloyd, an Anglican priest who would become Bishop of Saskatchewan in 1922. Lloyd was also a strong opponent of non-British immigration to Canada. During the badly planned and poorly run immigration journey, he distinguished himself with the colonists and replaced the leader and founder of the Barr Colony (Isaac Montgomery Barr) during the colonists’ journey.
When the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan were created in 1905, the Fourth Meridian was selected as the border, bisecting the town right along its main street. Caught by surprise, Lloydminster residents petitioned for the new border to be revised so as to encompass the entire town within Saskatchewan, without success. For the next quarter century, Lloydminster was administered as two separate towns with two separate municipal administrations.
Finally, in 1930, the two provincial governments agreed to amalgamate the towns into a single town under shared jurisdiction. The provinces jointly reincorporated Lloydminster as a city in 1958.
Lloydminster Sales Taxes
The local economy is driven primarily by the petroleum industry, with agriculture remaining important. The Husky Lloydminster Refinery is also located in the community. An issue in business are sales taxes. The only sales tax applicable in Alberta is the federal Goods and Services Tax (GST). Saskatchewan has, in addition to GST, a provincial sales tax (PST). To ensure that business will not float away from the Saskatchewan side in favour of lower prices in Alberta, PST does not apply in the Saskatchewan side of the city with the exception of hotels, vehicle registration and utility services.
Lloydminster Time Zones
Lloydminster’s distinctive situation is reflected in other legal matters, including its time zone.
Though Saskatchewan does not observe daylight saving time (staying on Central Standard Time year-round), Alberta is in the Mountain Time Zone and shifts to daylight saving time. Lloydminster’s charter allows the city to follow Alberta’s use of daylight saving time on both sides of the provincial border in order to keep all clocks within the city in synchronisation.
Lloydminster and the surrounding area in the Mountain Time Zone along with Alberta. During the summer therefore, the entire city is on Mountain Daylight Time [UTC−06:00], which is the same as the rest of Saskatchewan where the time is defined as Central Standard Time. During the winter, Lloydminster is on Mountain Standard Time with the rest of Alberta [UTC−07:00] and is therefore one hour behind the time in the rest of Saskatchewan
Other Links
Lloydminster Attractions
Barr Colony Heritage Cultural Centre
Hwy. 16 E. and 45th Ave.
(306) 825-5655 or (306) 825-6184
The centre includes a Wildlife Display, Antique Museum, Art Collection, 4 galleries, and a gift shop. Open daily from Victoria Day weekend to Labour Day weekend, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., during the rest of the year its open Wednesday to Friday 12 noon to 5:00 p.m., Sunday and Saturday 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Admission fee. Wheelchair access.
Berryview Farms
16 km south of Lloydminster
(306) 387-6531
U-pick. Take an afternoon picking through 10 acres of Saskatoon berries. Pre-picked berries available as well as jelly, jam and syrup.
Bud Miller All Season Park
Located at 59th Ave. and 29th St.
(403) 875-4497
A 200 acre sportsman’s paradise. The park includes lawn bowling, tennis, skating, fishing, paddleboating, jogging, hiking, formal gardens, outdoor amphitheatre, playground, picnic areas, self-guided interpretive trail and outdoor sand volleyball courts. Open daily 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.. Wheelchair accessibility.
The Tea House, Antiques & Collectibles
Located at the corner of 44th St. and 47th Ave.
(306) 825-9498 or (403) 875-7848
A Lloydminster landmark, the house is set within an array of beautiful evergreen trees. Inside you’ll find antiques and collectibles for sale. The tea room holds up to 21 people. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.. Admission free. Full wheelchair access.