Life in a Northern border town

There aren’t many places in Canada where one city can call two provinces home. But you’ll find a couple of them in the centre of the country.

Lloydminster straddles the borders of Alberta and Saskatchewan along the Yellowhead Highway. Founded in 1903 and named after Reverend George Lloyd, the city was divided in 1905 when the large prairie territory was split into two provinces. It reunited again in 1930 to create a single municipality, and today, 32,000 people call Lloydminster home.

Lloydminster sits on a massive geological formation of heavy crude oil, making it a hub for heavy oil innovation, and home to significant oil and asphalt operations. It’s the largest producer of paving asphalt in Western Canada, and is known as the ‘heavy oil capital of Canada’.

The border runs right through the city, cutting across streets and sidewalks. It’s marked with four tall red steel columns, designed to resemble historic survey stakes. Built in 1994, these markers serve as a visual icon and a reminder of this destination’s unique cross-provincial identity.

Bud Miller All Seasons Park is an urban green oasis with picnic area, playground, hiking trails, disc golf course, and a stocked fishing pond. Nearby is ‘The Canadarm’ display at Lakeland College – a life-size functional replica of the robotic arm used on NASA’s Endeavour space shuttle. The original Canadarm was retired in 2011 and is displayed at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa.

The Lloydminster Museum + Archives features the story of the settlers who first arrived in the area. The RCMP Hope Monument, located in front of city hall, depicts an RCMP officer consoling a boy who lost his dog. Unveiled in May 2013, it commemorates the 100th anniversary of the RCMP in the community.

The other border city in central Canada is Flin Flon, on the boundary between Manitoba and Saskatchewan. While the majority of residents and most services here are located on the Manitoba side, a portion extends westward into Saskatchewan. The neighbouring town of Creighton on the Saskatchewan side of the border is closely connected and part of the same community of services.

Flin Flon was founded in 1927, incorporated in 1933, and officially became a city in 1970. Today, nearly 5,200 people live in this mining hub that was built on copper, zinc, gold, silver, and other minerals.

Flin Flon was named after Josiah Flintabbatey Flonatin, the protagonist of J.E. Preston Muddock’s 1905 novel, The Sunless City. The story goes that prospector Tom Creighton found a copy of Muddock’s book on the trail, which inspired him to name the surrounding area after the character. Visitors can check out the statue of Josiah, designed by cartoonist Al Capp, anchored in the city’s centre near the old railway station, which is now a museum.

The town is also famous for the Flin Flon Bombers junior hockey team. Founded in 1927, it is one of the oldest junior hockey teams in Canada. It has a strong reputation for developing exceptional athletes, and historically churned out several NHL players including two Stanley Cup-winning members of the Philadelphia Flyers, Reggie Leach (a.k.a. The Riverton Rifle), and legendary Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke.