Uranium City - northern settlement in Saskatchewan, Canada

Uranium City is a settlement in Northern Saskatchewan. It is on the northern shore of Lake Athabasca 48 km south of the Saskatchewan/North-West Territories border, and 724 km northwest of Prince Albert.

There is no permanent road to the town.

Understand

Uranium City began in 1952 when the provincial government decided to establish a community to service the mines in the Beaverlodge uranium area developed by Eldorado Mining and Refining, which was owned by the Government of Canada. By 1954, 52 mines were operating and 12 open-pit mines were next to Beaverlodge Lake. Most of the residences in Uranium City at this time were tents.

Uranium City was modelled after the community of Arvida, Quebec.

The population of Uranium City started to grow significantly in 1960 when Eldorado Resources began to house staff in Uranium City instead of the Eldorado campsite. Uranium City was a thriving community until 1982, with its population approaching 5,000. The closure of the mines on 30 June 1982 led to economic collapse, and most residents of the community left. The local hospital closed in the spring of 2003. The population in 2016 was 73, including a number of Métis and First Nations people.

Get in

• Uranium City Airport (IATA: YBE), 59.5614°, -108.481°.
  • Transwest Air, +1-800-667-9356. Flights M W F leaving Saskatoon at 8:30AM, Prince Albert at 9:30AM, Points North at 11:20 AM, and Stony Rapids at 12:15PM, arriving in Uranium City at 12:45PM. The plane leaves at 1:10PM and arrives in Saskatoon at 4:30PM. ~$640 one-way from Saskatoon or from Prince Albert. 2018-01-13
• There is no permanent road into the area, but there is a winter road which connects with Fond-du-Lac, Saskatchewan. Fond-du-Lac is also accessible only by air.

Get around

It's a settlement of 73 people. It looks like you'll be walking unless you can hitch a ride.

See

• Athabasca Sand Dunes, 59.050709°, -109.066331°. 100 km of sand dunes amid endless forest. The sand dunes are 400 to 1,500 m long, and their maximum height is approximately 30 m. Athabasca Sand Dunes Provincial Park is accessible by float plane or boat only. There are no onsite services in the park: visitors must check with a conservation officer prior to visiting the area. Guided tours by licensed outfitters are available. According to the Smithsonian Magazine, they are the northernmost active dunes in the world. 2018-12-19

Do

Fishing on Lake Athabasca.

Buy, eat, and drink

• Parkes General Store, 1 Street North (the other side of Lake Athabasca), 59.570983°, -108.614721°, +1 306 498-2878. M-F noon-5:30PM. The community store. 2018-01-13

Sleep

• Aurora Lodge Inc - Uranium City, 59.573922°, -108.60705°, +1 306-498-2146, rsvp@auroralodges.com. Three cosy, comfortable lodges with fully equipped kitchen, full bathroom, large dining table, screened-in gazebo, propane barbecue and luxury beds. Bedding provided. Free internet access. Truck, boat and ATV rentals are located in the community. Open from May 15 to November 15. 2022-04-08

Connect

Go next

• Drive 9 km east on Saskatchewan Highway 962 to the abandoned mining town of Eldorado.