St. Paul's Website

St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church located in downtown Prince Albert stands as a witness to faith and a symbol of the earliest history of the settlement. In the middle 1800’s, because buffalo herds were in decline, treaty agreements were being made, and European settlement of the west seemed inevitable, there was concern for the plight of Aboriginal people in the “Canadas” and at the Red River Settlement (now Winnipeg). On June 7, 1866, Rev. James Nisbet, with his wife Mary and a party of nine others set out from the Red River colony to found a church mission in the Saskatchewan River valley. On July 26, 1866, with the guidance of George Flett, a Scots-Metis and fluent Cree speaker, (and later a renown Presbyterian missionary) Nisbet landed at a place called kista-pinnanick, meaning “meeting place.” After two days of negotiation with the First Nations people visiting the site Nisbet made an agreement to establish a mission there. He named the settlement Prince Albert, after Queen Victoria’s husband. The settlement quickly grew, and by 1874 it had 500 residents of varying ethnic descent. The present St. Paul’s Church is the fourth building to house the congregation. Construction on the building was started in 1906. Still today, this building makes a powerful impression in Prince Albert’s downtown. It was constructed of red brick and was designed in a style known at the time as neo-Victorian-Gothic. The “Gothic” elements are depicted in the tall spire, the pointed arches of the windows and doors and the use of stained glass. A beautiful stained glass window opens up the south wall, with its tall angled roof. The three pained arched windows depict Christ calling a disciple while other disciples and local villagers watch and listen. The building can seat over 700 people. With its beautiful oak wood interior, powerful Casavant organ with 1467 speaking pipes, its acoustics, ornate chandeliers, and ambiance of history and Christian mission, it is a moving place to worship in. This building is a symbol of Prince Albert’s heritage and stands as “The Mother Church” of Presbyterianism in Saskatchewan.