Battleford, Saskatchewan, a town with a population of 4,065 as of 2011, is situated across the North Saskatchewan River from the City of North Battleford. Together, they are known as "The Battlefords" by Saskatchewan residents and are signposted as such on highways. Despite occasional discussions about merging the two communities, they remain separate entities as of 2023. The local economy of Battleford is primarily driven by agriculture. The town is bordered by the Rural Municipality of Battle River No. 438, the city of North Battleford, and a small section of the Rural Municipality of North Battleford No. 437. The 1973 western Alien Thunder was partially filmed in Battleford.
The Battleford area has a long history dating back to the 1770s, with numerous independent and Hudson's Bay Company fur trading houses. In 1784, William Holmes operated a post for the North West Company just above the confluence of the Battle and Saskatchewan rivers. At least three posts were in use between 1868 and 1914. The town was founded in 1875 as a fur trading post and North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) fort. Its post office opened in 1877. Between 1876 and 1883, Battleford served as the territorial capital of the North-West Territories (now Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nunavut, northern Quebec, northern Ontario, and the Northwest Territories). The NWMP fort (Fort Battleford) played a crucial role in the 1885 North-West Rebellion. Battleford is also the terminus of the historic Swift Current-Battleford Trail.
On March 30, 1885, during the North-West Rebellion, Battleford was looted by a party of Cree people who were short on food due to declining bison populations. The 500 residents of Battleford fled to the nearby North-West Mounted Police post, Fort Battleford. The Cree took food and supplies from the abandoned stores and houses. Two people were murdered during the looting. Crooked Leg was accused of killing John Payne, and Man Without Blood was accused of killing a farmer named Tremont. Both were convicted of murder and hanged later that year.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Battleford had a population of 4,400 living in 1,758 of its 1,877 total private dwellings. This represented a change of -0.7% from its 2016 population of 4,429. With a land area of 23.26 km2 (8.98 sq mi), it had a population density of 189.2/km2 (489.9/sq mi) in 2021.
Battleford is home to several national historic sites, including Fort Battleford National Historic Site of Canada, Battleford Court House National Historic Site of Canada, and Old Government House / Saint-Charles Scholasticate National Historic Site of Canada. The Old Government House, built in 1878–1879, was the seat of Territorial Government from 1878 to 1883. It was destroyed by fire in 2003. The Battleford Land Registry Office, built between 1877 and 1878, is the last remaining building on Battleford's Government Ridge from the Territorial era. Other heritage buildings include the District Court House, the Town Hall / Opera House, the Former Land Titles Building, the Station Building, the Fred Light Museum (St. Vital School), St. Vital Church, Gardiner Church, and the Former Bank of Montreal Building.
