Lloydminster
Lloydminster is a city straddling the border between East Central Alberta region of Alberta and the West Central Saskatchewan region of Saskatchewan. A geographic anomaly, it is one of only two settlements in Canada to operate a single municipal entity across two provinces. (The other, Flin Flon, is a small Manitoba mining village with one tiny portion in Saskatchewan.)
Understand
The city was founded in 1903, at a time when modern-day Alberta and Saskatchewan were still part of the Northwest Territories. The provinces were created later with a boundary at 110° west longitude, right down 50th Avenue (Meridian Ave.). By 2021 the city had 31,600 people; principal local industries include agriculture and oil refining.
Due to differing sales tax structures (Alberta has no provincial sales tax) and time zones (Alberta observes Mountain Daylight Savings Time seasonally, Saskatchewan keeps Central Standard Time year-round), Lloydminster and its immediate trading area are part of Alberta's time zone and its businesses follow Alberta's sales tax rules. A 163-bed hospital in Saskatchewan serves both provinces; the city's Lakeland College campus is in Alberta and the local airport (YLL IATA) moved from Saskatchewan to Alberta in 1981.
Saskatchewan addresses may be identified by their postal codes (which have a leading 'S') and telephone area codes (usually +1 306, sometimes +1 639).
Get in
By car
Lloydminster is on Highway 16 (Yellowhead Highway) at roughly the halfway point between Saskatoon and Edmonton. The highway is divided for most of this route (except for the portion within Lloydminster itself). A second highway, Highway 17, runs north-south through the city, but is primarily only a local route.
By bus
- Rider Express, toll-free: +1-833-583-3636. Operates a route between Edmonton and Regina with stops including in Vegreville, Vermilion, Lloydminster, North Battleford, Saskatoon, and Davidson. Travel time to Lloydminster from Edmonton is 3.5 hours, from North Battleford is 1.75 hours, from Saskatoon is 3-3.25 hours, and from Regina is 6.25 hours.
Airport
🌍 Lloydminster Municipal Airport (YLL IATA), 8301 75 Street, ☏ +1 780-875-9215. M-F 7AM-6:30PM. A local airport with one 1700-m asphalt runway.
Flights available from Calgary (1.25 hours),
Airlines
- WestJet, toll-free: +1-877-952-0100. Canada's second largest airline services with hubs in Calgary and Toronto. It operates across Canada and services international destinations.
Get around
Lloydminster has no public transit.
- Viper Taxi +1 306-825-5558
- Lloyd Taxi +1 306-825-3333
- Courtesy Cabs +1 306-825-8885
- Lloydminster Handivan Society, ☏ +1 780-205-1666. M-F 7:30AM-7:30PM, Sa Su holidays 9AM-9PM. Accessible vehicles. Rides must be booked 24 hours in advance. Service is also available to non-residents. Attendants ride free.
See
- 🌍 Lloydminster Cultural & Science Centre, 4207 44 Street, ☏ +1 780-874-3720. Temporarily closed – new location under construction. A public art gallery, wildlife taxidermy display, and interactive heavy oil science centre.
- 🌍 Border Markers, Highway 16/44 St & 50 Ave. Located at City Hall on the intersection of Hwy 16 & 17. Lloydminster, Canada's only city on a provincial border, is home to the world's largest border markers. To signify the provincial boundary and 4th meridian which marks the border, these four 100 ft (30 m) high giant survey markers were erected. All shaped like the survey stakes used during the original survey of the border between Alberta & Saskatchewan. They represent four themes: Oil & Gas, the Barr Colonists, Agriculture and First Nations & Métis. The gap between the steel pillars of each monument is the actual border.
Do
- 🌍 Bud Miller All Seasons Park, 59th Avenue. A 200 acres (81 hectares) playground for having a picnic, playing in the 540 m2 (5,800 ft²) spray park (10AM-8PM summer only), walking the trails or playing sports. Baseball diamonds, beach volleyball, bike trails, cross country skiing, ice skating, indoor pool, lawn bowling, mini golf, trout fishing lake, tennis courts.
- 🌍 Gold Horse Casino, 3910 41 St, ☏ +1 306-825-3777, goldhorse@siga.sk.ca. Su-Th noon-midnight, F Sa noon-2AM.
Buy
- 🌍 LloydMall, 5211 44 Street, ☏ +1 780-875-6996. M Tu Sa 10AM-6PM, W-F 10AM-9PM, Su holidays noon-5PM.
- 🌍 Harvest to Home Market, 4102 70 Ave, harvesthomelloyd@gmail.com. M-F 9AM-6PM, Sa 10AM-4PM. A local food market, café & catering company. Fresh, local products from many small, local vendors. Almost everything they serve is made from scratch. No preservatives used in their food, honey and maple syrup sweeten most of their products.
Eat
- 🌍 Mr. Bill's Family Restaurant, 10-5405 44 St, ☏ +1 780-875-3388. M-Sa 10AM-9PM. Greek, Canadian, vegetarian friendly.
- 🌍 Tasty K's, 5008 39 St, ☏ +1 780-872-7713. M-Sa 11AM-8PM. Sandwiches, soups, donairs.
- 🌍 The Root Community Emporium, 4901 50 Ave, ☏ +1 306-825-5885. Tu-F 10AM-11PM (kitchen open until 10PM); Sa 9AM-11PM. Vegetarian friendly, vegan options. Live music events weekly. Lunch $10-18, dinner mains $16-26.
Sleep
- 🌍 Meridian Inn & Suites, 8150 45 St, ☏ +1 780-875-3030, info@meridianinn.ca. Free Wi-Fi Internet and Continental breakfast. All guestrooms features compact refrigerator, microwave, in room coffee & 39” flat screen HDTV. Some rooms have a kitchenette and separate lounge and eating area. From $86.
- 🌍 Good Knight Inn, 4729 44 St, ☏ +1 306-825-0124. 37 clean and comfortable, climate controlled units, free Wi-Fi Internet, cable TV and kitchenettes in some units. Pets are welcome. From $80.
- 🌍 Royal Hotel Lloydminster, 5620 44 St, ☏ +1 780-875-6113, toll-free: +1-800-661-7221. free Wi-Fi, and a 24-hour fitness centre. On-site restaurant and lounge, free breakfast, business centre, free parking, pet-friendly rooms. From $86.
Cope
- 🌍 Lloydminster Hospital, 3820 43 Ave, ☏ +1 306-820-6000.
Go next
- Edmonton and Saskatoon are 2½-3 hours' distant on the Yellowhead Highway.
| Routes through Lloydminster |
| Edmonton ← Vermilion ← | W E | → Maidstone → Saskatoon |
| END ← Jct W E ← | N S | → Jct W E → Macklin |