# Saskatchewan Highway 3

Highway 3 is a major provincial highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from the Alberta border, where it continues west as Alberta Highway 45, to the Manitoba border, and then continues east as Highway 77. Highway 3 is about 615 km (382 mi.) long. The CanAm Highway comprises Saskatchewan Highways 35, 39, 6, 3, as well as 2. 59.7 miles (96.1 km) of Saskatchewan Highway 3 contribute to the CanAm Highway between Melfort and Prince Albert.
Major communities that Highway 3 passes through are Prince Albert, Melfort, and Tisdale.

## Route description

Travel continues west as Alberta Highway 45 at the Alberta – Saskatchewan border. The Saskatchewan portion of the route begins in the northwestern area of the aspen parkland ecoregion, 27 kilometres (17 mi) north of Lloydminster the border city. Ttrembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) form bluffs (small islands or shelter belts) which are typical in this area. This area also marks the northernmost area of the Missouri Coteau which has produced the Thickwood Hills feature here. Reverend Lloyd and Isaac Montgomery Barr lead the Barr colonists here to Brittania in the early 20th century.
Hwy 3 proceeds east just to the south of the North Saskatchewan River. The river crossing is 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) west of the Hwy 684 junction. Travel proceeds to the north east from here. Hwy 797 north provides access to Frenchman Butte and the Fort Pitt Provincial Historical Park (19 kilometres (12 mi)) off Hwy 3. There is still evidence of the North-West Rebellion, Battle of Frenchman's Butte when the Cree and Major General T.B. Strange met on May 28, 1885 here. Paradise Hill, a village of about 500 people, had post office names of LeClair, Diggs and Archie before adopting the moniker Paradise Hill officially for the hamlet in 1928. Oil and gas plants provide the main employment to the area, followed by agriculture and farm machinery dealerships. A red river cart and ox statue are seen at the outskirts of the village commemorating the Carlton Trail which passed through this area en route between Fort Edmonton, and Fort Garry. The Trans Canada Trail is a walking or hiking trail crossing Canada and it makes its way here as well.
2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) later is the junction with Hwy 21 north, the location of the Rural Municipality of Frenchman Butte No. 501 office. The Bronson Provincial Forest to the north provides incoming traffic during the fall hunting season. Cattle farming predominates the area, supplemented by grain crops and the oil & gas industry. Hwy 21 forms a 10.1 kilometres (6.3 mi) concurrency with Hwy 3. Travelling north on Hwy 26 provides access to St. Walburg and Makwa Lake Provincial Park and Steele Narrow Provincial Historic Park. Hwy 3 turn at the junction with Hwy 26 continuing south east. At the south east end of the 9.7 kilometres (6.0 mi) concurrency of Hwy 3 and Hwy 26 is the village of Spruce Lake and the junction with Hwy 796 west. The ecoregion has changed to boreal transition. Mixed wood boreal forest with jack pine, trembling aspen, white spruce, and tamarack (Larix laricina) furnish the forestry industry.
Turtleford is a town at the junction of Hwy 3 and Hwy 26 and is located along the Turtle River. In 1983, Turtleford became a town with 500 residents, and built the nation's largest turtle. Ernie, a roadside attraction, is 8 feet (2.4 m) high. Hwy 3 arrived in Turtleford from the north west and takes a V turn and leaves to the north east. After travelling 4.6 kilometres (2.9 mi), Hwy 3 turns and continues its route east. 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) from Turtleford, Hwy 26 north provides access to Livelong, 2.6 kilometres (1.6 mi) north of Hwy 3. The Westside Turtle Lake Resort Area, home of the Turtle Lake Monster is 18 kilometres (11 mi) north also along Hwy 26.
Glaslyn is located south east at the Hwy 4 concurrency. The concurrency is 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) along the north east side of the village. The main economy of Glaslyn and area are agriculture, forestry, ecotourism, fishing, hunting and trapping. Glaslyn was a Welsh community which originally settled on the Meadow Lake – Battleford Trail. Turtle Lake, Meadow Lake Provincial Park and The Battlefords Provincial Park are all popular destinations near this access point. After Glaslyn the highway continues on its route to the south east. Little Loon Regional Park is located 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) south of Hwy 3. Cater and Belbutte area both unincorporated areas within Rural Municipality of Medstead No. 497. Hwy 696 north provides access in 46 kilometres (29 mi) to Chitek Lake Recreation Site.
The town of Spiritwood is in an agricultural community based in the north – central parkland area. Grain growing, ranching and tourism increase the traffic here. Mildred is a small unincorporated area which belongs to the Rural Municipality of Spiritwood No. 496. The village of Shell Lake, the oasis of the parklands, is accessed 1.6 kilometres (0.99 mi) northeast of Hwy 3. The physiographic region is within the Saskatchewan plains region, more specifically the Saskatchewan River plain. The features include deep, terraced river valleys, as well as hillocky glacial debris. The RM of Canwood provides civic governance to Hawkeye, and Ordale, both located just north of Hwy 3. Shellbrook is located southwest of Shell Brook, at the junction of Hwy 240 and Hwy 3.
Crutwell is a part of Shellbrook No. 493 RM south of the Hwy 55 – Hwy 3 concurrency. This concurrency at 42 kilometres (26 mi) is the longest of the route. The city of Prince Albert, Gateway to the north, is the third largest in the province and is located on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. Highways 55, 302, 2 and 3 all meet here. Agriculture, forestry, mining, and tourism are the largest employers in this sector. Waskesiu Lake in the Prince Albert National Park is located 88.6 kilometres (55.1 mi) north of the city on Hwy 2. This city is centrally located along the highway demarks the transition area between the shield boreal forest to the north and the prairie agricultural lands in the south benefiting from the best of both vegetative regions.
Muskoday First Nation has reserved for itself the 9,686.8 ha (23,937 acres) through which Hwy 3 travels from north west to south east. The South Saskatchewan River divides the reserve almost in half from north to south and also intersects with Hwy 3. Departure from the reserve is due south along Hwy 3. The town of Birch Hills, A Tradition of Pride and Prosperity, is located at the junction of Hwy 25 south west. Travel from Birch Hills continues due east. Brancepeth is north of Hwy 3, a small hamlet of Birch Hills No. 460 RM. At the junction with Hwy 778, Hwy 3 turns south east. Kinistino, a town of 649, is located at the junction of Hwy 778. The Fort à la Corne Provincial Forest and the confluence of the North and South Saskatchewan Rivers are both located within the RM of Kinistino. SCAPE – the Study of Cultural Adaptations in the Prairie Ecozone – is studying the Forks of the Saskatchewan River area and Fort-à-la-Corne lands. The "Changing Opportunities & Challenges: Human-Environment Interaction in the Canadian Prairies Ecozone" program is delving into the archeology, ethnohistory, geomatics, geoarcheology, paleobotany, soil science, and oral traditions of the area. The village of Beatty, first named Stoney Creek, is located at the junction of Hwy 368.
The City of Northern Lights, Melfort is home to 5,192. The Agriculture Melfort Research Station is centred here along with many other agriculturally based industries. The Tiger Hills Uplands ecozone provides rich soil to grow a diversity of crops. The concurrency of Hwy 3 and Hwy 6 is a 3.3 kilometres (2.1 mi) long concurrency at the Hwy 41 junction. Hwy 3 continues due east from Melfort. The town of Star City is north of the Hwy 681 junction. The village of Valparaiso, one of the few Spanish settlements of the province is just north of Hwy 3. The town of Tisdale, is surrounded by lakes Barrier Lake, Marean Lake, Tobin Lake, and Greenwater Lake Provincial Park. Agriculture and manufacturing are the dominant industries in the area. Besides the major provincial Highways 35 and 3, both the Canadian National Railway (CNR) and the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) serve this town. Over 11,000 vehicles per day travel the two highways through Tisdale. At the intersection of Hwy 35 and 3 is the world's largest honey bee at 6 feet (1.8 m) high.
Hwy 3 continues due east until the junction with Hwy 23 at the hamlet of Crooked River. The Hwy 23 concurrency is 3.3 kilometres (2.1 mi) in a north north east direction. At the end of the concurrency Hwy 3 continues due east. The hamlet of Peesane is located at the beginning of the Hwy 679 concurrency which is 0.8 kilometres (0.50 mi) in length. Mistatim a village which is Proud of its Past ..... and Planning for its Future, has an economy based on agricultural mixed farming, hunting trapping and forestry. Mistatim is located south of the Pasquia Forest Reserve, and north of the Porcupine Forest Reserve. The EDEN Regional Economic Development Authority (REDA) encourages tourism, investment, economic and recreational activities in the area.
Hwy 3 continues south east from Mistatim for 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) then turns due east for 39.5 kilometres (24.5 mi) when there is a short stretch traveling north east. Prairie River of the Porcupine No. 395 RM lies to the north of this stretch of highway. Hwy 3 travelling east arrives at the junction of Hwy 9 at Hudson Bay. The Hwy 9 concurrency around the north west edge of the town is 3.6 kilometres (2.2 mi) long. Hudson Bay is Moose Capital of the World due to the high presence of moose. At this site were a Hudson's Bay Company Upper Red Deer post, North West Company Upper Red Deer post. The Rendek Elm Forest is located north and the Hudson Bay Regional Park is located south of Hwy 3. Forestry is a main concern of the area served by Wizewood – MacMillan Bloedel – Weyerhaeuser for years. The highway continues east as Highway 77 after the Manitoba – Saskatchewan border.

## CanAm Highway

The North American Free Trade Agreement NAFTA super corridor CanAm Highway travels along U.S. Route 85 connecting Mexico to Canada. The CanAm highway in Canada comprises Saskatchewan Highways 35, 39, 6, 3, and 2. The total length of the CanAm highway is 4,122 kilometres (2,561 mi), of which Hwy 3 contributes a 97.8 miles (157.4 km) segment length. The route designated as CanAm in the 1920s continues south in Mexico as Mexican Federal Highway 45, and north as SK 102 but are not labelled the CanAm highway.

## Major intersections

From west to east:
| Rural municipality | Location | km | mi | Destinations | Notes |
| Brittania No. 502 | ​ | 0.0 | 0.0 | Highway 45 west – Marwayne, Two Hills Highway 17 – Onion Lake, Lloydminster | Continues as Hwy 45 into Alberta |
| Brittania No. 502 | ​ | 24.4 | 15.2 | Highway 684 south – Waseca | |
| ↑ / ↓ | ​ | 26.2 | 16.3 | Crosses the North Saskatchewan River | Crosses the North Saskatchewan River |
| Frenchman Butte No. 501 | ​ | 28.2 | 17.5 | Highway 797 north – Frenchman Butte | |
| Frenchman Butte No. 501 | Paradise Hill | 38.9 | 24.2 | Highway 21 north – Pierceland | West end of Hwy 21 concurrency |
| Frenchman Butte No. 501 | ​ | 49.0 | 30.4 | Highway 21 south – Maidstone | East end of Hwy 21 concurrency |
| Frenchman Butte No. 501 | ​ | 56.3 | 35.0 | Highway 26 north – St. Walburg, Loon Lake | West end of Hwy 26 concurrency |
| Mervin No. 499 | Spruce Lake | 66.5 | 41.3 | Highway 796 east | |
| Mervin No. 499 | Turtleford | 85.4 | 53.1 | Highway 26 south – The Battlefords | East end of Hwy 26 concurrency |
| Parkdale No. 498 | ​ | 105.3 | 65.4 | Highway 795 north – Livelong, Turtle Lake | |
| Parkdale No. 498 | ​ | 115.0 | 71.5 | Highway 697 south – Longhope | |
| Parkdale No. 498 | Glaslyn | 131.7 | 81.8 | Highway 4 north – Meadow Lake | West end of Hwy 4 concurrency |
| Parkdale No. 498 | Glaslyn | 132.0 | 82.0 | Highway 4 south – The Battlefords | East end of Hwy 4 concurrency |
| Medstead No. 497 | ​ | 150.2 | 93.3 | Highway 794 south – Medstead | |
| Spiritwood No. 496 | ​ | 175.1 | 108.8 | Highway 696 north | |
| Spiritwood No. 496 | Spiritwood | 187.4 | 116.4 | Highway 24 north – Leoville, Chitek Lake | |
| Spiritwood No. 496 | Spiritwood | 187.7 | 116.6 | Highway 378 south – Rabbit Lake, The Battlefords | |
| Spiritwood No. 496 | ​ | 217.6 | 135.2 | Highway 695 north | |
| Spiritwood No. 496 | Shell Lake | 219.2 | 136.2 | Highway 12 south – Blaine Lake, Saskatoon | |
| Canwood No. 494 | ​ | 253.5 | 157.5 | Highway 694 north – Canwood | South of Ordale |
| Shellbrook No. 493 | ​ | 264.9 | 164.6 | Highway 40 west – Blaine Lake, The Battlefords | |
| Shellbrook No. 493 | Shellbrook | 268.6 | 166.9 | Highway 55 west (NWRR) – Meadow Lake | West end of Hwy 55 concurrency |
| Shellbrook No. 493 | Holbein | 281.3 | 174.8 | Highway 693 north – Sturgeon Valley | |
| Buckland No. 491 | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions |
| City of Prince Albert | City of Prince Albert | 310.8 | 193.1 | Highway 2 north – Prince Albert National Park, La Ronge Highway 55 east (NWRR) – Nipawin | CanAm Highway west end Interchange; east end of Hwy 55 concurrency; west end of Hwy 2 concurrency |
| City of Prince Albert | City of Prince Albert | 311.6 | 193.6 | To Highway 55 east (Riverside Drive) – Nipawin | Interchange, northbound entrance and exit; northbound access to Hwy 55 east |
| City of Prince Albert | City of Prince Albert | 311.6– 312.0 | 193.6– 193.9 | Diefenbaker Bridge across North Saskatchewan River | Diefenbaker Bridge across North Saskatchewan River |
| City of Prince Albert | City of Prince Albert | 312.0 | 193.9 | River Street | Grade separated; southbound exit only |
| City of Prince Albert | City of Prince Albert | 312.5 | 194.2 | 15th Street W (Highway 302 west) 2nd Avenue W (Highway 2 south) to Highway 11 – Moose Jaw, Saskatoon | East end of Hwy 2 concurrency; west end of Hwy 302 concurrency |
| City of Prince Albert | City of Prince Albert | 314.0 | 195.1 | 15th Street E (Highway 302 east) / 6th Avenue E | West end of Hwy 302 concurrency |
| City of Prince Albert | City of Prince Albert | 316.1 | 196.4 | Marquis Road | Alternate route to Highway 2 / Highway 11 |
| Prince Albert No. 461 | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions |
| ↑ / ↓ | Muskoday First Nation | 336.0 | 208.8 | Muskoday Bridge across South Saskatchewan River | Muskoday Bridge across South Saskatchewan River |
| Birch Hills No. 460 | Muskoday First Nation | 337.6 | 209.8 | Highway 789 west | |
| Birch Hills No. 460 | Birch Hills | 350.5 | 217.8 | Highway 25 west – St. Louis | |
| Birch Hills No. 460 | ​ | 353.3 | 219.5 | Highway 20 south – Humboldt | |
| Kinistino No. 459 | ​ | 367.8 | 228.5 | Highway 682 north – Weldon, Weldon Ferry | West end of Hwy 682 concurrency |
| Kinistino No. 459 | Kinistino | 377.3 | 234.4 | Highway 778 west | West end of Hwy 778 concurrency |
| Kinistino No. 459 | Kinistino | 377.8 | 234.8 | Highway 778 east / Highway 682 south – Meskanaw | East end of Hwy 682 / Hwy 778 concurrency |
| Flett's Springs No. 429 | Beatty | 393.2 | 244.3 | Highway 368 south – St. Brieux | |
| Flett's Springs No. 429 | ​ | 405.3 | 251.8 | Highway 41A south to Highway 41 – Saskatoon | |
| City of Melfort | City of Melfort | 407.0 | 252.9 | Broadway Avenue (Highway 6 north) – Choiceland | West end of Hwy 6 concurrency |
| City of Melfort | City of Melfort | 410.3 | 254.9 | Highway 41 west – Saskatoon Highway 6 south – Regina | CanAm Highway east end; east end of Hwy 6 concurrency |
| Star City No. 428 | ​ | 428.2 | 266.1 | Highway 681 – Star City | |
| Tisdale No. 427 | Tisdale | 446.9 | 277.7 | Highway 35 – Nipawin, Wadena | |
| Bjorkdale No. 426 | Crooked River | 468.2 | 290.9 | Highway 23 south – Porcupine Plain | West end of Hwy 23 concurrency |
| Bjorkdale No. 426 | ​ | 471.5 | 293.0 | Highway 23 north – Carrot River | East end of Hwy 23 concurrency |
| Bjorkdale No. 426 | ​ | 503.6 | 312.9 | Highway 678 south – Porcupine Plain | |
| Porcupine No. 395 | ​ | 521.4 | 324.0 | Highway 677 south / Prairie River Access Road – Carragana | |
| Hudson Bay No. 394 | Hudson Bay | 562.1 | 349.3 | Highway 9 south – Preeceville, Yorkton | West end of Hwy 9 concurrency |
| Hudson Bay No. 394 | Hudson Bay | 565.7 | 351.5 | Highway 9 north – The Pas | West end of Hwy 9 concurrency |
| Hudson Bay No. 394 | Armit | 604.7 | 375.7 | Highway 980 south – Elbow Lake, Arran | |
| Hudson Bay No. 394 | ​ | 612.0 | 380.3 | PTH 77 east – Baden, Swan River | Continues into Manitoba |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Incomplete access Route transition ||||||