Indigenous Lloydminster: Treaty 6, Nations and Community
An introduction to Lloydminster: its history, the Nations whose lands it sits on, and Indigenous community life today, with sources.
About Lloydminster
Lloydminster straddles the Alberta–Saskatchewan boundary, which follows the fourth meridian through the middle of the city. About 2,000 settlers led by Rev. Isaac Barr founded it in 1903, naming it for Rev. George Exton Lloyd, and it became a single city in both provinces in 1958. The area sits in Treaty 6 territory. The economy mixes agriculture with heavy oil, including an upgrader, an asphalt refinery and an ethanol plant, and Lakeland College runs a campus in the city. The Lloydminster Native Friendship Centre, founded in 1982, provides cultural, wellness and education programs to residents of both provinces. About 50 kilometres north, Onion Lake Cree Nation holds land on both sides of the provincial border; Chief Seekaskootch signed Treaty 6 at Fort Pitt in 1876, and Frog Lake and Onion Lake were later consolidated into one nation.
Lloydminster history
The Plains Cree history of Onion Lake shows how hard the late 1800s were for this region. After the 1885 incident at Frog Lake, the nation was labelled rebel Indians. Ottawa then refused to recognize its leadership. Federal recognition only resumed in 1914. The settler town has a dramatic origin. The SS Lake Manitoba left Britain on March 31, 1903, carrying 1,962 colonists. The overcrowded ship reached Saint John, New Brunswick, on Good Friday, and passengers then boarded four trains west. Ottawa had reserved sixteen townships for the colony, about 240 km from Saskatoon with no railway access. Only 22% of the colonists listed farming as their occupation. Anglican clergymen Isaac Barr and George Lloyd led the venture, and the settlement took Lloyd's name. When Alberta and Saskatchewan were created in 1905, the fourth meridian split the community in two. The two halves were amalgamated into a single town by order-in-council in both provinces in 1930, after the Great Fire of 1929. A farmer named Charlie Marren found oil in local water in 1919, an early sign of the industry that later reshaped the city.
Treaty and territory
Lloydminster straddles the Saskatchewan and Alberta border on Treaty 6 territory, in the homeland of the Métis.
Nearby: Onion Lake Cree Nation · Frog Lake First Nation · Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation · Maidstone · Vermilion · Kitscoty
Indigenous Lloydminster today
North of the city, Onion Lake Cree Nation's reserve lands cover 57,737.5 hectares. In February 2026 it counted 7,249 registered members, with 4,338 living on-reserve. In the city, the Lloydminster Native Friendship Centre on 49 Avenue leads public celebrations. On June 21, 2026, heavy rain moved its National Indigenous Peoples Day event indoors to the centre's community hall. The day still included a free lunch, a grand entry at 1 p.m. with powwow dancers, drummers and singers, and an artisan market. A roast beef dinner closed it out. Executive director Deborah Munroe called it a day to be proud of who we are. Earlier celebrations there have featured hand games, Métis music and youth from local schools. Lakeland College brings Indigenous education and culture onto its Lloydminster campus. Elders, Knowledge Keepers and Storytellers in Residence lead sharing circles and classroom visits. Students gather in the Ototemiwewin Student Lounge. The college has hosted powwows, tipi raisings, beading and ribbon skirt workshops, blanket exercises and Orange Shirt Day observances. Treaty 6 and Alberta Métis flags fly at both of its campuses.
Life in Lloydminster
The 2021 census counted 19,739 people on the Alberta side and 11,843 on the Saskatchewan side. That makes about 32,000 residents sharing one city. Lloydminster sits about 275 km west of Saskatoon and 250 km east of Edmonton. Along with Flin Flon, it is one of only two Canadian communities divided by a provincial boundary. The city's most photographed landmark is its set of four border markers beside City Hall, where Highways 16 and 17 cross. Erected in 1994, each steel monument stands 100 feet tall and mimics the original survey stakes. The gap between each pair of pillars marks the actual boundary. The four honour oil and gas, the Barr Colonists, agriculture, and First Nations and Métis peoples. Lloydminster calls itself the Heavy Oil Capital of the World, with a refinery and heavy oil upgrader. Agriculture is just as central. The area has one of Canada's largest canola crushing facilities and the country's largest biodiesel plant.
Lloydminster seasons and weather
Lloydminster has cold, snowy winters and warm summers typical of the northern parkland. Hoodies and hats are everyday wear from fall through spring.
More on the region: Indigenous Saskatchewan · all of Canada.
Keep learning in the XUSI Journal
- Treaty 6 and Saskatoon: Where XUSI Comes From
- The Numbered Treaties, Explained
- Métis History in Saskatchewan: Places to Learn and Visit
- Residential Schools in Saskatchewan: Where to Start Learning
- All Journal articles
Lloydminster questions
Does it matter which side of the border my Lloydminster address is on?
No. We ship anywhere in Canada from Saskatoon, and orders leave within 1 to 3 business days. Shipping is calculated at checkout, and orders of $90 or more ship free within Canada.
Can a Lloydminster rodeo or hockey club order custom hoodies?
Yes. We need a minimum of 10 garments, each design can use up to 4 colours, and every order is quoted before printing. Design help is included, and finished pieces ship from Saskatoon.
Is there a XUSI design that suits a Treaty 6 gathering in Lloydminster?
Lloydminster and Onion Lake both sit in Treaty 6 territory, the same treaty area as our home in Saskatoon. Many of our designs carry a Cree word and its story, explained on our meanings page. The Revitalize Culture crewneck ($89.95) is a warm choice for a fall gathering on the parkland.
What should I pick as a gift for a Lakeland College student in Lloydminster?
A heavyweight hoodie ($59.95–$89.95) is a practical pick for Lloydminster's cold walks between classes. If you are unsure of size, a digital gift card lets the student choose. Our heavyweight tees have a generous fit, which suits layering through a parkland winter.
Last reviewed . Facts on this page come from the sources listed below.
Sources for this page
- Lloydminster – The Canadian Encyclopedia
- The Barr/Britannia Colony, Part I – Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21
- Border Markers – City of Lloydminster
- Get to Know Us – Discover Lloydminster
- Onion Lake Cree Nation – The Canadian Encyclopedia
- Rain fails to dampen Lloydminster NIPD event – Meridian Source
- Lloydminster gathers to celebrate National Indigenous Day – My Lloydminster Now
- Indigenous Supports – Cultural Supports, Lakeland College
Indigenous clothing from XUSI
Whether your Lloydminster address is on the Alberta or the Saskatchewan side, XUSI can ship to it. Our Indigenous-owned brand prints tees, hoodies and hats in Saskatoon and sends them west to the Border City.
Lloydminster sits in open parkland where canola fields meet oil leases, and we think our pieces fit that working life. A heavyweight hoodie layers well under a work jacket on a cold morning at the upgrader or out on a lease road. In summer, a heavyweight 100% cotton tee handles long days around the canola harvest, and the generous fit leaves room to move. For a June 21 powwow at the Friendship Centre, a Golden Era ringer tee is a comfortable choice. An A-frame snapback shades you during a photo at the border markers. Students heading to Lakeland College might like the Black Oni long sleeve for chilly walks across campus in fall.
