The North Saskatchewan cuts through the heartland of western Canada. It is a historical river of remarkable diversity. At its source atop the massive Columbia Icefield, the Saskatchewan glacier is a spectacular natural jewel. Along its course, it crosses an ecological treasure known as the Kootenay Plains and the imposing reservoir of Abraham Lake. At Fort Edmonton, it marks the presence of one of the oldest historic sites in western Canada. And in the city of Edmonton, extensive parklands flank the river's length. The river crosses the prairies and the ghost town of Heinsburg until it meets its sister tributary at a place known as the Forks.