Saskatoon is the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Straddling a bend in the South Saskatchewan River and along the Trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway, it has served as the region's cultural and economic hub since it was founded in 1882 as a Temperance colony. At its 2011 population of 222,189, Saskatoon is the largest city in the province, while at a 2011 population of 260,600, the Saskatoon census metropolitan area is the 17th largest CMA in Canada. The City of Saskatoon has since estimated its population to be 262,900 as of 2016, while Statistics Canada has estimated the CMA's population to have increased to 305,000 as of 2015.