The city of Saskatoon, Sask., is enjoying rarefied air as the lone Canadian city to make the New York Timesâ list of 52 places to visit in 2018.
Saskatoon beat out more high-profile Canadian destinations such as Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal on the strength of its new museum, the Remai Modern, and its formidable art collection.
The lists Saskatoon at No. 18, hailing it as a prime destination for art fans.
âPablo Picasso, Georges Braque and other heavyweight 20th-century artists now have a home in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, thanks to the new Remai Modern museum,â the Times article says. âA centerpiece of Saskatoonâs redeveloping waterfront, the museum sports world-class modernist architecture and an 8,000-work collection.â
The New York Times also praises Saskatoonâs recently updated airport, as well as the cityâs .
Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark lauded his cityâs inclusion on the list on Twitter.
âWelcome world!â he . âCome for the art, stay for the people.â
Clark also trumpeted his cityâs recognition in an interview with ŰÎŰ´ŤĂ˝ Channel.
âItâs part of the momentum that weâre building in this great mid-sized city on the Prairies,â he said Thursday. Clark said the Remai Modern is just one of the many big-city amenities his mid-sized community has to offer.
âItâs a beautiful gallery that has the largest collection of Picasso linocut prints in the world,â he said.
The cityâs head of tourism was also excited by Saskatoonâs inclusion on the list.
âItâs really good to have that kind of attention brought to our city,â Todd Brandt, president and CEO of Saskatoon Tourism, told ŰÎŰ´ŤĂ˝ Channel.
Brandt said thereâs âreally not a bad timeâ to visit the city, although summertime is perhaps best for those who want to stroll along the riverbank near the Remai Modern. He added that the city also has âlots of great cuisine and cultural activities.â
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged the honour for Saskatoon on Twitter, saying "the sunsets are pretty gorgeous too."
The top five places on the New York Times list were New Orleans, Colombia, Basilicata in Italy, the Caribbean and Vierwaldstättersee in Switzerland.