Poundmaker Trail

{{Short description|Ceremonial name of a highway in Western Canada}}

{{Use Canadian English|date=August 2024}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}

{{Infobox road

|country=CAN

|type=Hwy

|name=Poundmaker Trail

|marker_image = 70px70px

|length_km=361

|length_ref=

|established=

|direction_a=West

|direction_b=East

|terminus_a= {{jct|state=AB|Hwy|216}} in Edmonton, AB

|junction=

|terminus_b= {{jct|state=SK|Hwy|16}} in North Battleford, SK

|rural_municipalities=

|cities=Edmonton, North Battleford

|towns = Tofield, AB; Viking, AB; Wainwright, AB; Cut Knife, SK; Battleford, SK

|system=

}}

Poundmaker Trail is a {{convert|361|km|mi|adj=on}} interprovincial highway in Western Canada that runs from Edmonton, Alberta, to North Battleford, Saskatchewan, following Alberta Highway 14 and Saskatchewan Highway 40.{{google maps|date=May 24, 2017|title=Poundmaker Trail through Alberta and Saskatchewan|url=https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/53.449929,-113.3441041/52.7362318,-108.3148136/@53.4222947,-113.3438767,11.5z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e0?hl=en}} The highway is named after Poundmaker ({{circa}} 1842–July 4, 1886), also known as Pitikwahanapiwiyin, a Plains Cree chief known as a peacemaker and defender of his people.{{cite web | title =Saskatchewan Road Map Travel Guide: #40 The Poundmaker Trail ... | work =Mile By Mile Media | year =2007 | url =http://www.milebymile.com/main/Canada/Saskatchewan/State_40/Canada_Saskatchewan_road_map_travel_guides.html | access-date =2007-05-10 | df =mdy-all | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070417155712/http://www.milebymile.com/main/Canada/Saskatchewan/State_40/Canada_Saskatchewan_road_map_travel_guides.html | archive-date =April 17, 2007 }}

The former alignment of Poundmaker Trail followed Saskatchewan Highway 16A through Battleford and across the North Saskatchewan River along original Battlefords Bridge via Finlayson Island. Around 2003, in conjunction with the Battlefords Bridge being twinned along the Highway 4/16/40 corridor,{{cite web|title=Battlefords Bridge Officially Opened Today|url=http://www.publications.gov.sk.ca/details.cfm?p=53439|website=Government of Saskatchewan|access-date=May 24, 2017|date=November 1, 2002}} the original bridges were closed to motor vehicles, and Highway 16A was decommissioned.{{cite web|last1=Foster|first1=Jayne|title=Repairs for old bridges|url=http://www.newsoptimist.ca/news/local-news/repairs-for-old-bridges-1.1578299|website=Battlefords News-Optimist|access-date=May 24, 2017|date=August 24, 2013 |df=mdy-all}}