Stadskanaal (Dutch pronunciation:[ˌstɑtskaːˈnaːl]ⓘ) is a town and municipality with a population of 32,715 in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. It was named after the canal Stadskanaal.
From 1800 until 1900 this area was ideal for its peat mining, and so the canal came to ship all the peat to Groningen, the capital of the province.
In the Gronings dialect the town is called "Knoal" and the locals are called "Knoalsters".