Melfort, Saskatchewan

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Location of Melfort, Saskatchewan

Melfort (2006 population 5,192) is a small Canadian city in Saskatchewan, approximately 95 kilometres (59 mi) southeast of Prince Albert. According to The World Gazetteer, its population as of 2004 was 5,400. Melfort became Saskatchewan's 12th city in 1980; although it had achieved the necessary 5,000 population a number of years earlier, residents were reluctant to give up their status as a town, and for a time, the town of Melfort was actually larger than the city of Melville.

Melfort is near the largest diamond find in the world. The ongoing diamond exploration by a joint venture between Shore Gold Inc. Newmont Mining Corporation of Canada in the Fort à la Corne district is expected to begin mine construction in 2009.

Melfort is called "The City of Northern Lights" due to the frequency at which the aurora borealis appears.

For more information see also the Rural Municipality of Flett's Springs No. 429, Saskatchewan

[edit] Railways

In 1925, Melfort was listed as a Canadian Pacific Railway station on the Lanigan–Naicam branch line. Melfort was also a Canadian National Railways station on the Swan River – Prince Albert branch line and the Humboldt–Melfort–Ridgedale branch line.

[edit] Hockey

Hockey is a key part of Saskatchewan's lifestyle and community, and Melfort is no exception. The Melfort Mustangs play in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. The Mustangs are well known in Canadian hockey circles in many ways—for instance Marc Habscheid, past coach of Canada's World Junior team, started his coaching career with the Mustangs in 1996.

[edit] Statistics

The latest census, taken in 2006, showed a population in the city of Melfort of 5,192. This meant the city shrank by 6.6% since 2001.^[1]

According to the Canada 2006 Census:^[2]

Population:	5,192 (-6.6% from 2001)
Land area:	14.78 km² (5.71 sq mi)
Population density:	351.3 inhabitants per square kilometre (910 /sq mi)
National population rank:	Ranked 669th out of 5,008
Median age:	40.4 (males: 38.9, females: 41.8)
Total private dwellings:	2,377
Dwellings occupied by permanent residents:	2,218
Median household income:	$34,014

[edit] History

Three one-room school houses used the name "Melfort". Melfort School District No. 54, later called Tiger Lily No. 54 17, near Pleasantdale. (Pleasantdale post office was previously named Windgap and was located at Township 41, Range 18 west of the 2nd Meridian). Melfort School District No. 318 was established in 1904 at Clemens, Rural Route 1, Melfort. Melfort School District No. 1037 was the last one-room school house to use this name.

Melfort was named to honour Mrs. Reginald Beatty (née Mary Campbell, 1856–1916), wife of one of the early settlers (1884). She was born on the Melfort estate, south of Oban, in Argyllshire, Scotland.^[3] Melfort House was described in the 1890s as being at the head of "a sea-loch of Kilninver and Kilmelfort parish, Argyllshire".^[4] In 2008, it was described as "an outstanding country house...on the shores of Loch Melfort".[1]

Melfort's first post office was established August 1, 1892, in the provisional district of the North West Territories with Benjamin Bothwell as the first postmaster.[2]

[edit] Notable people from Melfort

Martine Gaillard, sports television personality currently working for Rogers Sportsnet
Lorne Henning, National Hockey League player and coach
Arthur Hill, actor
Grant Jennings, retired National Hockey League player
Lane Lambert, retired National Hockey League player
Grant MacEwan, former university professor and Calgary mayor
Pat MacLeod, retired National Hockey League player
Nicole Watt, Canadian Senior Women's Figure Skating silver medalist
Steven Woods, high-tech entrepreneur

[edit] References

^ Saskatoon sees 2.8% hike; Regina rises by 0.6%. Saskatoon Star Phoenix, March 14, 2007. p. B1.
^ "2006 Community Profiles". Statistics Canada. Government of Canada. 2009-02-24. http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/index.cfm?Lang=E. Retrieved on 9 March 2009.
^ Barry, Bill (1998) People Places: The Dictionary of Saskatchewan Place Names, p. 236, Regina, Sask: People Places Publishing Ltd., ISBN 1-894022-19-X
^ Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland (Francis H. Groome, editor), vol. V, p. 20, (c. 1895) London: William Mackenzie