Country Canada Post office established August 1, 1892 Incorporated Town July 1, 1907 Local time Saturday 4:07 AM University Cumberland College | Province Saskatchewan Incorporated Village 1903 Area 14.78 km² Population 5,576 (2011) | |
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Rural Municipality Star City No. 428, Saskatchewan Weather -7°C, Wind SE at 21 km/h, 61% Humidity | ||
Melfort (2016 population 5,992) is a small Canadian city in Saskatchewan, approximately 95 kilometres (59 mi) southeast of Prince Albert, 107 miles (172 km) northeast of Saskatoon and 174 miles (280 km) north of Regina.
Contents
- Map of Melfort SK Canada
- History
- Geography
- Climate
- Demographics
- Economy
- Attractions
- Sports and recreation
- Ice Hockey
- Government
- Transportation
- Education
- Media
- Notable people
- Area statistics
- References
Map of Melfort, SK, Canada
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 was formerly called the "City of Northern Lights" due to the frequency with which the aurora borealis appears. However, in 2016, Melfort became "Play Melfort" due to its vast recreation programs and facilities.
This city is bordered by the Rural Municipality of Star City No. 428 and the Rural Municipality of Flett's Springs No. 429.
It is also the administrative headquarters of the Peter Chapman First Nation band government.
History
Just 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) northwest of current location of Melfort settlers established themselves on the banks of Stoney Creek before relocation due to the surveying of the Canadian National Railway. 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.
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.
The community became a village on November 4, 1903, and incorporated as a town July 1, 1907. It finally became the twelfth city of Saskatchewan on September 2, 1980.
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.
Geography
Melfort is located in the Carrot River valley which is noted for its black loamy soil and productive agricultural lands. The drainage region for Melfort is the Lower Saskatchewan - Nelson and the area is characterized by a prairie ecozone. The Tiger Hills Uplands ecozone provides rich soil to grow a diversity of crops. Melfort Research Farm is located south of Melfort in the Boreal Shield ecozone and the Churchill drainage basin. The farm's main purpose is to research crops and crop systems for northern prairie black and grey soil zones. The Melfort branch of the Canadian Legion has assembled a photographic display of the geographic memorials designated to honour the war dead.
Climate
Melfort experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb). The highest temperature ever recorded in Melfort was 41.1 °C (106 °F) on 19 July 1941. The coldest temperature ever recorded was −47.2 °C (−53 °F) on 28 January 1966.
Demographics
The latest census, taken in 2016, showed a population in the city of Melfort of 5,992. This meant the city had grown by 7.5% since 2011.
Economy
The Agriculture Melfort Research Station is centered here along with many other agriculturally based industries. The Melfort Research Farm near Melfort was established in 1935 by the Federal Minister of Agriculture. It is one of the three field sites of the Saskatoon Research Centre (SRC). SRC is one of nineteen research branches of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
Melfort is near a large diamond exploration site. 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 2012.
Attractions
Within the city of Melfort is the Melfort Golf & Country Club, which hosts an 18-hole grass greens golf course, and the Spruce Haven picnic area. A show ring, grandstand, museum, and exhibition building are all located within the Melfort Exhibition Grounds. The Melfort & District Museum next door showcases pioneering equipment, tools, farm machinery, archival documents as well as early settler's buildings Neighbouring points of interest are Fort Carleton, Duck Lake, and Seager Wheeler's Maple Grove Farm.
Sports and recreation
Melfort was home to the 2006 Saskatchewan Winter Games, the 1988 Saskatchewan Summer Games, the 1996 Royal Bank Cup Canadian Junior 'A' Hockey Championships, the 1995 Saskatchewan Men's Curling Pool Tankard finals and the 2002 Saskatchewan women's Scott Tournament of Hearts finals. The Kerry Vickar Centre, a multi purpose sports and leisure facility, opened in the autumn of 2009 The previous multi-use facility at that location, the North East Leisure Centre, was taken down to make way for the new Kerry Vickar Centre.
Ice Hockey
Hockey is a key part of Saskatchewan's lifestyle and Melfort is no different. 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. Other notable Mustang alumni include Willie Mitchell of the Los Angeles Kings and Ruslan Fedetenko formerly of the Philadelphia Flyers.
Government
Municipal affairs are handled by the city's mayor, Rick Lang and council. City council currently consists of Lang and six councillors. The rural municipality of Flett's Springs No. 429 office is located on McDonald Avenue West in Melfort and provides municipal rural affairs to the small unincorporated areas of Claggett, Ethelton, Ethelton Airport, Flett Springs, Lipsett, McMichael, Melfort Airport, Minto Park, Pathlow, and Taylorside.
Melfort is in the federal electoral district of Prince Albert with their Member of Parliament being Randy Hoback.
Provincially, the area is within the constituency of Melfort with its MLA being Kevin Phillips. He was preceded by Rod Gantefoer.
Transportation
Melfort is located at the junction of two primary route highways, SK Hwy 3 and Sk Hwy 6 where they meet with secondary Sk Hwy 41. 203.1 miles (326.9 km) of Saskatchewan Highway 6 contribute to the CanAm Highway between Corinne and Melfort. 59.7 miles (96.1 km) of Saskatchewan Highway 3 contribute to the CanAm Highway between Melfort and Prince Albert. Melfort is 107.92 miles (173.68 km) north east of the largest provincial city, Saskatoon along Sk Hwy 41 (turning onto SK Hwy 5) and 58.12 miles (93.54 km) south east of Prince Albert via the CanAm Highway.
Melfort (Miller Field) Aerodrome (TC LID: CJZ3), is located 2.6 NM (4.8 km; 3.0 mi) west of Melfort.
In 1925, Melfort was listed as a Canadian Pacific Railway station on the Canadian Pacific Railway Melfort Subdivision. Melfort is currently a Canadian National Railways interchange point and railway station on the Tisdale, St. Brieux and Brooksby Subdivisions.
Education
The government's Canada-Saskatchewan Career and Employment Services office was to be combined with Melfort's Comprehensive High School and the Cumberland Regional College. The Melfort and Unit Comprehensive Collegiate provides education to grades 7 to 12 and is a part of the North East School Division No. 200.
Historically students in Melfort were educated at the Melfort School District Unit 54.
Media
The Melfort Journal, is the local newspaper, as well as providing news feeds to the community.