Melfort | |
---|---|
City | |
City of Melfort | |
Nickname(s): The City of Northern Lights | |
Motto: From Many Builders One Community | |
Coordinates: 52°51′23″N 104°36′36″W / 52.85639°N 104.61000°W | |
Country | Canada |
Province | Saskatchewan |
Rural Municipality | Star City No. 428, Saskatchewan |
Post office established | August 1, 1892 |
Incorporated Village | 1903 |
Incorporated Town | July 1, 1907 |
Incorporated City | September 2, 1980 |
Government | |
• Mayor | Rick Lang |
• MLA Melfort | Kevin Phillips |
• MP Prince Albert | Randy Hoback |
Elevation | 480.10 m (1,575.13 ft) |
Population (2016) | |
• Total | 5,992 |
• Density | 405.4/km2 (1,050/sq mi) |
Time zone | Central Standard Time (UTC−6) |
Highways |
Hwy 3, CanAm Highway Hwy 2 CanAm Highway, Sk Hwy 641 |
Website | City of Melfort |
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.
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.
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.