Manitou Lake No. 442, Saskatchewan
Encyclopedia
The Rural Municipality of Manitou Lake No. 442 is a rural municipality
in the Canadian
province of Saskatchewan
in north western Division 6. The population of this R.M is 590 people. Manitou Lake is named for the Algonquian
word meaning “mysterious being.” It covers 13.3 km2, with an average depth of 3.8 m. The village of Marsden
lies near its centre, but is technically not part of the rural municipality.
. In 1905, the first settlers came from Canadian regions, the British Isles
and the United States
. The area was known as the Manitou Lake District. In 1907-08 a post office was established in the home of Mr. Alex Wright, approximately one mile northeast of the present Marsden town site. The post office served the surrounding rural area. The Wrights named the post office 'Marsden'. One story recounts the name as originating from the birthplace of Mrs. Wright in Yorkshire
, England
; another reports it was named after the famous Marsden Rock
near Newcastle
, England. The adjacent area became known as the Marsden Rural Post Office District. Between 1919 and 1922, the post office was relocated one mile south to the RM office of Manitou Lake No. 442.
In 1905, the vast prairie land was covered with long grass referred to as 'prairie wool'. There were few trees or bluffs. The fertile black soil attracted many first settlers to the area and soon farms developed with sod and log homes. Farmers turned sod with horse and ox teams, sometime using a walking plow (sulky) to prepare the ground for grain sowing. Grain was cut with binders, stooked, and threshed. Farmers hauled grain by wagon or horse-drawn sleigh to Zumbro and Artland. In the winter months, grain was hauled across the ice of Manitou Lake. Early settlers purchased groceries and supplies at Lashburn
, Artland, or Chauvin, Alberta
. A popular shopping method of the time was the Eaton's catalogue.
The settler's children first attended school in Learig, and in 1925 a four-room schoolhouse was built in the hamlet of Marsden
.
, cattle and oil
are primary industries for the population of 590 residents of the RM of Manitou Lake. Wheat
, canola
, barley
, oats
, peas
and flax
are typical crops in the area. The region is famous for its prize-winning purebred cattle that include Hereford
, Charolais
, Simmental
, and Angus
. Agriculture
diversification is noticeable with specialty livestock production such as elk
and bison
.
The oil industry plays a significant role in the local economy
. Oil wells and batteries in the countryside evidence heavy crude oil extraction in the region.
. The park facilities include campsites, showers, cookhouse
, playgrounds, horseshoe
pits, ball diamonds and a soccer field. A golf course
is also located in the park.
Camping and guided trail rides through the Great Manito Sand Hills, one of Western Canada
's most distinctive landscapes, are popular activities in the area.
Rural municipality
A rural municipality, often abbreviated RM, is a form of municipality in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, perhaps best comparable to counties or townships in the western United States...
in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
in north western Division 6. The population of this R.M is 590 people. Manitou Lake is named for the Algonquian
Algonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
word meaning “mysterious being.” It covers 13.3 km2, with an average depth of 3.8 m. The village of Marsden
Marsden, Saskatchewan
-Arts and culture:Marsden is also the host of the annual Quad War, a Society for Creative Anachronism event. It is a Renaissance/Middle Ages full costume festival and war. It attracts approximately 500 people, mostly society members from Alberta and Saskatchewan. It is usually held in the first...
lies near its centre, but is technically not part of the rural municipality.
History
Before 1905, Manitou Lake No. 442 would have been part of the Northwest TerritoriesTerritorial evolution of Canada
The federation of Canada was created in 1867 when three colonies of British North America were united. One of these colonies split into two new provinces, three other colonies joined later...
. In 1905, the first settlers came from Canadian regions, the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The area was known as the Manitou Lake District. In 1907-08 a post office was established in the home of Mr. Alex Wright, approximately one mile northeast of the present Marsden town site. The post office served the surrounding rural area. The Wrights named the post office 'Marsden'. One story recounts the name as originating from the birthplace of Mrs. Wright in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
; another reports it was named after the famous Marsden Rock
Marsden Rock
Marsden Rock is a rock formation in Tyne and Wear, North East England, situated in Marsden, South Shields. It is owned by the National Trust. The face of the rock was changed forever when tidal erosion caused the arch to collapse in 1996. Prior to this it was the feature included on most postcards...
near Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, England. The adjacent area became known as the Marsden Rural Post Office District. Between 1919 and 1922, the post office was relocated one mile south to the RM office of Manitou Lake No. 442.
In 1905, the vast prairie land was covered with long grass referred to as 'prairie wool'. There were few trees or bluffs. The fertile black soil attracted many first settlers to the area and soon farms developed with sod and log homes. Farmers turned sod with horse and ox teams, sometime using a walking plow (sulky) to prepare the ground for grain sowing. Grain was cut with binders, stooked, and threshed. Farmers hauled grain by wagon or horse-drawn sleigh to Zumbro and Artland. In the winter months, grain was hauled across the ice of Manitou Lake. Early settlers purchased groceries and supplies at Lashburn
Lashburn, Saskatchewan
-Demographics:-External links:...
, Artland, or Chauvin, Alberta
Chauvin, Alberta
Chauvin is a village in east central Alberta, Canada. It is located east of Wainwright, and west of the Saskatchewan border. It is also the home of Susie the Softball, the worlds largest softball.-Demographics:...
. A popular shopping method of the time was the Eaton's catalogue.
The settler's children first attended school in Learig, and in 1925 a four-room schoolhouse was built in the hamlet of Marsden
Marsden, Saskatchewan
-Arts and culture:Marsden is also the host of the annual Quad War, a Society for Creative Anachronism event. It is a Renaissance/Middle Ages full costume festival and war. It attracts approximately 500 people, mostly society members from Alberta and Saskatchewan. It is usually held in the first...
.
Demographics
Economic information
AgricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, cattle and oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
are primary industries for the population of 590 residents of the RM of Manitou Lake. Wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, canola
Canola
Canola refers to a cultivar of either Rapeseed or Field Mustard . Its seeds are used to produce edible oil suitable for consumption by humans and livestock. The oil is also suitable for use as biodiesel.Originally, Canola was bred naturally from rapeseed in Canada by Keith Downey and Baldur R...
, barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
, oats
OATS
OATS - Open Source Assistive Technology Software - is a source code repository or "forge" for assistive technology software. It was launched in 2006 with the goal to provide a one-stop “shop” for end users, clinicians and open-source developers to promote and develop open source assistive...
, peas
PEAS
P.E.A.S. is an acronym in artificial intelligence that stands for Performance, Environment, Actuators, Sensors.-Performance:Performance is a function that measures the quality of the actions the agent did....
and flax
Flax
Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent...
are typical crops in the area. The region is famous for its prize-winning purebred cattle that include Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
, Charolais
Charolais cattle
Charolais cattle are a beef breed of cattle which originated in Charolais, around Charolles, in France. They are raised for their meat and are known for their composite qualities when crossed with other breeds, most notably Angus and Hereford cattle...
, Simmental
Simmental
Simmental is an alpine valley in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland. It expands from Lenk to Boltigen, in a more or less South-North direction , and from there to the valley exit at Wimmis near Spiez it takes a West-East orientation . It comprises the municipalities of Lenk, St...
, and Angus
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
. Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
diversification is noticeable with specialty livestock production such as elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
and bison
Bison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
.
The oil industry plays a significant role in the local economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
. Oil wells and batteries in the countryside evidence heavy crude oil extraction in the region.
Attractions
Manitou Lake, in the Suffern Lake Regional Park, is located 4 miles (6.4 km) south and east of MarsdenMarsden, Saskatchewan
-Arts and culture:Marsden is also the host of the annual Quad War, a Society for Creative Anachronism event. It is a Renaissance/Middle Ages full costume festival and war. It attracts approximately 500 people, mostly society members from Alberta and Saskatchewan. It is usually held in the first...
. The park facilities include campsites, showers, cookhouse
Cookhouse
Cookhouse is a small town in Eastern Cape province, South Africa....
, playgrounds, horseshoe
Horseshoe
A horseshoe, is a fabricated product, normally made of metal, although sometimes made partially or wholly of modern synthetic materials, designed to protect a horse's hoof from wear and tear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall...
pits, ball diamonds and a soccer field. A golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
is also located in the park.
Camping and guided trail rides through the Great Manito Sand Hills, one of Western Canada
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
's most distinctive landscapes, are popular activities in the area.