Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan
Encyclopedia
Meadow Lake is a city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...

 located in north west 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....

, Canada
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...

 about 246 kilometres (152.9 mi) north east of Lloydminster
Lloydminster
Lloydminster is a Canadian city which has the unusual geographic distinction of straddling the provincial border between Alberta and Saskatchewan...

 and 156 kilometres (96.9 mi) north of North Battleford. On November 9, 2009, it officially became Saskatchewan's 14th city.

Meadow Lake is the main business centre in northwest Saskatchewan and serves the many towns and villages as a regional shopping centre. It is the second-largest community in Saskatchewan's Census Division No. 17
Division No. 17, Saskatchewan
Division No. 17, Saskatchewan, Canada, is one of the eighteen census divisions within the province, as defined by Statistics Canada. It is located in the west-northwest part of the province, bordering Alberta. The most populous community in this division is the interprovincial city of Lloydminster...

, after Saskatchewan's portion of the interprovincial city of Lloydminster
Lloydminster
Lloydminster is a Canadian city which has the unusual geographic distinction of straddling the provincial border between Alberta and Saskatchewan...

. Incorporated as a city on November 9, 2009, Meadow Lake is the newest city in Saskatchewan. The city borders the Rural Municipality of Meadow Lake No. 588
Meadow Lake No. 588, Saskatchewan
Meadow Lake No. 588 is a rural municipality in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, located in the northwest part of the province near the town of Meadow Lake. Also within the geographical boundaries of the R.M...

 and the Flying Dust First Nation
Flying Dust First Nation Reserve 105, Saskatchewan
Flying Dust First Nation is an Indian reserve located adjacent to the city of Meadow Lake, in Saskatchewan, Canada. With close to 1200 members the community has developed a reputation as a progressive and strong community...

 Indian reserve
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...

.

History

Peter Fidler
Peter Fidler (explorer)
Peter Fidler was a British surveyor, map-maker, chief fur trader and explorer who had a long career in the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company in what later became Canada. He was born in Bolsover, Derbyshire, England and died at Fort Dauphin in present day Manitoba...

 built Bolsover House in 1799 near "Lac des Prairies", the first name given to Meadow Lake. In 1873 Metis families arrived establishing a Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...

 trading post, joined by other settlers in the early 1900s. The largest impetus occurred following a fire of 1919 and the exodus of some of the settlers during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...

 from the Dust Bowl
Dust Bowl
The Dust Bowl, or the Dirty Thirties, was a period of severe dust storms causing major ecological and agricultural damage to American and Canadian prairie lands from 1930 to 1936...

 of central and southern Saskatchewan to communities in the north.

Demographics

The Meadow Lake Indian Band was established in 1889 with signing of Treaty 6
Treaty 6
Treaty 6 is an agreement between the Canadian monarch and the Plain and Wood Cree Indians and other tribes of Indians at Fort Carlton, Fort Pitt and Battle River. The area agreed upon by the Plain and Wood Cree represents most of the central area of the current provinces of Saskatchewan and...

 to the north of Meadow Lake. This reserve is now named the Flying Dust First Nation
Flying Dust First Nation Reserve 105, Saskatchewan
Flying Dust First Nation is an Indian reserve located adjacent to the city of Meadow Lake, in Saskatchewan, Canada. With close to 1200 members the community has developed a reputation as a progressive and strong community...

.

The 1955 population was established as 1,978 by the Saskatchewan Business Directory and as 2,453 in the 1955 Golden Jubilee edition of Saskatchewan Business Directory. 2,216 given in the table is the average of these two population counts.

On November 9, 2009, it officially became Saskatchewan's 14th city. The population is a matter of uncertainty. The 2001 census
Canada 2001 Census
The Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 15, 2001. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 30,007,094. This was a 4% increase over 1996 Census of 28,846,761. In...

 showed only a population of 4,582 persons living on 7.64 km2 (2.95 sq mi) of land - Saskatchewan generally requires a sustained population over 5,000 to qualify for city status - however, the city's Community Profile indicates that an unofficial re-count by Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. Its headquarters is in Ottawa....

 in 2004 showed a population of 5,021. However, the 2006 census figure shows 4,771, while population figures cited in the Community Report and based upon information from Saskatchewan Health
Ministry of Health (Saskatchewan)
The Ministry of Health is responsible for policy direction, sets and monitors standards, provides funding, supporting the regional health authorities and provincial health services.-Deputy Minister's Office:...

 claim a 2005 population of 6648. By comparison, Melville, Saskatchewan
Melville, Saskatchewan
Melville is a small Canadian city located in the east-central portion of Saskatchewan. It was declared a city by the province in 1960. The city is north east of the provincial capital of Regina and south west of Yorkton. According to The World Gazetteer, it has a 2004 population of approximately...

 still retains its city charter despite a population drop to between 4,200 and 4,300.

Geography

Meadow Lake is located in the middle of an area pre-historically covered by a large glacial lake
Geology of Saskatchewan
The geology of Saskatchewan can be divided into two main geological regions, the Precambrian Canadian Shield and the Phanerozoic Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. Within the Precambrian shield exists the Athabasca sedimentary basin. Meteorite impacts have altered the natural geological...

 also called Meadow Lake (Saskatchewan) formed from a receding continental glacier, of which only a fraction still exists. The lake is located on the east side of the city. The ancient lakeshore forms the Meadow Lake Escarpment, a significant terrain feature clearly visible looking south from many points in the city.

The area is a part of the Southern Boreal EcoRegion
Flora of Saskatchewan
The native flora of the Saskatchewan includes vascular plants, plus additional species of other plants and plant-like organisms such as algae, lichens and other fungi, and mosses...

 with the Northern Boreal EcoRegion to the north and the Parkland EcoRegion on the south. The neighbouring rural areas include Trembling aspen Populus tremuloides
Populus tremuloides
Populus tremuloides is a deciduous tree native to cooler areas of North America, commonly called quaking aspen, trembling aspen, American aspen, and Quakies,. The trees have tall trunks, up to 25 metres, with smooth pale bark, scarred with black. The glossy green leaves, dull beneath, become golden...

, White spruce Picea glauca, Jack Pine Pinus banksiana
Jack Pine
Jack pine is a North American pine with its native range in Canada east of the Rocky Mountains from Northwest Territories to Nova Scotia, and the northeast of the United States from Minnesota to Maine, with the southernmost part of the range just into northwest Indiana...

, Black Spruce Picea mariana and muskegs

Specifically Meadow Lake is situated in the Meadow Lake plain
Flora of Saskatchewan
The native flora of the Saskatchewan includes vascular plants, plus additional species of other plants and plant-like organisms such as algae, lichens and other fungi, and mosses...

 of the Boreal transition ecoregion
Fauna of Saskatchewan
The Fauna of Saskatchewan include several diverse land and aquatic animal species. From the multiplicity of invertebrates and vertebrates, two have been chosen as symbols of Saskatchewan. Cenozoic vertebrate fossils reveal the geological evolution of the interior plains and its prehistoric...

 in the Boreal Plain ecozone.

Climate

Meadow Lake experiences a humid continental climate
Humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....

 (Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...

 Dfb) that falls just short of being classified as a subarctic climate
Subarctic climate
The subarctic climate is a climate characterized by long, usually very cold winters, and short, cool to mild summers. It is found on large landmasses, away from the moderating effects of an ocean, generally at latitudes from 50° to 70°N poleward of the humid continental climates...

 (Köppen Dfc). A record high of 37.2 °C (99 °F) was set August 10, 1991, and -47 C was felt December 21, 1990. A record snowfall occurred November 16, 1984, with 19.4 centimetres (7.6 in) and a record 57.8 millimetres (2.3 in) of rain fell May 17, 1984. A record snowfall depth was recorded February 22, 1997, when 58 centimetres (22.8 in) was measured. January 11, 1986, was very cold with wind gusting to 104 kilometres (64.6 mi) per hour. The humidex was set at a high of 40.4 on August 10, 1991, and the opposite extreme was felt with a −55.8 windchill on December 20, 1989.

Government

Meadow Lake has a mayor as the highest ranking government official. Voters also elect aldermen or councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...

s to form the municipal council. Currently the mayor is Gary Vidal.

Provincially, Meadow Lake is within the Meadow Lake
Meadow Lake (provincial electoral district)
Meadow Lake is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, Canada.-Members of the Legislative Assembly:-Election results:...

 constituency. It is currently represented served by their MLA
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....

, Jeremy Harrison
Jeremy Harrison
Jeremy Harrison, is a Canadian politician, currently representing the riding of Meadow Lake in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan...

 of the Saskatchewan Party
Saskatchewan Party
The Saskatchewan Party is a conservative liberal political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The party was established in 1997 by a coalition of former provincial Progressive Conservative and Liberal party members and supporters who sought to remove the Saskatchewan New Democratic...

.

Meadow lake is represented in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...

 by its MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...

 of the Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River
Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River
Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River is a federal electoral district in Saskatchewan, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997.-Demographics:...

 riding, currently Rob Clarke
Rob Clarke
Robert G. "Rob" Clarke is a politician and career Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer. He was the Conservative Party of Canada's candidate in Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River for the March 17, 2008 federal by-election in which he defeated Liberal candidate Joan Beatty.A member of the Muskeg...

 of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...

.

Economy

The tourism, fishing, fur, pulpwood, forestry, agricultural grains, livestock, dairy and poultry product industries all support Meadow Lake which boasted seven grain elevators in 1955. Meadow Lake was processing three million bushels of grain in 1953, the highest amount for a single Canadian community.

Currently the city's heavy industry is dominated by the primary forestry industry and related service companies, including trucking and forestry management companies. The forest companies include NorSask Forest Products Inc., Meadow Lake Mechanical Pulp Ltd. and the Meadow Lake OSB Limited Partnership. Support industries include Mistik Management and various privately held trucking companies.

Meadow Lake acts as a business hub in its local area, providing services for the smaller surrounding communities of Dorintosh and Rapid View and surrounding reserves including the Flying Dust First Nation and the Eagles Lake reserve.

A major component of the Meadow Lake economy is the First Nation communities and their relative success. The Flying Dust First Nation, which directly borders the town, owns and operates many of the city's most profitable industries, including direct ownership of NorSask Forest Products Inc., a portion of the Meadow Lake OSB Partnership, stakes in local trucking and service companies, and a sizeable farming operation which is currently limited to leasing the vast amounts of local property they own or have title on.

The community’s agricultural community is also sizeable, including both cereal production and ranching operations. The most pristine agricultural lands are closest to the city, whereas the surrounding areas become less suitable for farming and more amenable to ranching as you progress north Canadian Shield
Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield, also called the Laurentian Plateau, or Bouclier Canadien , is a vast geological shield covered by a thin layer of soil that forms the nucleus of the North American or Laurentia craton. It is an area mostly composed of igneous rock which relates to its long volcanic history...

 or east to the St. Cyr Hills. The city boasts one stockyard and two major agricultural equipment dealers.

The community is home to the SaskPower
SaskPower
Since 1929, SaskPower has been the principal supplier of electricity in Saskatchewan, Canada. Today, it serves more than 473,000 customers and manages $5.3 billion in assets...

 Meadow Lake Power Station
Meadow Lake Power Station
Meadow Lake Power Station is a natural gas fired station owned by SaskPower, located in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada and operated as a peaking plant.- External links :*...

.

The community is 40 km southeast of Meadow Lake Provincial Park
Meadow Lake Provincial Park
Meadow Lake Provincial Park is a northern boreal forest recreational park accessed centrally through Goodsoil. The village of Goodsoil is located approximately 78 km west of Meadow Lake. The eastern entrance to the park is located north of Dorintosh. The western gateway into the Meadow...

.

Education

Meadow Lake is served by Transition Place Education Center, Carpenter High, Jonas Samson Junior High, Lakeview elementary, Jubilee Elementary, Gateway Elementary, and North-West Regional College, which offers courses at both the college and university levels. University courses, including complete, community-based Bachelor of Education
Bachelor of Education
A Bachelor of Education is an undergraduate academic degree which qualifies the graduate as a teacher in schools.-North America:...

 and Master of Education
Master of Education
The Master of Education is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in a large number of countries. This degree in education often includes the following majors: curriculum and instruction, counseling, and administration. It is often conferred for educators advancing in...

 programs are offered by the University of Regina
University of Regina
The University of Regina is a public research university located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Founded in 1911 as a private denominational high school of the Methodist Church of Canada, it began an association with the University of Saskatchewan as a junior college in 1925, and was disaffiliated...

.

In the spring of 2005, the Government of Saskatchewan invested CA$
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...

41,000 to upgrade the roof at Jonas Samson Junior High School. Academy of Learning AOL is a post seconary career and business college in Meadow Lake.
For the school year 2007-2008, Lakeview Elementary School started a much anticipated French Immersion Program.
Historically the Meadow Lake area was served by several one room school houses, the closest being the Meadow Lake School District #1201 Township 59, range 17, west of the 3rd Meridian
106th meridian west
The meridian 106° west of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, North America, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....

.

Local Media

  • Newspapers

The Northern Pride is an award winning weekly newspaper based in Meadow Lake and servicing northwest Saskatchewan.

The Meadow Lake Progress is a local newspaper.
  • Radio

CJNS-FM
CJNS-FM
CJNS-FM is a Canadian radio station that broadcasts a country music format at 102.3 FM in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan. CJNS is owned by Northwestern Radio Partnership....

 102.3 and CFDM-FM
CFDM-FM
CFDM-FM is a community radio station serving the Flying Dust First Nation and the adjacent town of Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada....

 105.7 are the local radio stations.

Transportation

Meadow Lake is located on SK Highway 55
Saskatchewan Highway 55
Highway 55 is a provincial paved undivided highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from Alberta Highway 55 near the Alberta border until Highway 9. Highway 55 is 652 km long. It forms part of the interprovincial Northern Woods and Water Route.-Attractions:On the West portion...

, and SK Highway 4
Saskatchewan Highway 4
Highway 4 is a major highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from U.S. Route 191 at the United States border near Monchy to Highway 224/Highway 904 at Meadow Lake Provincial Park. Highway 4 is about 653 km long....

. The Prince Albert - Leoville - Meadow Lake - North Battleford Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...

 reached Meadow Lake Station at Section 26, Township
Dominion Land Survey
The Dominion Land Survey is the method used to divide most of Western Canada into one-square-mile sections for agricultural and other purposes. It is based on the layout of the Public Land Survey System used in the United States, but has several differences...

 59, Range
Dominion Land Survey
The Dominion Land Survey is the method used to divide most of Western Canada into one-square-mile sections for agricultural and other purposes. It is based on the layout of the Public Land Survey System used in the United States, but has several differences...

 17, west of the Third Meridian
106th meridian west
The meridian 106° west of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, North America, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....

 in 1931. Meadow Lake Airport  is located 2 NM west of Meadow Lake.

Sites of interest

Meadow Lake's slogan is "Gateway to Pure Air and Water."

Meadow Lake now has a brand new Tourist Information Centre, which is shared by the Meadow Lake Museum Society, Northern Saskatchewan Tourism, and the Meadow Lake Chamber of Commerce. This is located coming into town on highway #4 South.

Meadow Lake Provincial Park
Meadow Lake Provincial Park
Meadow Lake Provincial Park is a northern boreal forest recreational park accessed centrally through Goodsoil. The village of Goodsoil is located approximately 78 km west of Meadow Lake. The eastern entrance to the park is located north of Dorintosh. The western gateway into the Meadow...

, located about 40 km to the north, takes its name from the city. Meadow Lake Lions Regional Park, Nesset Lake Recreation Site and Saint Cyr Hills Trails Recreation Site are neighbouring conservation areas.

Notable people

Notable persons who were born, grew up, or established their fame in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan:
  • Blake Comeau
    Blake Comeau
    Blake Comeau is a Canadian ice hockey player who currently plays for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...

     - 2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
    2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
    The 2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships were held in Vancouver, Kelowna, and Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. The championships began on December 26, 2005, and finished on January 5, 2006. Games were played at GM Place and the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, the Interior Savings Centre in...

     Gold Medallist, NHL hockey
    Hockey
    Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...

     player with the New York Islanders
    New York Islanders
    The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

  • Jeff Friesen
    Jeff Friesen
    Jeff Daryl Friesen is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently a Free Agent. He most recently played with Eisbären Berlin of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.-Playing career:...

     - Former NHL hockey player
  • Joe Handley
    Joe Handley
    Joseph "Joe" L. Handley, MLA is a former teacher and civil servant and was the tenth Premier of the Northwest Territories, Canada.-Early life:Handley was born in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan...

     - Former Premier of The Northwest Territories
    Northwest Territories
    The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...

  • Jeremy Harrison
    Jeremy Harrison
    Jeremy Harrison, is a Canadian politician, currently representing the riding of Meadow Lake in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan...

     - Current MLA
    Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
    The 25th Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan was in power from 2003 until November 20, 2007. It was controlled by the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party under premier Lorne Calvert.-Members:-By-elections:...

  • D. J. King
    D. J. King
    -International:-External links:...

     - NHL hockey player with the Washington Capitals
    Washington Capitals
    The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...

  • Kristina Lenko - Dancing on Ice
    Dancing on Ice
    Dancing on Ice is a British television show co-hosted by Christine Bleakley and Philip Schofield, in which celebrities and their professional partners figure skate in front of a panel of judges. The format, devised by LWT and Granada Television, has been a prime-time hit in eight different...

     Skater
  • Merlin "the Magician" Malinowski - Former NHL hockey player
  • Jon Mirasty
    Jon Mirasty
    Jonathon Gary Frank Mirasty is an ice hockey left winger who plays for the Chekhov Vityaz of the KHL. Nicknamed "Nasty" by both teammates and fans, Mirasty has developed a cult following throughout his career due to his Mohawk hairstyle and his laughing during his fights..Mirasty finished the...

     - AHL
    American Hockey League
    The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...

     hockey player
  • Mike Siklenka
    Mike Siklenka
    Michael Siklenka is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for Klagenfurt AC of the Austrian Hockey League .-Playing career:...

     - AHL hockey player
  • Maynard Sonntag
    Maynard Sonntag
    Maynard Sonntag is a Canadian politician and a former Saskatchewan cabinet minister.He was raised and educated in Goodsoil, Saskatchewan. Prior to being elected, Sonntag was a manager in the Credit Union system from 1980-1991....

     - Former Saskatchewan Cabinet
    Executive Council of Saskatchewan
    The Executive Council of Saskatchewan is the cabinet of that Canadian province....

     Minister
  • Jeremy Yablonski
    Jeremy Yablonski
    Jeremy Yablonski is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who currently plays for Vityaz Chekhov of the Kontinental Hockey League. Primarily a hockey enforcer, Yablonski is a six-time Golden Gloves boxing champion from Canada....

     - NHL and AHL hockey player

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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