Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan


Meadow Lake is a city in the boreal forest of northwestern Saskatchewan, Canada. Its location is about northeast of Lloydminster and north of North Battleford. Founded as a trading post in 1799, it became a village in 1931 and a town in 1936. On November 9, 2009, it officially became Saskatchewan's 14th city.
Meadow Lake is the main business centre of northwestern 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, after Saskatchewan's portion of the interprovincial city of Lloydminster. The city borders the Rural Municipality of Meadow Lake No. 588 and the Flying Dust First Nation No. 105 reserves.

History

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 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 from the Dust Bowl of central and southern Saskatchewan to communities in the north.

Bolsover House

For fur trade in the area see Beaver River. Peter Fidler of the Hudson's Bay Company was told by Indian guides that Meadow Lake was a good place for furs. On August 30, 1799 he reached the mouth of the Meadow Lake River. The stream was so narrow and crooked that he almost despaired of navigating it. When he reached the Lake he found it so shallow and swampy that he had to proceed demi-chargé. Finding no good place on the lake he went up a river and selected a place about 1000 yards inland. He named it Bolsover House after his home town in England. The post returned only 190 made beaver in the first season so in 1801 it was closed and everything moved east to Green Lake House. The exact site of Bolsover House is unknown. There is a monument to Peter Fidler in Meadow Lake.

Demographics

The Meadow Lake Indian Band was established in 1889 with signing of Treaty 6 to the north of Meadow Lake. This reserve is now named the Flying Dust First Nation.
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 showed only a population of 4,582 persons living on 7.64 km2 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 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 claim a 2005 population of 6648. By comparison, Melville, Saskatchewan 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 also called Meadow Lake 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 with the Northern Boreal EcoRegion to the north and the Parkland EcoRegion on the south. The neighbouring rural areas include Trembling aspen Populus tremuloides, White spruce Picea glauca, Jack Pine Pinus banksiana, Black Spruce Picea mariana and muskegs
Specifically Meadow Lake is situated in the Meadow Lake plain of the Boreal transition ecoregion in the Boreal Plain ecozone.

Climate

Meadow Lake experiences a subarctic climate that falls just short of being classified as a Humid continental climate. The highest temperature ever recorded in Meadow Lake was on 27 June 2002. The coldest temperature ever recorded was on 8 January 1930. A record snowfall occurred November 16, 1984, with and a record of rain fell May 17, 1984. A record snowfall depth was recorded February 22, 1997, when was measured. January 11, 1986, was very cold with wind gusting to 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 councillors to form the municipal council. Currently the mayor is Gary Vidal.
Provincially, Meadow Lake is within the Meadow Lake constituency. It is currently represented served by their MLA, Jeremy Harrison of the Saskatchewan Party.
Meadow Lake is represented in the House of Commons of Canada by its MP of the Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River riding, currently Georgina Jolibois of the New Democratic Party.

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 towards the north with the Canadian Shield, 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 Meadow Lake Power Station.
The community is 40 km southeast of Meadow Lake Provincial Park.

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 and Master of Education programs are offered by the University of Regina.
In the spring of 2005, the Government of Saskatchewan invested CA$41,000 to upgrade the roof at Jonas Samson Junior High School. Academy of Learning AOL is a post secondary 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.

Local media

Newspapers

The Northern Pride is a weekly newspaper based in Meadow Lake and serves northwestern Saskatchewan. The Meadow Lake Progress was a local newspaper that was published from 1931 to 2013.

Radio

102.3 and CFDM-FM 105.7 are the local radio stations. The town is also served by CBKM-FM 98.5, a repeater of CBK-AM 540 in Watrous.

Transportation

Meadow Lake is located on SK Highway 55, and SK Highway 4. The Prince Albert - Leoville - Meadow Lake - North Battleford Canadian Pacific Railway reached Meadow Lake Station at Section 26, Township 59, Range 17, west of the Third Meridian in 1931. Meadow Lake Airport is located west of Meadow Lake.

Attraction

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, 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:

Book reference

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