Rural Municipality of Manitou Lake No. 442

Manitou Lake No. 442
Rural municipality
Rural Municipality of Manitou Lake No. 442
RM's office in Marsden
Marsden Unwin Artland Zumbro
Location of the RM of Manitou Lake No. 442 in Saskatchewan
Coordinates: 52°53′06″N109°46′05″W / 52.885°N 109.768°W / 52.885; -109.768 [1]
Country	Canada
Province	Saskatchewan
Census division	13
SARM division	6
Federal riding	Battlefords—Lloydminster
Provincial riding	Cut Knife-Turtleford
Formed [2]	December 12, 1910
Government [3]
•  Reeve	Brian Graham
• Governing body	RM of Manitou Lake No. 442 Council
• Administrator	Joanne Loy
• Office location	Marsden
Area  (2016) [4]
• Land	850.95 km2 (328.55 sq mi)
Population  (2016) [4]
• Total	573
• Density	0.7/km2 (2/sq mi)
Time zone	CST
• Summer (DST)	CST
Postal code	S0M 1P0
Area code(s)	306 and 639
Website	Official website

The Rural Municipality of Manitou Lake No. 442 (2016 population: 573) is a rural municipality (RM) in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within Census Division No. 13 and SARM Division No. 6.

History

The RM of Manitou Lake No. 442 incorporated as a rural municipality on December 12, 1910. ^[2] It takes its name from Manitou Lake, which is Algonquian for "mysterious being".

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 1907-1908 a post office was established in the home of Mr. Alex Wright, approximately one mile north-east 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, sometimes using a walking plough (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.

Geography

Communities and localities

The following urban municipalities are surrounded by the RM.

Villages

• Marsden

The following unincorporated communities are within the RM.

Localities

• Artland
• Unwin

Lakes and rivers

The following is a list of notable lakes and rivers in the RM:

• Manitou Lake
• Wells Lake
• Reflex Lakes
• Battle River
• Eyehill Creek

Demographics

Population history
(1981–2016)

Year	Pop.	±%
1981	687	—
1986	727	+5.8%
1991	631	−13.2%
1996	618	−2.1%
2001	604	−2.3%
2006	590	−2.3%
2011	547	−7.3%
2016	573	+4.8%
Source: Statistics Canada via Saskatchewan Bureau of Statistics [5] [6]

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the RM of Manitou Lake No. 442 had a population of 505 living in 199 of its 250 total private dwellings, a change of -11.9% from its 2016 population of 573. With a land area of 839.29 km² (324.05 sq mi), it had a population density of 0.6/km² (1.6/sq mi) in 2021. ^[7]

In the 2016 Census of Population, the RM of Manitou Lake No. 442 recorded a population of 573 living in 209 of its 236 total private dwellings, a 4.8% change from its 2011 population of 547. With a land area of 850.95 km² (328.55 sq mi), it had a population density of 0.7/km² (1.7/sq mi) in 2016. ^[4]

Economy

Agriculture, 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.

Transportation

The following is a list of Saskatchewan highways in the RM:

• Saskatchewan Highway 40
• Saskatchewan Highway 675
• Saskatchewan Highway 680

Big Manitou Regional Park

Big Manitou Regional Park ( 52°47′48″N109°47′19″W / 52.7967°N 109.7886°W / 52.7967; -109.7886 ) is a regional park located on the north-west corner of Manitou Lake, near where the creek that drains Wells Lake flows into Manitou Lake. This park was originally established in 1975 as a part of Suffern Lake Regional Park. ^[8] In 2019, it was granted full park status and officially named Big Manitou Regional Park ^[9] It is located about 6.4 kilometres (4.0 mi) south and east of Marsden. The park facilities include a campground with 32 campsites, showers, cookhouse, playgrounds, horseshoe pits, ball diamonds, and a soccer field. Manitou Lake Golf Club ^[10] is also located in the park. It is a 9-hole, sand greens course.

See also: Manitou and District Regional Park and List of golf courses in Saskatchewan

Manitou Sand Hills

Manitou Sand Hills are 105,000 acres of Crown grazing land set aside by the Saskatchewan government that surround much of the southern half of Manitou Lake in the southern portion of the RM. There is camping and guided trail rides through the Manitou Sand Hills, which are one of Western Canada's most distinctive landscapes. ^[11]

Government

The RM of Manitou Lake No. 442 is governed by an elected municipal council and an appointed administrator that meets on the first Thursday after the first Tuesday of every month. ^[3] The reeve of the RM is Brian Graham while its administrator is Joanne Loy. ^[3] The RM's office is located in Marsden. ^[3]

See also

• List of rural municipalities in Saskatchewan
• List of communities in Saskatchewan
• List of protected areas of Saskatchewan

References

1. "Pre-packaged CSV files - CGN, Canada/Province/Territory (cgn_sk_csv_eng.zip)". Government of Canada. July 24, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
2. "Rural Municipality Incorporations (Alphabetical)". Saskatchewan Ministry of Municipal Affairs. Archived from the original on April 21, 2011. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
3. "Municipality Details: RM of Manitou Lake No. 442". Government of Saskatchewan. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
4. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Saskatchewan)". Statistics Canada. February 8, 2017. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
5. "Saskatchewan Census Population" (PDF). Saskatchewan Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 24, 2015. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
6. "Saskatchewan Census Population". Saskatchewan Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
7. "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Saskatchewan". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
8. Government of Canada, Natural Resources Canada. "Place names - Suffern Lake Regional Park (Manitou Section)". www4.rncan.gc.ca.
9. "Big Manitou". Regional Parks of Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan Regional Parks. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
10. "Manitou Lake Golf Club". Golf Link. LoveToKnow Corp. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
11. "Ministers Release Manitou Sand Hills Integrated Land Use Plan". Saskatchewan. Government of Saskatchewan. October 3, 1996. Retrieved March 28, 2023.