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Melfort (2006 population 5,192) is a small Canadian city in Saskatchewan, approximately 95 km southeast of Prince Albert. According to The World Gazetteer, its population as of 2004 was 5,400. 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 is near a large diamond exploration site. The ongoing diamond exploration by a joint venture between Shore Gold Inc. Newmont Mining Corporation of Canada in the Fort à la Corne district is expected to begin mine construction in 2010.

Melfort is called "The City of Northern Lights" due to the frequency at which the aurora borealis appears.

History
Just 2 km northwest of current location of Melfort settlers established themselves on the on the banks of Stoney Creek before relocation due to the surveying of the CNR.<ref name="History"/ 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.

Three one-room school houses used the name "Melfort". Melfort School District No. 54, later called Tiger Lily No. 54 17, near Pleasantdale. (Pleasantdale post office was previously named Windgap and was located at Township 41, Range 18 west of the 2nd Meridian). Melfort School District No. 318 was established in 1904 at Clemens, Rural Route 1, Melfort. Melfort School District No. 1037 was the last one-room school house to use this name.

Geography
Melfort is located in the Carrot River valley which is noted for its black loamy soil and productive agricultural lands. The drainage region for Melfort is the Lower Saskatchewan - Nelson and the area is characterized by a prairie ecozone. Melfort Research Farm is located north of Melfort in the Boreal Shield ecozone and the Churchill drainage basin. The farm's main purpose is to research crops and crop systems for northern prairie black and grey soil zones. The Melfort branch of the Canadian Legion has assembled a photographic display of the geographic memorials designated to honour the war dead.

Demographics
The latest census, taken in 2006, showed a population in the city of Melfort of 5,192, a decrease of 6.6% over the previous census.

Economy
The Agriculture Melfort Research Station is centered here along with many other agriculturally based industries. The Tiger Hills Uplands ecozone provides rich soil to grow a diversity of crops.

Government
The community became a village in 1903, and incorporated as a town July 1, 1907. It finally became the twelfth city of Saskatchewan on September 2, 1980.

Municipal affairs are handled by the town mayor, Kevin Phillips and council. The rural municipality of Flett's Springs No. 429 office is located on McDonald Avenue West in Melfort and provides municipal rural affairs to the small unincorporated areas of Claggett, Ethelton, Ethelton Airport, Flett Springs, Lipsett, McMichael, Melfort Airport, Minto Park, Pathlow, and Taylorside.

Melfort is in the federal electoral district of Prince Albert with their Member of Parliament being Randy Hoback.

Provincially, the area is within the constituency of Melfort with its MLA being the Honourable Rod Gantefoer.

Transportation
Melfort is located at the junction of two primary route highways, SK Hwy 3 and Sk Hwy 6 where they meet with seconday Sk Hwy 41. 203.1 mi of Saskatchewan Highway 6 contribute to the CanAm Highway between Corinne and Melfort. 59.7 mi of Saskatchewan Highway 3 contribute to the CanAm Highway between Melfort and Prince Albert. Melfort is 107.92 mi north east of the largest provincial city, Saskatoon along Sk Hwy 41 (turning onto SK Hwy 5) and 58.12 mi south east of Prince Albert via the CanAm Highway.

Melfort (Miller Field) Aerodrome, is located 2.6 NM west of Melfort.

In 1925, Melfort was listed as a Canadian Pacific Railway station on the Lanigan–Naicam branch line. Melfort was also a Canadian National Railways station on the Swan River – Prince Albert branch line and the Humboldt–Melfort–Ridgedale branch line.

Media
The Melfort Journal provides local newspaper reporting as well as news feeds to the community. CJVR-FM is a Canadian radio station broadcasting at 105.1 FM in Melfort. Owned by Fabmar Communications, the station airs a country music format.

Education
The government's Canada-Saskatchewan Career and Employment Services office will be combined with Melfort's Comprehensive High School and the Cumberland Regional College. Melfort and Unit Comprehensive Collegiate providing education to grades 10, 11, and 12 is a part of Melfort School Division No. 100.

Historically students in Melfort were educated at the Museum School District Unit 54.

Sports and recreation
Melfort was home to the 2006 Saskatchewan Winter Games, the 1988 Saskatchewan Summer Games, the 1996 Royal Bank Cup Canadian Junior 'A' Hockey Championships, the 1995 Saskatchewan Men's Curling Pool Tankard finals and the 2002 Saskatchewan Scotties Tournament of Hearts finals. The Kerry Vickar Centre, a multi purpose sports and leisure facility, opened in the autumn of 2009. The North East Leisure Centre comprises a gymnasium and kitchen. The east wing was taken down to make way for the new multi use facility.

Hockey
Hockey is a key part of Saskatchewan's lifestyle and community. The city is host to the Melfort Mustangs, who joined the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (ages 20 and under) in 1988. Marc Habscheid, past coach of Canada's World Junior team, started his coaching career with the Mustangs in 1996. Melfort also hosts recreational hockey for teenagers, children, and women.

Culture
Within a mile of the city of Melfort is the Melfort and District Regional Park which hosts a 18-hole grass greens golf course, and the Spruce Haven picnic area. A show ring, grandstand, museum, and exhibition building are all located within the Melfort Exhibition Grounds. The museum showcases pioneering equipment, tools, farm machinery, archival documents as well as early settler's buildings  Neighbouring points of interest are Fort Carleton, Duck Lake, and Seager Wheeler's Maple Grove Farm.

Notable people from Melfort
Grant MacEwan, OC, AOE, was a farmer, Professor at the University of Saskatchewan, Dean of Agriculture at the University of Manitoba, Mayor of Calgary and both a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) and Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, Canada. Steven Woods, born in Melfort is a Canadian entrepreneur and do-founder of Quack.com, the first popular Voice portal platform, in 1998. Arthur Hill was a Canadian actor best known for appearances in British and American theater, movies and television.

Nicole Watt, born in Melfort is a Canadian Women's figure skating Canadian silver medalist. Jeremy Wotherspoon born in Humboldt is a Canadian speed skater and a 4-time World Sprint Champion. Martine Gaillard is a sports television personality currently working for Rogers Sportsnet. Grant Jennings raised in Melfort is a former National Hockey League defenceman. Lane Lambert, born in Melfort is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward and is currently the head coach of the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League. Pat MacLeod, born in Melfort is a former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League for the Minnesota North Stars, San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars in the 1990s. Lorne Henning, born in Melfort, is a Canadian NHL hockey executive and was previously a National Hockey League player and coach.

Area statistics

 * Lat 52°52′00″ N
 * Long 104°37′00″ W
 * Dominion Land Survey Section 7, Township 45, Range 18 west of the 2nd Meridian
 * Time zone UTC−6

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