Melfort

Melfort is a small city of 6,000 (2016) in East Central Saskatchewan.

Understand
Melfort is in the Carrot River valley in north-central Saskatchewan. Melfort used to be known as the "City of Northern Lights" due to the frequency with which the aurora borealis appears; however, in 2016, Melfort's slogan was changed to "Play Melfort" to celebrate its vast recreation programs and facilities.

The Melfort Research Farm near Melfort was established in 1935 by the Federal Minister of Agriculture. It is one of the three field sites of the Saskatoon Research Centre (SRC), a branch of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Melfort is near a large diamond exploration site. The ongoing diamond exploration in the Fort à la Corne district is expected to lead to mine construction beginning in 2023.

History
A few kilometres southeast of current location of Melfort, European settlers established themselves on the banks of Stoney Creek before relocation due to the surveying of the Canadian Northern Railway. 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.

Get in
Melfort is located approximately 95 km southeast of Prince Albert on Highway 3, 172 km northeast of Saskatoon on Highway 41, and 280 km north of Regina on Highway 6. The nearest international airport is in Saskatoon.

Melfort (Miller Field) Aerodrome (TC LID: CJZ3), is 2.6 NM (4.8 km; 3.0 mi) west of Melfort.