Meota, Saskatchewan

Village of Meota
—  Village  —
Meota Business district
Motto: It is good here!
Location of Meota in Saskatchewan
Coordinates: 53°02′N 108°28′W / 53.04°N 108.46°W / 53.04; -108.46
Country	Canada
Province	Saskatchewan
Region	Northwest
Census division	17
Rural Municipality	Meota
Established	1894
Incorporated (Village)	February 1, 1911
Government
– Mayor	John MacDonald
– Administrator	Bill Jamroziak
– Governing body	Meota Village Council
– MP
– MLA
Area
– Total	1.55 km2 (0.6 sq mi)
Population (2006)
– Total	297
– Density	191.9/km2 (497/sq mi)
Time zone	CST
Postal code	S0M 1X0
Area code(s)	306
Highways	Highway 26
Railways	Canadian Northern Railway
[1][2][3][4]

Meota is a village in Meota Rural Municipality No. 468, Saskatchewan, Canada. The village's population was 297 at the 2006 Canadian Census. The village name is derived from the Cree phrase Meotate or Mo-Was-In-Ota, meaning "good place to camp" or "it is good here."^[5][6]

Demographics

In 2006, Meota had a population of 297 living in 197 dwellings, a 1.4% increase from 2001. The village has a land area of 1.55 km² (0.60 sq mi) and a population density of 191.9 /km² (497 /sq mi).^[7]

History

A post office named Meota was established in 1894, but it was located where the present-day community of Metinota is,^[8] leading to some confusion over the origins of the current village of Meota. The first post office in present-day Meota was established in 1910, although it was initially called Beachview.^[8]

Joseph A. Dart, an early merchant, had established a store in a tent near current-day Meota, and in 1910, he moved to the Meota townsite where his store operated in a building on Main Street.^[5] The Canadian Northern Railway opened its line through Meota in 1910-1911.^[5][8] Soon after the arrival of the railway, Meota was incorporated as a village on February 1, 1911.^[6] In 1912 the first grain elevator was constructed, and than a dance pavilion opened in 1921.^[8] Other industries included brick manufacturing, a flour mill, and commercial fishing ("Meota Whites").^[8] Unfortunately a series of fires have decimated the village's business district, and the advent of the automobile caused many local residents to drive to North Battleford for shopping.

Meota has enjoyed a measure of prosperity due to summer vacationers at Jackfish Lake.

See also

• List of communities in Saskatchewan
• Villages of Saskatchewan

References

1. ^ National Archives, Archivia Net, Post Offices and Postmasters, http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/post-offices/001001-100.01-e.php 
2. ^ Government of Saskatchewan, MRD Home (– ^{Scholar search}), Municipal Directory System, http://www.municipal.gov.sk.ca/index.html ^{[dead link]}
3. ^ Canadian Textiles Institute. (2005), CTI Determine your provincial constituency, http://www.textiles.ca/eng/nonAuthProg/redirect.cfm?path=IssPolContacts&sectionID=7601.cfm 
4. ^ Commissioner of Canada Elections, Chief Electoral Officer of Canada (2005), Elections Canada On-line, http://www.elections.ca/home.asp 
5. ^ ^{a b c} Russell, Edmund T. (1973), What's In a Name: The Story Behind Saskatchewan Place Names (3rd edition), Saskatoon, Saskatchewan: Western Producer Prairie Books, pp. 200, ISBN 0-88833-053-7 
6. ^ ^{a b} "Saskbiz Community Profiles: Meota". Enterprise Saskatchewan, Government of Saskatchewan. 2009. http://www.saskbiz.ca/communityprofiles/CommunityProfile.Asp?CommunityID=618. Retrieved 2009-10-19. 
7. ^ Statistics Canada (Census 2006). "Meota - Community Profile". http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/details/page.cfm?B1=All&Code1=4717006&Code2=47&Custom=&Data=Count&Geo1=CSD&Geo2=PR&Lang=E&SearchPR=01&SearchText=Meota&SearchType=Begins. Retrieved 2009-01-15. 
8. ^ ^{a b c d e} McLennan, David (2008), Our Town: Saskatchewan Communities from Abbey to Zenon Park, Regina, Saskatchewan: Canadian Plains Research Center, University of Regina, pp. 261, ISBN 978-0-88977-209-0, http://www.cprc.uregina.ca 

External links

• Municipal Affairs - Meota, Saskatchewan
• Saskatchewan Gen Web - One Room School Project
• Post Offices and Postmasters - ArchiviaNet - Library and Archives Canada
• Saskatchewan Gen Web Region
• Online Historical Map Digitization Project
• GeoNames Query

Coordinates: 53°02′N 108°28′W / 53.04°N 108.46°W / 53.04; -108.46