Melita, Manitoba

Melita is a town located in the southwestern corner of the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Arthur and occupies a bend of the Souris River. The population, as of the 2006 census, is 1,051.^[1] It sits at the junction of Highways 3 and 83, approx. 320 km southwest of Winnipeg. Melita is known as the "Grasslands Bird Capital of Manitoba."^[2]

Corner of Townsend Dr. and Front St., with grain elevators in background

History

Evidence of First Nations habitation in the area includes the Linear Mounds Archaeological Site and the Brockinton Archaeological Site, which have provided artifacts dating back to 800 A.D.^[3]

Charles West was the first recorded European settler, in 1879.^[4] The early inhabitants chose the name "Melita" for the town after hearing a bible reading (Acts 28:1) about St. Paul's shipwreck on the island of Malta (Melita is an older name for the island).^[5]

Notable residents

Betty Fox, cancer research activist and mother of Terry Fox, was raised in Melita.^[6]

See also

• Melita Airport

References

1. ^ http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/hlt/97-550/Index.cfm?TPL=P1C&Page=RETR&LANG=Eng&T=302&SR=126&S=1&O=A&RPP=25&PR=46&CMA=0 (StatCan)
2. ^ http://www.melitamb.ca/index.php?pageid=416
3. ^ http://www.melitamb.ca/index.php?pageid=413
4. ^ "Our First Century", Melita-Arthur History Committee, 1983
5. ^ http://www.ourroots.ca/e/page.aspx?id=917978
6. ^ Martin, Sandra (2011-06-18). "Betty Fox, cancer-advocacy champion and mother of Terry Fox, dies". Globe and Mail. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/betty-fox-cancer-advocacy-champion-and-mother-of-terry-fox-dies/article2065487/singlepage/#articlecontent. Retrieved 2011-06-27. 

External links

• Official Web site of the town of Melita
• Map of Melita at Statcan

Coordinates: 49°16′05″N 100°59′45″W / 49.26806°N 100.99583°W / 49.26806; -100.99583