| Manitou Lake No. 442 | |
| Official Name: | Rural Municipality of Manitou Lake No. 442 |
| Settlement Type: | Rural municipality |
| Image Map1: | SK RM 442 Manitou Lake.svg |
| Mapsize1: | 200 |
| Map Caption1: | Location of the RM of Manitou Lake No. 442 in Saskatchewan |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Canada |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Saskatchewan |
| Subdivision Type2: | Region |
| Subdivision Type3: | Census division |
| Subdivision Name3: | 13 |
| Subdivision Type4: | division |
| Subdivision Name4: | 6 |
| Subdivision Type5: | Federal riding |
| Subdivision Name5: | Battlefords—Lloydminster |
| Subdivision Type6: | Provincial riding |
| Subdivision Name6: | Cut Knife-Turtleford |
| Government Footnotes: | [1] |
| Leader Title: | Reeve |
| Leader Name: | Brian Graham |
| Leader Title1: | Governing body |
| Leader Name1: | RM of Manitou Lake No. 442 Council |
| Leader Title2: | Administrator |
| Leader Name2: | Joanne Loy |
| Leader Title3: | Office location |
| Leader Name3: | Marsden |
| Established Title: | Formed |
| Established Title2: | Formed |
| Established Date2: | December 12, 1910 |
| Established Title3: | Name change |
| Established Title4: | Name change |
| Established Title5: | Amalgamated |
| Area Footnotes: | (2016) |
| Area Land Km2: | 850.95 |
| Population As Of: | 2016 |
| Population Total: | 573 |
| Population Density Km2: | 0.7 |
| Timezone: | CST |
| Timezone Dst: | CST |
| Coordinates: | 52.885°N -109.768°W[2] |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | S0M 1P0 |
| Area Code: | 306 and 639 |
| Blank Name: | Highway(s) |
| Blank1 Name: | Railway(s) |
| Blank2 Name: | Waterway(s) |
The Rural Municipality of Manitou Lake No. 442 (2016 population:) is a rural municipality (RM) in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within Census Division No. 13 and Division No. 6.
The RM of Manitou Lake No. 442 incorporated as a rural municipality on December 12, 1910.[3] 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.
The following urban municipalities are surrounded by the RM.
The following unincorporated communities are within the RM.
The following is a list of notable lakes and rivers in the RM:
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the RM of Manitou Lake No. 442 had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of 839.29km2, it had a population density of in 2021.[4]
In the 2016 Census of Population, the RM of Manitou Lake No. 442 recorded a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change from its 2011 population of . With a land area of 850.95km2, it had a population density of in 2016.[5]
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.
The following is a list of Saskatchewan highways in the RM:
Big Manitou Regional Park 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.[6] In 2019, it was granted full park status and officially named Big Manitou Regional Park[7] It is located about 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[8] is also located in the park. It is a 9-hole, sand greens course.
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.[9]
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.[1] The reeve of the RM is Brian Graham while its administrator is Joanne Loy.[1] The RM's office is located in Marsden.[1]