Meadow Lake

Meadow Lake, Sask, incorporated as a town in 1936 and as a city in 2009, population 5045 (2011c), 4771 (2006c). The City of Meadow Lake is located 160 km north of North Battleford and 100 km east of the Alberta border. It is one of the more recently incorporated communities in the province but its history dates from the FUR TRADE rivalry between the Hudson's Bay Co, which first exploited the area, and the North West Co. The fur trade remained the dominant activity into the 1930s and provided a market for the ranchers who brought horses and cattle into the area in the early 20th century.

During the 1930s many farmers deserted land in the "dust bowl" and moved N to start again. Meadow Lake was a popular destination, and the arrival of a CPR line in 1936 provided an opportunity for further development. The area also has a strong forestry sector and is the home of the world's first zero effluent pulp mill. Residents and vacationers appreciate the blend of agriculture and wilderness, past and present, in the area.