Martensville, Saskatchewan

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Coordinates: 52°17′23″N 106°40′00″W / 52.28972, -106.666667
Martensville, Saskatchewan
Nickname: Community of Lakes
Country	Canada
Province	Saskatchewan
Founded	1939
Incorporated	Village 1966
	Town 1968
Government
- Governing Body	Martensville Town Council
Area
- Total	4.78 km² (1.8 sq mi)
Population (2006)
- Total	4,968
- Density	1,040/km² (2,693.6/sq mi)
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
Postal code	S0K 2T0
Highway	Highway 12
Website: Town of Martensville

Martensville is a town located in Saskatchewan, Canada, just north of Saskatoon. It is one of the fastest growing towns in Saskatchewan, with the population growing 25% between 1996 and 2001. It is sometimes considered a bedroom community.

According to the mayor of Martensville, the population of the town, as of March 2006, was 5,120^{[citation needed]} which is roughly the same as that of the city of Humboldt and considerably more than the city of Melville whose population has dropped below 5,000 over the last decade. The mayor has recently said that the town is in talks with the Saskatchewan government to become the fourteenth city in Saskatchewan. The 2006 census reported a population growth of 13.8 per cent since 2001 placing the town at a population of 4,968. ^[1]

Places of interest in Martensville include tennis courts, a splash park, a kart racing track, a BMX track, the new North Ridge Centennial Centre, the Chrome Dome (A baseball diamond located across from the rink), and said rink where the Martensville Marauders and Marlies play hockey. The town used to have a small golf course, but in May 2008 it was demolished to make way for new houses and a public swimming pool. Martensville's bowling alley was also closed in 2008, due to lack of use. In the summer of 2008, it will be used as a filming location for the second season of the television show, Rabbit Falls.

The town is currently "rebranding" itself as the community of lakes. As of 2005 the town has 5 large lakes that are connected through a series of canals. The lakes and creeks are part of the Opimihaw Creek system. The recreational potential of this concept will completely remake Martensville. Perch can be caught in all of the lakes and on most nights you can see families using the park space for fishing, canoeing and walking.

The town also holds its annual Buster Days festival every June, usually in the first or second week. Buster Days is a 3 day festival that includes a parade, dances, softball, and, as of 2005, a volleyball tournament. Before 2005, a small exhibition took place that offered rides, games, and food.

According to the Canada 2006 Census^[2]:

• Population:	4,968 (+13.8% from 2001)
• Land area:	4.78 km² (1.85 sq mi)
• Population density:	1,040 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,700 /sq mi)
• Median age:	30.4 (males: 29.9, females: 31.0)
• Total private dwellings:	1,653
• Dwellings occupied by permanent residents:	{{{privateDwellusual}}}
• Mean household income:	$25,668

1 History
2 Education
3 Media
4 External links
5 References
6 See also
7 Location relative to other communities in Saskatchewan

[edit] History

In 1939, Isaac and Dave Martens purchased land north of Saskatoon. They then sold three small parcels of land to people who wanted to move out of Saskatoon and, as a result, the community of Martensville was created. The mayor at the time disliked the name Martensville, and held a vote to decide a new name for the town. When no suggestions were brought forward, they kept the name.

Martensville was later incorporated as a village in 1966 and as a town two years later in 1968. Sewer and water was established in 1976 with the town experiencing accelerated growth.

Martensville attracted national media attention in 1992 because of a reported incident of abuse at a day care centre. In 1992, a mother in Martensville alleged that a local woman who ran a babysitting service and day care center in her home had sexually abused her child. Police began an investigation and allegations began to snowball. More than a dozen persons, including 5 police officers, ultimately faced over 100 charges connected with running a Satanic cult called 'The Brotherhood of The Ram' which allegedly practised lurid ritualized sexual abuse of numerous children at a 'Devil Church'. The first person tried was found guilty, but after that the Department of Justice refused to prosecute any more cases.

[edit] Education

The town received its first school in 1953. Martensville is served by two elementary schools and one high school. Valley Manor Elementary School is located on the south side of Martensville, and Venture Heights Elementary School is located on the north side. Martensville High School is located on the north side but, is attended by almost all teens in Martensville. All schools in Martensville have sports teams. Venture Heights, the Voyagers; Valley Manor, the Mustangs; and Martensville High School, The Royals.

[edit] Media

The town is currently serviced by a recently launched weekly newspaper, The Martensville Messenger.[1] Otherwise it shares other print, radio and television media with its neighbour, Saskatoon.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

^ French, Janet. in Saskatoon Star Phoenix: Hollowing out the Core - Population shifting from established areas to the suburban fringes. Saskatoon Star Phoenix newspaper Wednesday March 14, 2007, p.3.
^ 2006 Community Profile