Melita, Manitoba
Encyclopedia
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. 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" and is located in Manitoba's banana belt
.
Charles West was the first recorded European settler, in 1879. 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).
, cancer research activist and mother of Terry Fox
, was raised in Melita.
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. It is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Arthur
Arthur, Manitoba
Arthur is a rural municipality in the province of Manitoba in Western Canada. It is located in the southwestern part of the province, along its border with the state of North Dakota in the United States. The 2006 Census showed a population of 440 persons, a decline from its 2001 population of 480...
and occupies a bend of the Souris River
Souris River
The Souris River or Mouse River is a river in central North America. It is about 700 km in length and drains about . It rises in the Yellow Grass Marshes north of Weyburn, Saskatchewan...
. The population, as of the 2006 census, is 1,051. It sits at the junction of Highways 3 and 83, approx. 320 km southwest of Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
. Melita is known as the "Grasslands Bird Capital of Manitoba" and is located in Manitoba's banana belt
Banana belt
"Banana belt" is an informal geographic term used to describe a segment of a larger geographic region which enjoys warmer weather conditions than the region as a whole, especially in the wintertime...
.
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.Charles West was the first recorded European settler, in 1879. 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
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
(Melita is an older name for the island).
Notable residents
Betty FoxBetty Fox
Betty Lou Fox was a Canadian cancer research activist, the mother of Terry Fox and founder of the Terry Fox Foundation. She was the most prominent figure in Terry Fox's legacy .-Biography:...
, cancer research activist and mother of Terry Fox
Terry Fox
Terrance Stanley "Terry" Fox , was a Canadian humanitarian, athlete, and cancer research activist. In 1980, with one leg having been amputated, he embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research...
, was raised in Melita.