Pelican Narrows, Saskatchewan
Encyclopedia
Pelican Narrows is a northern village in Saskatchewan, located 120 km NW of Creighton
via the Hanson Lake Road
and highway 135. Its name in Cree
is Opawikoscikcan which means "The Narrows of Fear". It is at the narrows that join Mirond and Pelican Lakes which lie between the Sturgeon-Weir and Churchill River systems. Pelican Narrows is the administrative centre for the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation
and the majority of the townsite is reserve
land. About 2,500 people live in the Pelican Narrows area.
settlement dates from at least 1730. It was an area of trade for the Hudson's Bay
and North West
companies. In 1874, the Hudson’s Bay Company established a permanent post at Pelican Narrows, which became the Northern Store in 1987 and it is still there today. Roman Catholic missionaries were traversing the area from the mid-19th century and established a permanent mission in 1878. Anglican missionaries arrived in the late 1890s and built a church in 1911. Schoolchildren were sent away for a number of years. In 1967, an all-weather road was built into the community and other services followed.
Angelique Canada Health Center
Opawikoscikan High School
The Northern Store
Wapanacak Elementary School
Pelican Narrows Airport
is located 19 km (11.8 mi) Northeast of Pelican Narrows
Anglican and Catholic Churches
The Band Store - It was located by the Anglican church until it was burnt down in a fire(2007)
Creighton, Saskatchewan
Creighton, Saskatchewan was named after Thomas Creighton. It had a 2006 census population of 1,502 inhabitants, down 3.47% from 1,556 inhabitants in 2001.The town lies beside the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border, adjacent to Flin Flon, Manitoba...
via the Hanson Lake Road
Saskatchewan Highway 106
Highway 106, the Hanson Lake Road, has sections of provincial paved divided highway and provincial gravel highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from Highway 55 near Smeaton to Highway 167 in Creighton. Highway 106 is about 327 km long...
and highway 135. Its name in Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
is Opawikoscikcan which means "The Narrows of Fear". It is at the narrows that join Mirond and Pelican Lakes which lie between the Sturgeon-Weir and Churchill River systems. Pelican Narrows is the administrative centre for the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation
Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation
Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation is a Cree First Nations group in northern Saskatchewan consisting of eight communities: Amisk Lake, Deschambeault Lake, Kinoosao, Pelican Narrows, Prince Albert, Sandy Bay, Southend and Sturgeon Landing...
and the majority of the townsite is reserve
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...
land. About 2,500 people live in the Pelican Narrows area.
History
The CreeCree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
settlement dates from at least 1730. It was an area of trade for the Hudson's Bay
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
and North West
North West Company
The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what was to become Western Canada...
companies. In 1874, the Hudson’s Bay Company established a permanent post at Pelican Narrows, which became the Northern Store in 1987 and it is still there today. Roman Catholic missionaries were traversing the area from the mid-19th century and established a permanent mission in 1878. Anglican missionaries arrived in the late 1890s and built a church in 1911. Schoolchildren were sent away for a number of years. In 1967, an all-weather road was built into the community and other services followed.
Notable buildings
Napoleon Merasty Memorial Arena - It features an ice rink and a fitness centerAngelique Canada Health Center
Opawikoscikan High School
The Northern Store
Wapanacak Elementary School
Pelican Narrows Airport
Pelican Narrows Airport
Pelican Narrows Airport, , is located north northeast of Pelican Narrows, Saskatchewan, Canada....
is located 19 km (11.8 mi) Northeast of Pelican Narrows
Anglican and Catholic Churches
The Band Store - It was located by the Anglican church until it was burnt down in a fire(2007)