Maidstone, Saskatchewan

Maidstone is a town in southwest Saskatchewan, Canada located 57 km (35 miles) east of Lloydminster and 84 km (52 miles) west of North Battleford at the junction of Highway 16 and Highway 21. The community was named after Maidstone, Kent, England.

Maidstone
Town
Main Street
Maidstone
Location of Maidstone in Saskatchewan
Maidstone
Maidstone (Canada)
Coordinates: 53.092°N 109.294°W / 53.092; -109.294
CountryCanada
ProvinceSaskatchewan
RegionSaskatchewan
Census division17
Rural MunicipalityEldon
Post office Founded1905 (as Sayers)
Government
 • MayorBrennan Becotte
 • Town AdministratorLorne Kachur
 • Governing bodyMaidstone Town Council
 • MLA Cut Knife-TurtlefordLarry Doke
 • MP Battlefords-LloydminsterRosemarie Falk
Area
 • Total4.56 km2 (1.76 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total1,156
 • Density233.5/km2 (605/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−7 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
Postal code
S0M 1M0
Area code(s)306
Highways Hwy 16 / Hwy 21
WebsiteOfficial Website
[1][2]

It is mentioned in Joni Mitchell's "Song For Sharon" from her Hejira album and is one of the places in western Canada in which she lived as a young child. The song's seventh verse begins: "When we were kids in Maidstone, Sharon/I went to every wedding in that little town/To see the tears and the kisses/And the pretty lady in the white lace wedding gown..."[3]

Demographics
Canada census – Maidstone, Saskatchewan community profile
2011 2006
Population: 1,156 (+11.5% from 2006) 1,037 (4.2% from 2001)
Land area: 4.56 km2 (1.76 sq mi) 4.56 km2 (1.76 sq mi)
Population density: 253.5/km2 (657/sq mi) 227.4/km2 (589/sq mi)
Median age: 36.2 (M: 37.3, F: 34.8) 38.9 (M: 38.1, F: 39.3)
Total private dwellings: 510 442
Median household income: $50,589
References: 2011[4] 2006[5] earlier[6]

History

In the spring of 1903, settlers began arriving in the Maidstone area, many of whom were Barr Colonists. These settlers would be followed by African American settlers from the U.S. and a significant number of Mennonites after the construction of the Canadian Northern Railway through the region in 1905. John Henry “Jack” Wesson settled in the area in 1907. He became one of Saskatchewan's foremost farm leaders and became the first president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture in 1936 and the president of the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool in 1937.  In 1955 Maidstone officially became a town.  Oil and gas development in the 1970s created conditions for grow in the community.  The booming economy resulted in the town's population growing  from less than 700 at the beginning of the decade to over 1,000 by 1981.[7]

Shiloh People

African Americans from Oklahoma settled in the Eldon district near Maidstone in 1909 creating the first and only African-American farming community in the province.[8] In 1907 Oklahoma and the Indian Territory merged to become a State.  The new government enacted segregation and laws disenfranchising African Americans.  As a result, many decided to emigrate to Western Canada to take advantage of offers of free homesteads. About 10 or 12 families, led by Julius Caesar Lane and Joseph Mayes founded the Shiloh colony in the RM of Eldon. At its height in the late 1920s, the colony boasted between 50 and 75 African American families. Today, all that remains of the Shiloh community is a log building called Shiloh Baptist Church, built in 1911 and abandoned in 1940, as well as a graveyard known as the Shiloh Baptist Cemetery located about 29 km northeast of Maidstone.[9] In 1991 the church and cemetery were designated a heritage property.

Attractions
  • CNR Station in Maidstone was built in 1905.[10]
  • Charlow (Shiloh) Baptist Church and Cemetery located north of Maidstone was built in 1912.[11] It was founded by 12 African American families in 1910.[12]
  • Silver Lake Regional Park and Silver Lake Golf Club (9-hole golf course)[13]
  • Delfrari-Victoria Park where the Maidstone & District Museum is located.[13]

Transportation

The community is served by Maidstone Aerodrome which is located 1.2 NM (2.2 km; 1.4 mi) northwest.[14]

Sports

Maidstone is the home of the Maidstone Jets, who play in the North Saskatchewan River Hockey League (NSRHL). The Maidstone Jets are the 2011-2012 League Champions,[15] defeating the regular season champions Meadow Lake Stampeders, 4 games to 1 in the best of seven series. It is Maidstone's first league championship since 1967. The road to the championship defeat the Turtleford Tigers 3-0 in the best of five series, with Maidstone having home ice advantage. The next series was best of five with the St. Walburg Eagles holding home ice. The Jets won that series 3 games to none, sending them to the final versus the Stampeders.

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See also

References
  1. National Archives, Archivia Net. "Post Offices and Postmasters". Retrieved 2013-11-19.
  2. Government of Saskatchewan, MRD Home. "Municipal Directory System". Archived from the original on 2016-01-15. Retrieved 2013-11-19.
  3. "Joni Mitchell - Song For Sharon - lyrics". jonimitchell.com. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
  4. "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. July 5, 2013. Retrieved 2013-11-19.
  5. "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. March 30, 2011. Retrieved 2009-02-24.
  6. "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. February 17, 2012.
  7. "The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan | Details". esask.uregina.ca. Retrieved 2019-07-20.
  8. "Saskatchewan's Shiloh People: the province's first black farming community | Globalnews.ca". globalnews.ca. 2019-02-04. Retrieved 2019-07-20.
  9. "History". maidstone. Retrieved 2019-07-20.
  10. "CNR Station In Maidstone". Retrieved 2013-11-19.
  11. "Charlow (Shiloh) Baptist Church and Cemetery". Retrieved 2013-11-19.
  12. "Shiloh Baptist Church Cemetery". Retrieved 2013-11-19.
  13. "Rural Municipality of Eldon No. 471 Website". Archived from the original on 2013-12-30. Retrieved 2013-11-19.
  14. Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 16 July 2020 to 0901Z 10 September 2020.
  15. "North Saskatchewan River Hockey League (NSRHL)". Retrieved 2013-11-19.

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