Pelican Narrows, Saskatchewan

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.

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History

The Cree 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.

Notable buildings

Napoleon Merasty Memorial Arena - It features an ice rink and a fitness center

Angelique Canada Health Center

Opawikoscikan High School

The Northern Store

Wapanacak Elementary School

Pelican Narrows Airport is located 19 km (12 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)

Events

The Annual Walleye Fishing Derby takes place every year in July.

External links