Manitoba Communities: Melita (Town)

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Population | Mayors / Reeves | Memorable Manitobans | Historic Sites | History Books | Maps | Contact Information | Sources

When this community was established in the 1880s, it was proposed to be named Manchester. However, this name was already taken by another community in Canada so postal officials refused a request to establish a second post office with the same name. A local Sunday School Superintendent proposed the name of Melita based on the island on which the apostle Paul was shipwrecked and this name was accepted.

Present Status	Town of Melita (15 May 1906)
Incorporation History	Village of Melita (15 May 1902)
Adjoining Municipalities	Two Borders
Land Area (square km)	3.04

Population

Year	Total
1906	784
1911	690
1916	834
1921	676
1926	649
1931	719
1936	560
1941	591
1946	659
1951	781
1956	926
1961	1038
1966	1101
1971	1132
1976	1169
1981	1156
1986	1239
1991	1134
1996	1152
2001	1111
2006	1051
2011	1069
2016	1042
2021	1041

Mayors

Term	Mayor
1902	John Lorne Campbell (1856-1933)
1902-1903	Thomas Charles Bulloch (1866-1949)
1903-1904	C. P. Estlin
1904-1905	J. T. McCallum
1905-1906	James Graham Cheyne (1861-1912)
1906-1907	Thomas Dickson Sturgeon (1852-1932)
1907-1912	Robert Mowbray Graham (1851-1932)
1912-1913	Robert Simpson
1913-1916	George Stewart
1916-1918	David Lamont (1876-1946)
1918-1919	Richard John Dobbyn (1850-1950)
1919-1920	William John Cobb
1920-1922	David Lamont (1876-1946)
1922-1923	W. J. Graham
1923-1925	James Wesley Hewitt (1876-1941)
1925-1927	L. S. Arnold
1927-1929	F. H. Schnell
1929-1940	David Lamont (1876-1946)
1940-1949	Harry L. Morrow
1949-1951	William G. Sterling
1951-1953	Harry L. Morrow
1953-1959	John Gordon “Jack” Cobb (1903-1959)
1959-1965	W. G. Powne
1965-1969	Richard R. “Dick” Filteau (1920-2013)
1969-1971	D. F. Loucks
1971-1980	Gerald D. Morrow
1980-2001	Kenneth Donald Carels (1938-2005)
2001-2005	Ron Nestibo
2005-2006	?
2006-2014	Robert F. “Bob” Walker
2014-?	William “Bill” Holden

Memorable Manitobans

Search the MHS collection of biographies for ones connected to Melita:

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Historic Sites

Go here for a list of historic sites in Melita.

History Books

Go here for a list of history books for Melita.

Photos & Maps

Sources

Our First Century: Town of Melita and Municipality of Arthur, Melita-Arthur History Committee, 1983, Manitoba Legislative Library F5648.A78.

Geographic Names of Manitoba, Manitoba Conservation, 2000.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 30 January 2024