Rural Municipality of Mount Hope No. 279

The Rural Municipality of Mount Hope No. 279 (2016 population: 531) is a rural municipality (RM) in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within Census Division No. 10 and SARM Division No. 5.

Mount Hope No. 279
Rural municipality
Rural Municipality of Mount Hope No. 279
Location of the RM of Mount Hope No. 279 in Saskatchewan
Coordinates: 51.451°N 104.303°W / 51.451; -104.303[1]
Country	Canada
Province	Saskatchewan
Census division	10
SARM division	5
Formed[2]	December 11, 1911
Government [3]
• Reeve	Brian Jordan
• Governing body	RM of Mount Hope No. 279 Council
• Administrator	Jamie Schachtel
• Office location	Semans
Area  (2016)[4]
• Land	1,669.17 km2 (644.47 sq mi)
Population  (2016)[4]
• Total	531
• Density	0.3/km2 (0.8/sq mi)
Time zone	CST
• Summer (DST)	CST
Area codes	306 and 639

History

The RM of Mount Hope No. 279 incorporated as a rural municipality on December 11, 1911.^[2]

Demographics

Population history
(1981–2016)

Year	Pop.	±%
1981	859	—
1986	806	−6.2%
1991	700	−13.2%
1996	644	−8.0%
2001	507	−21.3%
2006	633	+24.9%
2011	567	−10.4%
2016	531	−6.3%
Source: Statistics Canada via Saskatchewan Bureau of Statistics[5][6]

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the RM of Mount Hope No. 279 had a population of 531 living in 209 of its 242 total private dwellings, a change of 0% from its 2016 population of 531. With a land area of 1,624.57 km² (627.25 sq mi), it had a population density of 0.3/km² (0.8/sq mi) in 2021.^[7]

In the 2016 Census of Population, the RM of Mount Hope No. 279 recorded a population of 531 living in 212 of its 243 total private dwellings, a -6.3% change from its 2011 population of 567. With a land area of 1,669.17 km² (644.47 sq mi), it had a population density of 0.3/km² (0.8/sq mi) in 2016.^[4]

Geography

Communities and localities

The following urban municipalities are surrounded by the RM.

Towns

• Raymore

Villages

• Punnichy
• Quinton
• Semans

The following unincorporated communities are within the RM.

Localities

• Booth
• Last Mountain
• Tate (dissolved as a village, May 15, 1961)

Mount Hope Wildlife Management Unit

Mount Hope Wildlife Management Unit^[8] is a conservation area that totals 14,475 ha (35,770 acres) of habitat that is provincially protected under the Wildlife Habitat Protection Act. The lake at the heart of the conservation area – Kurawagan Lake – is a saline lake split into three basins and regulated by dykes. It is the centre of the Kutawagan (SK 064) Important Bird Area of Canada and an important habitat for birds such as various ducks and geese. Specific birds include the northern pintail, tundra swan, greater white-fronted goose, sandhill crane, least sandpiper, piping plover, and the eared Grebe.^[9]

Attractions

• Raymore Pioneer Museum
• Semans & District Museum
• Raymore Recreation Site – a rustic campground about 5 km (3.1 mi) north of Raymore along Highway 6^[10]
• Semans Recreation Centre (originally Madison Recreation Academy)

Government

The RM of Mount Hope No. 279 is governed by an elected municipal council and an appointed administrator that meets on the second Tuesday of every month.^[3] The reeve of the RM is Brian Jordan and its administrator is Jamie Schachtel.^[3] The RM's office is located in Semans.^[3]

Transportation

• Saskatchewan Highway 6
• Saskatchewan Highway 15
• Saskatchewan Highway 640
• Saskatchewan Highway 641
• Saskatchewan Highway 744
• Canadian National Railway

See also

• List of rural municipalities in Saskatchewan