Rural Municipality of Victory No. 226


The Rural Municipality of Victory No. 226 is a rural municipality in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within Census Division No. 7 and Division No. 3.

History

The RM of Victory No. 226 incorporated as a rural municipality on December 8, 1919. The first settlers to the area came in the early 1900s. The community of Demaine was established by the summer of 1908 by a band of settlers who hauled supplies from the Riverhurst area to the east, and across the South Saskatchewan River. Originally all supplies had to be moved from other areas as the settlements were being established.
As with current life in rural municipality the first settlers to the area were farmers who began to grow grain. They farmed with teams of oxen and mules prior to the invention of modern-day farming machinery. Eventually two larger settlements were established. These turned into the Village of Beechy and the Organized Hamlet of Demaine.

Geography

Victory No. 226 is bordered by King George No. 256 in the north, Canaan No. 225 in the east, Lake Diefenbaker, which is part of the South Saskatchewan River in the south, and Lacadena No. 228 in the west. With wide open spaces and small rolling hills the land of Victory No. 226 comprises fertile soil perfect for grain farming. Naturally, much of the landscape is covered by grain farming operations.
The Matador Grasslands are a protected area about south-east of Kyle, near the South Saskatchewan River. The grasslands are situated on Crown land and are the "largest remaining uncultivated area of well drained lacustrine clay soils in the Northern Great Plains".

Communities and localities

The following urban municipalities are surrounded by the RM.
;Villages
The following unincorporated communities are within the RM.
;Organized hamlets

Climate

The rural municipality follows the typical climate and weather patterns of the southern half of Saskatchewan by having harsh, dry cold winters, and warm summers.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the RM of Victory No. 226 had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of. With a land area of, it had a population density of in 2021.
In the 2016 Census of Population, the RM of Victory No. 226 recorded a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change from its 2011 population of. With a land area of, it had a population density of in 2016.

Economy

Its economy is based on agriculture, primarily grain farming with livestock ranching as well.

Government

The RM of Victory No. 226 is governed by an elected municipal council and an appointed administrator that meets on the first Thursday following the first Saturday of every month. The reeve of the RM is Mathew Hanke while the administrator is Diane Watt. The RM's office is located in Beechy.

Prairie Lake Regional Park

Prairie Lake Regional Park is a regional park in the RM of Victory about south of Beechy. The park was founded in 1984 on Cruikshank Bay on the north shore of Lake Diefenbaker. There is a campground, marina, boat launch, playground, fish cleaning station, and a picnic area. The park has access to the lake for swimming, boating, fishing, and other water sports. The campground has electrified sites, washrooms / showers, and a sewer dump.

Notable people