Town, pop 4,365, located about 8 km N of Saskatoon on Hwy 12. The community developed on land which had been owned by area farmer Isaac Martens and his son, Dave Martens, who saw an opportunity to subdivide their property for residential development. Substantial growth occurred in the 1960s as Saskatoon was undergoing a period of significant expansion and suburbanites were looking for lower land prices and new homes. In 1966 Martensville was incorporated as a village; it attained town status in 1969. After water and sewer systems were completed in 1976, Martensville began to grow rapidly: between 1976 and 1981, the population grew from 960 to 1,966; ten years later, in 1981, the community had over 3,300 residents. Largely a bedroom community, the town thrives on the economic base provided by Saskatoon; Martensville residents benefit from easy access to the amenities and services that the city has to offer, without having to pay Saskatoon city taxes. Further, according to the 2001 Census, the median income for Martensville households was $58,683, while Saskatoon’s was $41,991. Martensville made national headlines in 1992 as the result of an infamous sex abuse scandal.
David McLennan