Melfort (2006 population 5,192) is a small Canadian city in Saskatchewan, approximately 95 km southeast of Prince Albert, 107 miles northwest of Saskatoon and 174 miles north of Regina.According to The World Gazetteer, its population as of 2004 was 5,400. Melfort became Saskatchewan's 12th city in 1980; although it had achieved the necessary 5,000 population a number of years earlier, residents were reluctant to give up their status as a town, and for a time, the town of Melfort was actually larger than the city of Melville.Melfort is near a large diamond exploration site. The ongoing diamond exploration by a joint venture between Shore Gold Inc. Newmont Mining Corporation of Canada in the Fort à la Corne district is expected to begin mine construction in 2012.Melfort is called "The City of Northern Lights" due to the frequency with which the aurora borealis appears.Melfort is bordered by the Rural Municipality of Star City No. 428 and the Rural Municipality of Flett's Springs No. 429.