In most cases in Saskatchewan, a hamlet is an unincorporated community with at least five occupied dwellings situated on separate lots and at least 10 separate lots, the majority of which are an average size of less than one acre.
[3] All northern hamlets are within the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District while all unincorporated hamlets are under the jurisdiction of rural municipalities within southern Saskatchewan.
[8] The number was reduced to 144 on January 1, 2020, when the organized hamlets of Indian Point – Golden Sands and Turtle Lake Lodge amalgamated to form the Resort Village of Turtle View.
Like a generic hamlet, a special service area is under the jurisdiction of a rural municipality and does not have any decision-making powers or independent authorities.
Unlike a generic hamlet, a special service area may form its own electoral division within the rural municipality and may have a different tax regime within the rural municipality compared to a generic hamlet.