Country Canada Incorporated Village 1908 Incorporated City August 1, 1960 Population 4,517 (2011) | Province Saskatchewan Incorporated Town November 1, 1909 Area 14.82 km² Local time Saturday 8:51 AM | |
 | ||
Time zone Central Standard Time (UTC−6) Weather -6°C, Wind SE at 23 km/h, 73% Humidity University Parkland College, Melville | ||
Melville saskatchewan winter
Melville is a small Canadian city in the east-central portion of Saskatchewan. The city is 145 kilometres (90 mi) north east of the provincial capital of Regina and 45 kilometres (28 mi) south west of Yorkton. Melville is bordered by the rural municipalities of Cana No. 214 and Stanley No. 215. The population at the 2016 census was 4,562, making it Saskatchewan's smallest city.
Contents
- Melville saskatchewan winter
- Map of Melville SK Canada
- Melville saskatchewan
- History
- Demographics
- Government
- Infrastructure
- Education
- Sports
- Media
- Recreation
- Popular culture
- Notable residents
- References
Map of Melville, SK, Canada
Melville saskatchewan
History
According to What's in a Name?: The Story Behind Saskatchewan Places and Names by E. T. Russell, and People Places: Contemporary Saskatchewan Place Names by Bill Barry, the city was named for Charles Melville Hays, who at the time of the settlement's initial construction was the president of the Grand Trunk Railway and Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. Hays was on board the RMS Titanic when it sank; he did not make it off the ship.
Pearl Park was the area's first post office established in 1905 near the Pearl Creek, a tributary of the Qu'Appelle River. Melville was declared a city by the province in 1960.
Demographics
Under Saskatchewan law, a town must have a sustained population of more than 5,000 to apply for and maintain a city charter. Melville is a notable exception to this rule, as it has retained its charter despite dropping below the 5000 threshold.
Government
The mayor of Melville is Dr. Walter Streelasky.
Provincially, Melville is within the constituency of Melville-Saltcoats. It is currently represented by Saskatchewan Party MLA Warren Kaeding.
Melville is represented in the Canadian House of Commons by the MP of the Yorkton—Melville riding, currently Cathay Wagantall of the Conservative Party of Canada.
Infrastructure
Melville's namesake was the president of the Grand Trunk Railway and Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, Charles Melville Hays. Since Melville's founding in 1908, it has served as a nexus for railroad activity, currently including that of Canadian National Railway and Via Rail, the latter for which Melville effectively serves as the main rail-to-bus connection to Regina for its passengers. Today, the transcontinental Canadian train, operated by national passenger rail carrier Via Rail, serves the Melville railway station three times per week.
In 2002 the St. Peter's Hospital was constructed. St. Peter's was founded in 1940 as a municipal hospital by the Sisters of St. Martha, based in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Next to St. Peter's is the St. Paul Lutheran Home.
The Melville Railway Museum (c. 1911) is a Municipal Heritage Property on the Canadian Register of Historic Places.
The Melville Heritage Museum is in the original Luther College (formerly Luther Academy) building, built in 1913. The Luther Academy moved to Regina in 1926. After a stint as St. Paul's Home for the Aged and Orphans, the building was declared a heritage site, opening as a museum in the early 1980s.
Melville's connections by road to other communities include Saskatchewan Highways 10, 15 and 47. The closest major centre to Melville is the city of Yorkton, 43 kilometres to the northeast.
Melville Municipal Airport (TC LID: CJV9) is located 1.5 NM (2.8 km; 1.7 mi) east of the city.
Education
Melville is served by public and Catholic schools: École St. Henry's Junior Elementary School, and St. Henry's Sr School are both part of the Christ the Teacher Catholic School Division The Carlton Regional College Basic Education is located nearby in Lestock. The Melville Comprehensive School, a part of the Good Spirit School Division provides secondary education. Parkland Regional College provides post secondary technical training and operates a branch school out of the Melville Comprehensive High School building.
Sports
Melville is home to the Melville Millionaires of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, as well as the Melville Millionaires of the Western Major Baseball League.
In 2011 the Melville Communiplex opened. The federal and provincial governments covered $20 million of the construction costs of the $24.5 million facility. The Communiplex has an NHL size ice surface and seating capacity for 1,500 people, a walking track, fitness and cardio care facilities, and a convention centre. It replaces the existing 60-year-old Melville Stadium, home to the Melville Millionaires.
The city also has an 18 hole golf course.
Media
Melville currently has no current radio stations but receives Yorkton radio stations:
Television
Recreation
Within 20 kilometres (12 mi) are the Melville Game Preserve, Melville Regional Park and Duff Recreation Site.
Popular culture
In the film Hannibal Rising (2007), title character Hannibal Lecter shows up in the "hamlet of Melville" in the final scene. However the town depicted is surrounded by forest and is referred to as "near Saskatoon".