Melville is a small city in the east-central portion of

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. The city is northeast of the provincial capital of Regina and southwest of

Yorkton Yorkton is a city located in south-eastern Saskatchewan, Canada. It is about 450 kilometres north-west of Winnipeg and 300 kilometres south-east of Saskatoon and is the sixth largest city in the province. As of 2017 the census population of the ...

. Melville is bordered by the rural municipalities of Cana No. 214 and Stanley No. 215. Its population at the 2016 census was 4,562, making it Saskatchewan's smallest city. It is also home of hockey's Melville Millionaires, who compete in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, and baseball's Melville Millionaires, who compete in the

Western Canadian Baseball League The Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) is a collegiate summer baseball league based in Saskatchewan and Alberta that descends from leagues dating to 1931. History The league can trace its roots back to 1931, via its predecessors. The Sout ...

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 Charles Melville Hays (May 16, 1856 – April 15, 1912) was the president of the Grand Trunk Railway. He began working in the railroad business as a clerk at the age of 17 and quickly rose through the ranks of management to become the General M ...

, who at the time of the settlement's initial construction was the president of the

Grand Trunk Railway The Grand Trunk Railway (; french: Grand Tronc) was a railway system that operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario and in the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The rai ...

and

Grand Trunk Pacific Railway The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was a historic Canadian transcontinental railway running from Fort William, Ontario (now Thunder Bay) to Prince Rupert, British Columbia, a Pacific coast port. East of Winnipeg the line continued as the National Tra ...

. 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 The Qu'Appelle River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba that flows east from Lake Diefenbaker in south-western Saskatchewan to join the Assiniboine River in Manitoba, just south of Lake of the Prairies, near t ...

. Melville was declared a city by the province in 1960.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultur ...

, Melville 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.

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 Warren Kaeding is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan in the 2016 provincial election. He represents the electoral district of Melville-Saltcoats as a member of the Saskatchewan Party. Kaeding re ...

. Melville is represented in the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The House of Common ...

by the MP of the

Yorkton—Melville Yorkton—Melville is a federal electoral district in Saskatchewan, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1968. Geography The district is in east-central Saskatchewan. History The electoral district was cre ...

riding, currently

Cathay Wagantall Cathay Wagantall (née Cathy Caswell; born March 7, 1956) is a Canadian politician who was elected as a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada to represent the federal electoral riding of Yorkton—Melville during the 2015 Canadi ...

of the

Conservative Party of Canada The Conservative Party of Canada (french: Parti conservateur du Canada), colloquially known as the Tories, is a federal political party in Canada. It was formed in 2003 by the merger of the two main right-leaning parties, the Progressive Con ...

Infrastructure

Melville's namesake was the president of the

and

. Since Melville's founding in 1908, it has served as a nexus for railroad activity, currently including that of

Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN i ...

and

Via Rail Via Rail Canada Inc. (), operating as Via Rail or Via, is a Canadian Crown corporation that is mandated to operate intercity passenger rail service in Canada. It receives an annual subsidy from Transport Canada to offset the cost of operating ...

, the latter for which Melville effectively serves as the main rail-to-bus connection to Regina for its passengers. Today, the transcontinental

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

train, operated by national passenger rail carrier

, 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

, 43 kilometres to the northeast. Melville Municipal Airport is located 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. Davison School, as part of the Good Spirit School Division offers pre-kindergarten to grade 6 education. 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 campus out of the Melville Comprehensive High School building. Parkland College operates its NFPA fire training field near the Melville Municipal Airport.

Sports

Melville is home to the

Melville Millionaires The Melville Millionaires are a Canadian junior "A" ice hockey based in Melville, Saskatchewan. They are members of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL). They play their home games in the Horizon Credit Union Centre which has a seating ...

of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, as well as the Melville Millionaires of the

. 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

;Newspaper *''The Melville Advance'', a weekly paper. ;Radio Melville currently has no current FM or AM radio stations, instead they are serviced by a digital radio station called: The Buzz (www.TheBuzzRocks.ca) and coming soon, The Axe- Melville's newer Alternative Music: Television *

CICC-TV CICC-TV (channel 10) is a television station in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada, part of the CTV Television Network. Owned and operated by network parent Bell Media, it is a semi-satellite of CKCK-DT in Regina. CICC-TV's studios are located on ...

Yorkton channel 10, CTV, SNN

Recreation

Within are the Melville Game Preserve, Melville Regional Park, Melville Reservoir, and Duff Recreation Site.

Popular culture

In the film ''

Hannibal Rising ''Hannibal Rising'' is a psychological horror novel by American author Thomas Harris, published in 2006. It is a prequel to his three previous books featuring his most famous character, the cannibalistic serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter. The ...

'' (2007), title character

Hannibal Lecter Dr. Hannibal Lecter is a Character (arts), fictional character created by the novelist Thomas Harris. Lecter is a serial killer who Human cannibalism, eats his victims. Before his capture, he was a respected Forensic psychiatry, forensic psychi ...

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".

Notable residents

George Abel George Gordon Abel (February 23, 1916 – April 16, 1996) was a Canadian ice hockey player. He played centre for the Edmonton Mercurys, and won the only Canadian gold medal playing in the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway. George was bor ...

- Olympic Gold Medalist (deceased) *

Sid Abel Sidney Gerald Abel (February 22, 1918February 8, 2000) was a Canadian Hall of Fame hockey player, coach and general manager in the National Hockey League, most notably for the Detroit Red Wings, and was a member of three Stanley Cup-winning team ...

- Hockey Hall of Famer (deceased) * Phil Bessler - Former NHL player for the

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...

Evan Carlson Evan Carlson (born June 28, 1953) is a Canadian politician, who represented the electoral district of Melville in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan from 1991 to 1995. Background Born and raised in Melville, Carlson worked as a farmer b ...

- Former Saskatchewan MLA *

Tim Cheveldae Timothy M. Cheveldae (born February 15, 1968) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. During his ten-year National Hockey League career, he played with the Detroit Red Wings, Winnipeg Jets, and Boston Bruins. Playing career Chev ...

- NHL Goaltender for the

Winnipeg Jets The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, pl ...

, and

* Jimmy Franks - Former NHL Goaltender for the

* Shaun Heshka - NHL player for the

Phoenix Coyotes The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mull ...

* Sol Kanee - President of the

Canadian Jewish Congress The Canadian Jewish Congress (, , ) was, for more than ninety years, the main advocacy group for the Jewish community in Canada. Regarded by many as the "Parliament of Canadian Jewry," the Congress was at the forefront of the struggle for human r ...

from 1971 to 1974 *

Chris Kunitz Christopher Kunitz (born September 26, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Anaheim Ducks (where he won his first Stanley Cup in 2007), Atlanta Thrashers, the ...

- NHL player for the

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...

Todd McLellan Todd Andrew McLellan (born October 3, 1967) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously served as head coach of the San Jo ...

- Head coach of the NHL's

Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...

* Mike Morin - Former professional ice hockey player * Alex Motter - Former NHL player for the

* Terry Puhl - Retired MLB player for the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...

* Roger Reinson - Retired CFL player, 3-time Grey Cup Champion *

Damon Severson Damon Severson (born August 7, 1994) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Devils in the second round, 60th overall, in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. ...

- NHL player for the

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional sports, professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern ...

Jarret Stoll Jarret Lee Stoll (born June 24, 1982) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Stoll has played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild. He is a two-time St ...

- NHL player for the

Columbus Blue Jackets The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, ...

* Arch Wilder - Former NHL player for the

Mike Woloschuk Mike Woloschuk (born May 9, 1970, in Melville, Saskatchewan, Canada) is a Canadian- Australian curler. At the international level, he is a two-time curler (, ). Personal life As of the 2007 World Championships, Woloschuk was living in Brisban ...

- Former curler at men's world championships and two time gold medalist at

Pacific-Asia Curling Championships The Pacific-Asia Curling Championships (formerly the Pacific Curling Championships) are an annual curling tournament, held every year in November or December. The top team receives a berth to the World Curling Championships, while the second-plac ...

* Lyall Woznesensky - Former CFL defensive lineman

Gallery

Location

References

External links

* {{SKDivision5 Cities in Saskatchewan Populated places established in 1908 1908 establishments in Saskatchewan Division No. 5, Saskatchewan