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| Geography |  The City of Melville is a progressive community with a population of just under 5,000, located in East Central Saskatchewan approximately 50 miles west of the Manitoba border, and 140 miles north of the U.S. Border. Saskatoon is situated 214 miles (342 km) to the southeast, and Regina is 91 miles (146 km) east of this community.
Melville can be accessed from any direction by paved highways No. 10, 15 and 47. It is also situated on a major CNR rail line and maintains it's own 2500 ft. lighted airstrip. Melville is proud to have been recognized in a recent Maclean's Magazine Survey as having one of the best water treatment plants in Canada. Melville offers a clean, safe environment, and a great place in which to live and raise a family.
| | History | Travelers heading into Melville from the south along Highway 10 climb the overpass and the first thing they see is the rail yard. That rail yard, belonging to the CNR, is the reason Melville is a city of nearly 5,000 people today. The Grand Trunk Railway came through the city back in the early 1900s with the first parcel of land sold to a Mr. Pope in 1906, representing the Grand Truck Pacific Town Site and Development Company. At this time, Pope told people the land he bought would be a city some day. Two years later, in 1908, the last spike of the railway was driven and Melville celebrated its birth. The community was thus named after the president of the railway -- Charles Melville Hays. It was the second divisional point on the railway west of Winnipeg.
However, the town's history extends one year earlier to 1907 when J.W. Redgwick brought a load of lumber from Killaly and built The Pioneer Store. Thirty blocks were surveyed and staked out with a lumber yard and hardware store quick to follow. Lots were selling from $60 to $400. The town grew rapidly in the early years, jumping from 66 people to 625 and then over 1,000 people in 1909 with town status. The first council meeting was held January 4, 1909 at the town's newspaper office - The Melville Canadian. The old Queen Street Arena was also built that year, although it burned partially in 1949 and totally in 1962. A new arena was built at the present location of the Melville Stadium, but it burned down two years after construction and the present stadium was built. The second ice surface, the Merv Moore Sportsplex, was constructed just prior to the 1990 Saskatchewan Winter Games.
The years between 1910 and 1914 were important to the community with the construction of the community's first power plant, hospital, the Melville Milling Company, Coal Docks and Luther College. The Melville Millionaires hockey team was also established in that time period and won the Allan Cup (national championship) just three years into its existence.
Since that time, the city has grown to offer a plethora of services, including the home of the provincial government's Saskatchewan Crop Insurance head office as well as such industrial leaders as Babcock and Wilcox and Century Glass.
Melville officially became a city on August 1, 1960 and the community now has many organizations, service clubs and sport, culture and recreation activities.
| | Economic Information | Melville offers generous 'top-up' incentives welcoming any and all new businesses and new residents. We will also meet all of your needs in health, education, religion, and recreation.
The city provides a Commercial Industrial Tax Incentive to new businesses and industry, as well as reduced prices on its residential lots, and tax incentives on residential lots sold by the city. Reduced prices are also offered to developers on residential lots.
The City of Melville is unique in that it offers smaller community environment with big city services. It is an ideal community for both young families and seniors. Cleanliness, low crime rate, an abundant supply of excellent water, fresh air, excellent recreation, education and health facilities, low cost of living and real people who care about their community are only a few of the attributes that make our community stand out from others.
We are aggressively seeking any new retail and light industrial business on an ongoing basis.
Major employers in the city include the Canadian National Railway, Babcock and Wilcox, as well as St. Peter's Hospital and St. Paul Lutheran Home.
| | Attractions | The City of Melville provides year round indoor and outdoor recreation services which encompass a variety of interests and skills. The recreation needs of the community are administered by a Municipal Recreation and Leisure Services Programmer. The Melville Stadium, home of the famed Melville Millionaires Jr. 'A' Hockey franchise, offers excellent minor hockey, figure skating and speed skating opportunities. The Merv Moore Sportsplex is Melville's second ice surface.
Hang Gliders - Every year a group of enthusiastic hang gliders converge on the QuAppelle Valley near Crooked Lake enjoy the best gliding winds within 500 miles.
Golf Courses - Melville boasts the best kept secret in South East Saskatchewan in our local golf courses. Melville's Golf Course - 18 Hole Grass Greens; Neudorf Golf Course - 9 Hole Sand Greens.
Community Parks - There are a number of beautiful parks in Melville. The Regional Park offers camping, tennis, the Railway Museum, regulations ball diamonds and convenient, modern, camping sites. As well, there are six beautiful neighborhood parks in Melville, each one featuring a high quality playground apparatus for the children to create an adventure on.
The City of Melville has two lovely museums that provide a wonderful tourist attraction. The Melville Railway Museum is located at the Regional Park.
The Melville Heritage Museum is a non-profit organization formed solely to preserve the heritage of our community and to maintain and preserve the heritage building known as Luther Academy. The museum is located in the Luther Academy Building outside of Melville. The building was built in 1913 and declared a Heritage Site in 1981.
Melville Regional Park: (306)728-4111
Adjacent to Melville - Highways 10, 15, and 47.
Open Victoria Day to Labour Day
Summer outdoor recreation area, Swimming Pool, paddling pool, tennis, golf, children's play area, 5 ball diamonds, horseshoe pitches.
Campsites: 18 elec. 12 non-elec. $20.00 elec.
No reservations accepted.
Weekly rates available. Fees subject to revision
Picnicing, firewood, showers, indoor washrooms
Crooked Lake Provincial Park: (Website)
30 minutes south on highway #47 on NE end of Crooked Lake, Hwy. 247, 48 km south of Melville.
Open May 19 until September 5.
Peaceful setting on north shore of Crooked Lake. Most of the campsites are located in treed areas along water's edge.
Campsites: 24 elec. 48 non-elec.
Facilities: Picnicing, firewood storage, indoor showers and toilets.
Rates $15.00 non-elec. $20.00 elec. Weekly rates available.
Phone (306)696-6253 or (306)728-7480
Reservations accepted. $5.00
| | Other Info | There are five elementary schools--Davison, Miller, St. Henry's Junior Elementary and one high school - Melville Comprehensive School. MCS, as it's known locally, house a full compliment of student classes including a metal, wood and automotive shop and services including a large cafeteria and student lounge..'the well'.
Post-secondary students have the benefit of the Parkland Regional College, which has entered into an agreement with the school division to move its classrooms and facilities into MCS.
If you need to look up some research, want to read a novel or surf the net, it can all be done at the Parkland Regional Library.
Meeting Halls:
City Hall Auditorium
Prince William Motor Inn
Classic Inn
Legion
Comprehensive High School
Columbian Center
Agri-Park Hall
Flamingo Restaurant
Lions Hall
Elks Hall
Banquet and Conventional Facilities:
Classic Inn: 30 modern rooms, 2 meeting rooms - capacity up to 150, dining, lounge
Prince William Inn: 35 modern rooms, 2 meeting rooms - capacity up to 350, dining, lounge, pool
King George Hotel: 23 rooms modern and semi-modern and non-modern, licensed
Melsask Motel: 17 modern rooms and light housekeeping
Waverly Hotel: 45 rooms, modern, semi-modern, and non-modern, licensed.
Columbian Center: Catering capacity upstairs 300, downstairs 200
Agri-Park: Catering capacity 250
Legion: 350
Churches: All Saints Anglican Church, Bethany Evangelical Church, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, First United Church, Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, Melville Pentecostal Church, Melville Baptist Church, St. George's Ukrainian Catholic Church, St. Henry's Catholic Church, St. Paul's Lutheran Church, The River Christian Center Inc., Ukrainian Orthodox Church, St. Mary, The Protectress, Zion Lutheran Church.
Melville definitely has the services to make an individual or family's stay an enjoyable one, whether you're staying for a couple of days or the rest of your life.
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