Melville, Saskatchewan
Description
Melville is a small Canadian city in the east-central portion of Saskatchewan. The city is 145km north east of the provincial capital of Regina and 45km south west of Yorkton. Melville is bordered by the rural municipalities of Cana No. 214 and Stanley No. 215. The population at the 2011 census was 4,517, making it Saskatchewan's smallest city.HistoryAccording 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.DemographicsUnder 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.