| Coleville | |
| Official Name: | Village of Coleville |
| Settlement Type: | Village |
| Mapsize: | 250px |
| Pushpin Map: | Saskatchewan#Canada |
| Coordinates: | 51.7105°N -109.257°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Canada |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Type2: | Region |
| Subdivision Name2: | Western |
| Subdivision Type3: | Census division |
| Subdivision Name3: | 13 |
| Subdivision Type4: | Rural Municipality |
| Subdivision Name4: | Oakdale No. 320 |
| Government Type: | Municipal |
| Leader Title: | Governing body |
| Leader Name: | Coleville Village Council |
| Leader Title1: | Mayor |
| Leader Name1: | Dennis Dales |
| Leader Title2: | Administrator |
| Leader Name2: | Gillain Lund |
| Leader Title3: | MLA |
| Leader Name3: | Ken Francis |
| Leader Title4: | MP |
| Established Title: | Post office Founded |
| Established Date: | 1907 |
| Established Title2: | Incorporated (Village) |
| Established Date2: | 1953-07-01 |
| Area Total Km2: | 1.87 |
| Population Total: | 280 |
| Population As Of: | 2021 |
| Population Density Km2: | 149.7 |
| Timezone Dst: | CST |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -6 |
| Blank Name: | Highways |
| Blank1 Name: | Railways |
| Website: | Village of Coleville |
Coleville (2016 population:) is a village in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within the Rural Municipality of Oakdale No. 320 and Census Division No. 13. The village's main economic factors are oil and farming, namesake of the Coleville oilfields. The village is named for Malcolm Cole who became the community's first postmaster in 1908.
The site for the Hamlet of Coleville was purchased from Charles Farris, and built on his purchased homestead NE 6-32-23-W3. In 1913, Charles Cole submitted names to the railway, and Coleville was chosen for the station and townsite.
Coleville incorporated as a village on July 1, 1953.[1]
The station was closed in 1979, and the tracks were torn up in 1998.
The Saskatchewan Wheat Pool was formed in 1924, and built an elevator in Coleville in 1925, now called Pool A.[2] Alf Beal was the first operator. Pool A had a storage capacity of 30000impbsh. In the late 1970s Pool A was sold and torn down. The Scottish Co-op elevator was purchased in 1948 by the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool and became Pool B. The Federal Grain elevator was acquired by the Pool in 1972, and became Pool C. Pool C was torn down in 1998.
Before railway service to the area, mail was carried in from Battleford. After the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was built, the mail was carried from Scott by R. A. Cummings of Kerrobert.
Cork obliterators (used to cancel stamps) in the second half of the 20th century are comparatively rare; however, cork obliterators created by H.L. Dumouchel (acting postmaster from 1928 until 1950) were still in use until they were lost in a post office remodelling sometime after 1951.
Subscribers paid an annual rental, which covered switching fees and operator costs. Landowners paid a tax levy on phone lines running through their property, which covered repairing and building lines. The levy was based on the quarters of land through which telephone lines ran. There were two rates. A quarter of land which had a line passing through it paid a 'straight' rate, and a quarter of land in which someone lived and had a phone paid a higher 'take-off' rate. Since the 'straight' rate levy was charged regardless of whether the owner had phone service, land owners without phones could be paying as much or more as land owners with phone service. In spite of attempts to reform this system, it remained in place until the government took over the service. In addition to the annual rental and line levy, there was a special levy to pay back the debenture.
Financing for the company was always difficult, as the large rural population meant the construction and maintenance of many miles of poles and wire for each rural subscriber. In the early years, subscribers who could not pay rentals had their phone removed at their expense; however, by the time of the depression in the 1930s, this was no longer practical or desirable. Instead, subscribers were able to pay off their debt by assisting in the erection of new lines and the maintenance of old ones. Because of the difficulties associated with providing rural telephone service, it was resolved by the Rural Telephone Company as early as 1930 that they ask the provincial government to take over telephone operation for the entire province. While the government did finally take over telephone service, this did not occur until the late 1970s.
Early on, use of the phones and the company's equipment was strictly regulated. There was a three-minute time limit for conversations. Those who did not have a phone were asked to pay 75¢ for using their neighbour's. Farmers and housewives faced fines or prosecution for the use of telephone poles as hitching posts, or incorporating them into their barbed wire fences or clotheslines.
In 1935 George Manning died, and his wife carried on in his capacity until October 1, 1937, when Pat O'Bready, along with his wife Irene, took over as operator, linesman, and troubleman. They were paid $800 per year plus commissions, though this salary was on paper only. In 1940 the company began to emerge from the depression and gain solid financial footing, and in February 1942 the debenture debt was retired.
In 1950, a wind storm on April 15 damaged or destroyed nearly the entire telephone system, which took six months to repair.
In March 1954, Saskatchewan Government Telephones bought the Coleville Telephone plant for $2,301 while the Rural Company remained agent for the town. A new switchboard was installed, and private lines were made available. In 1956 black wall or desk cradle phones arrived, and the old box-crank phones were reclaimed. On July 1, 1957, Pat O'Bready resigned as linesman and operator, although he retained the post of troubleman. Six months later the Rural Company resigned as agent for the Government Telephones.
By the 1960s, 24-hour service was being provided. Previously official hours had been from 8 a.m. until 9 or 10 p.m. (depending on season) on weekdays and Saturday, and from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Sundays, although there was always someone available for emergencies. In 1965 the automatic dial system was completed, and calls were no longer routed through the operator. In 1967 the Coleville Rural Teleqhone Co. Ltd. was sold to the Kindersley Rural Telephone Co. Ltd. for $1, and Coleville was allowed one member to sit on the Kindersley board. In 1977 the government took over the Kindersley Rural Telephone Co.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Coleville had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of 1.66km2, it had a population density of in 2021.[3]
In the 2016 Census of Population, the Village of Coleville recorded a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change from its 2011 population of . With a land area of 1.87km2, it had a population density of in 2016.[4]
Amenities in the community include a library, a skating rink and a two-sheet curling rink. At nearby Laing's Park, also referred to as the three-mile park in reference to its distance from village, are several ball diamonds and a nine-hole golf course. The golf course once featured a pumpjack hazard.
Coleville is located within the Sun West School Division. Children attend the Rossville School located within the community for kindergarten through grade 7. For grades 8–12, students are bused to Kindersley Composite School, located approximately twenty minutes away in Kindersley.
The Warwick School was a one-room schoolhouse for the area that was closed in 1940. It was moved to Main Street in Coleville in 1946 where it served as the RM's office. When the RM moved to a new building in the 1980s, it continued to serve the community, first as the local Scout and Brownie hall, and now as a playschool.
Jeni Mayer, author of such children's books as The Mystery of the Turtle Lake Monster and Suspicion Island, was born and raised in Coleville. Canadian artist, Jean A. Humphrey lived in Coleville for over 50 years.