Bateman, Saskatchewan

Bateman
Hamlet
Location of Bateman in Saskatchewan
Coordinates: 49°41′29″N 107°51′15″W / 49.69135°N 107.85405°W
Country	Canada
Province	Saskatchewan
Region	Southwest Saskatchewan
Census division	7
Rural Municipality	Gravelbourg
Established	1908
Incorporated (Village)	1920
Restructured (Hamlet)	1990s
Government
• Former Mayor	Les Coote
• Administrator	H.S. Edgerton
• Governing body	Gravelbourg No. 104
Population (2006)
• Total	0
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
Postal code	S0H 0E0
Area code(s)	306
Highways	Highway 610 Highway 718
Waterways	Notukeu Creek
Attractions	Bateman Historical Museum
[1][2][3][4]

Bateman was a small hamlet in the southwest region of Saskatchewan, Canada situated 26 kilometers north of the Red Coat Trail, and was named after Jim Bateman the first settler to come to the area with his family in 1908.

Bateman was once a prosperous town, which had a peak population of more than 300 citizens in the late 1920s. In 2000, the last resident left, and many of the remaining buildings were torn down by the government of Saskatchewan.

History

Upon arrival in 1908, Jim Bateman took possession of a quarter section of land on the banks of Notukeu Creek. Then in 1911, Bateman would open a post office. His daughter Lydia was sworn in as the post mistress and drove up to St. Bostwells, 10 kilometers northwest of Bateman with her father to pick up the towns first mail bag.

During its pioneer and times of great prosperity, Bateman would have over 300 residents during the late 1920s. Bateman was also a focal point for small family grain farmers in the region. The town once boasted four grain elevators, a bank, a theatre, restaurants, two gas stations, two churches, three grocery stores, skating and curling rink, and two implement businesses. The town even had its own power plant and street light system.

Education

Bateman once had a school that covered grades k-12, but due to Consolidation of schools. In 1966 Bateman lost its grade 12 classes, and a few years after that the school would again lose grades 10 and 11, to the neighbouring town of Gravelbourg, leaving only grade nine for the high school level, eventually being moved there as well, leaving just the elementary classes. In 1996 Bateman's school finally closed for good.

Today the once impressive brick school has been demolished due to the poor condition the building was in. All that remains of the former school is the foundation and a commemorative sign.

Notable people

• Gordon James McNeill,^[5] who died on July 14, 1999, was a Member of this Legislative Assembly from 1975 until 1978, representing the constituency of Meadow Lake for the New Democratic Party. Mr. McNeill was born in Bateman on August 17, 1922. He was raised in Shamrock and later married Henrietta Elizabeth (Nickie) Smith.

See also

• List of ghost towns in Canada
• Ghost towns in Saskatchewan

Footnotes

1. National Archives, Archivia Net, Post Offices and Postmasters
2. Government of Saskatchewan, MRD Home, Municipal Directory System, archived from the original on November 21, 2008
3. Canadian Textiles Institute. (2005), CTI Determine your provincial constituency
4. Commissioner of Canada Elections, Chief Electoral Officer of Canada (2005), Elections Canada On-line
5. December 16, 1999 - Votes and Proceedings

Coordinates: 50°01′01″N 106°43′59″W / 50.017°N 106.733°W