It seems every small town on the prairies once had a service station similar to this, but they’re becoming a rare sight these days. Open ones at least and we do see lots of empty stations. This is one and it’s on 1st Avenue and Prince Street, a short distance from the small business district of Coleville Saskatchewan. No junk food or much else was sold here and they serviced your car, or filled your tank. That’s all.
It’s closed now, some time ago from the looks of it, and you’ll have to go elsewhere.
For people like us deep into nostalgia, an old time service station symbolizes a connection to the past that’s hard to shake. They’re reminders of the value of personal service and a slower pace of life that seems to be slipping away. A stop was more than just a quick errand and instead a social experience. It where stories were exchanged and where everyone caught up on the latest local gossip.
Now people in these little communities fill up at the unattended card-lock, usually on the road out of town. It’s a little less personal but convenient I suppose, and usually open 24/7. If they even have one (they do in Coleville), but if not, it means driving a town or two over. For service, they find a specialist in town, or wherever is closest, do it themselves, or rely on someone they might know who does.
The old truck beside is someone’s pride and joy, and it appears they use the old station bays to work on it. It completes the scene perfectly.
We’re in Coleville Saskatchewan for the Beer Parlour Project, at the Coleville Hotel, and this was a little diversion before the start of the evening’s shoot. We’re always easily distracted. In addition to Price Street in Coleville, there’s a Princess, King and Queen. It’s a town honouring royalty.
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