Coaldale is a village situated in the middle of an irrigation district in southern Alberta. This is a mixed-farming district, including dairying, for which the Mennonites built and managed a cheese factory. Sugar beets were also grown in this district, for which there were three nearby sugar factories.

Most of the Mennonites of this area came to Canada from Russia between 1923 and 1930. The larger percentage belonged to the Mennonite Brethren Church, which had, in 1950, about 605 members in the locality. In addition there were 136 Mennonites who were not members of a congregation.

The Mennonite Brethren church in the 1950s was 60 x 104 feet. Next to the church was the Mennonite Brethren Bible School, which in 1954 had four teachers and 95 students. There was also a Mennonite high school which had three teachers and 50 students in 1950. The Coaldale Mennonite Church had in that year about 285 members.

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 630. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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