A small community was established in 1887 where the Saltcoats village stands today. It was clear that the railway would go through there and a post office was opened in 1888. The community was incorporated as a village in 1894, the first village in the Northwest Territories, now Saskatchewan. Originally named Sterling, it was renamed after the birthplace of one major shareholder in the Railway Company, Saltcoats in Scotland which also happened to be the headquarters of the Allen-Line Shipping Company which transported thousands of Europeans across the Atlantic, many of whom were Icelanders.
Icelandic entrepreneurs: Böðvar Ólafsson was the first Icelander to move to Saltcoats, he and his wife, Ragnhildur Þóroddsdóttir opened a harness shop. Upon arrival in Winnipeg in 1888, Böðvar had landed a job at Great West Saddlery Co. They moved to the Lögberg Settlement but abandoned his land during the dry cycle of 1893-1895 and moved to Saltcoats in 1896. Halldór Eyjólfsson and his wife, Sigríður Þorkelsdóttir settled in the Thingvalla Settlement shortly after emigrating in 1887. They sold their land and moved to Saltcoats in 1897 where they opened a hardware business. Icelandic farmers brought their milk to the Saltcoats Creamery but after a similar one opened in Churchbridge 26 km (16 miles) away, most went there. The Saltcoats Agricultural Society was established before 1900 in Saltcoats, as in Churchbridge, Jóhannes Einarsson was involved from the beginning and served as a director for several years. In 1912 the village became part of The Rural Municipality of Saltcoats and Ásmundur Sveinbjörnsson (Mundi Loptson) became one of the first reeves and served as such for several years.
Main Street in Saltcoats just after the turn of the century. Photo Prairie Towns