The City of Yorkton will be renewing its lease agreement with the Western Development Museum.
鈥淚n 1987, the City of Yorkton passed bylaw No. 5/87 which permitted the City of Yorkton to enter a thirty-three year lease agreement with the (WDM) for the land in the west area of the city that it occupies still today,鈥� explained Jessica Matsalla, Director of Legislation and Procedures, with the City at the regular meeting of Yorkton Council Monday.
Conditions in the agreement included a payment of $1.00/year, as well as providing that the WDM is responsible for the yard maintenance of trees and grass.
鈥淐orrespondence from the WDM corporate office received in the Mayor鈥檚 office in June expressed the desire for the renewal of the lease agreement, as the expiration date is Dec 31, of this year,鈥� said Matsalla.
The Cities Act permits a council of a city to establish a policy setting out the conditions and threshold amount for the sale or lease of land for less than fair market value and without public offering, said Matsalla.
鈥淪eeing as it is no longer a common practice to enact bylaws to permit lease agreements, it is of the opinion of Administration that should Council grant the renewal of this lease, that it be categorized under 鈥淒onated Lands鈥�,鈥� she said.
The WDM fits with much of what the City has laid out as priorities, said Matsalla.
鈥淯nder Yorkton鈥檚 Official Community Plan, one of our goals is celebration of History, culture and diversity in everyday activities and through programming,鈥� said Matsalla.
鈥淪ection 4.6 of the plan states that we are a socially sustainable community that fosters its unique history by reflecting the values and cultures of our residents by contributing to heritage preservation and cultural vibrancy, and we provide opportunities for our culture and history to be showcased and appreciated.鈥�
In addition, 鈥淵orkton鈥檚 Strategic Plan 2020 has an objective under its Community Development goal to 鈥淓stablish a vibrant culture that celebrates diversity, arts, customs, food, fashions, museums, motion picture/film festival, and heritage,鈥� said Matsalla.
鈥淏y supporting a renewal of this lease, it would meet the spirit of both the Official Community Plan and the Strategic Plan 2020.鈥�
As background Matsalla noted 鈥淭he Western Development Museum (WDM) began in the mid-1940鈥檚 after a rising concern that settler鈥檚 farm machinery was fast disappearing. In 1945, the Saskatchewan Government charged the Minister of Natural Resources and Industrial Development with collecting historic items. The large number of donations led to the establishment of several collection depots, usually surplus aircraft hangars, to store the artifacts.
鈥淥n April 2, 1949, the Saskatchewan Legislature gave royal assent to a bill to create the Western Development Museum. The hangar in Yorkton opened in 1951, and the growth of the museum triggered the build of the current structure there today in 1971.鈥�
