YORKTON - Heritage Day marked Sunday was a time to celebrate a milestone for the Western Development Museum branch in Yorkton to celebrate a milestone.
The provincial WDM – which today has four branches including the one in Yorkton – is marking 75 years since it was initiated.
The first WDM opened April 2, in 1949, explained Jailyn Corbin, acting programs and volunteer coordinator Sunday.
Corbin said the idea to create what would become the WDM grew out of the Second World War when there was a huge call for scrap metal to create weapons. The effort to collect the metal meant a lot of old steam engines and threshing machines were collected and lost.
“The disappearance of all that scrap metal was not unnoticed,” she said.
So with $10,000 in the form of a grant the idea of a museum began to take shape in North Battleford, with early items collected stored in an air force hangar.
Over the next few years work continued and in 1949 the Western Development Museum Act was passed in the Saskatchewan Legislature April 2.
Initially the focus was to be all across Western Canada but soon the focus tightened to Saskatchewan history only, said Corbin.
Soon Saskatoon would have its WDM, followed by Yorkton and then finally the Moose Jaw branch was opened.
The Yorkton branch opened June 17, 1951, moving eventually to its current location initially in a 30x30-metre building opening in September 1972.
Through the years volunteers have been integral to the success of the museums, said Corbin.
“All of our volunteers fill so many important roles,” she said.
Through the years the displays have changed, and collections grown, but the WDM locations have remained popular, and in 2015 the 10-millionth visitor was reached, said Corbin.
The actual WDM anniversary day will be marked at the Yorkton WDM with various displays and an admission of 75 cents April 2.
