Yorkton

History

In 1882, a group of businessmen and investors formed the York Farmers Colonization Company. Authorized to issue up to $300,000 in debentures and lenient government credit terms on land purchases encouraged company representatives to visit the District of Assiniboia of the North-West Territories with the intent to view some crown land available near the Manitoba border. They were impressed with what they saw and the group purchased portions of six townships near the Little Whitesand River (now Yorkton Creek) for the purpose of settlement and to establish a centre for trade there. This centre would become known as York Colony.

The company founded the settlers' colony on the banks of the Little Whitesand River where lots were given freely to settlers who purchased land from them. The colony remained at its site until 1889. It was originally located at PT SE 1/4 13-26-4 W2M.

In 1889, the rail line was extended to the Yorkton area. It was at this time the colony townsite relocated alongside the new rail line.

Geography

Yorkton is located in the aspen parkland ecosystem, about 300 km south-east of Saskatoon. The terrain is mainly one of agriculture and there is no forestry industry. It is also in an area of black calcareous chernozemic soils.{{cite encyclopedia|last=Thorpe|first=J.|editor=Kai-iu Fung|editor2=Bill Barry|editor3=Wilson, Michael|encyclopedia=Atlas of Saskatchewan Celebrating the Millennium

Climate

Yorkton has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb), with extreme seasonal temperatures. It has warm summers and cold winters, with the average daily temperatures ranging from -17.9 C in January to 17.8 C in July.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Yorkton was 40.6 C on 19 July 1941. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -46.1 C on 20 January 1943.

|Jan record high C= 8.3 |Feb record high C= 11.0 |Mar record high C= 21.1 |Apr record high C= 31.7 |May record high C= 38.4 |Jun record high C= 38.3 |Jul record high C= 40.6 |Aug record high C= 38.3 |Sep record high C= 36.1 |Oct record high C= 31.1 |Nov record high C= 20.6 |Dec record high C= 12.7 |year record high C= 40.6 |Jan record low C= -46.1 |Feb record low C= -45.6 |Mar record low C= -42.8 |Apr record low C= -27.2 |May record low C= -13.5 |Jun record low C= -5.0 |Jul record low C= -1.1 |Aug record low C= -2.8 |Sep record low C= -12.8 |Oct record low C= -28.3 |Nov record low C= -37.5 |Dec record low C= -42.2 |year record low C= -46.1 |access-date= 1 May 2016 }}

Extreme weather events

• On the evening of July 1, 2010, Yorkton received a severe thunderstorm warning. Soon after, Yorkton was experiencing pea sized hail, strong winds, lightning, and heavy rain. The rain created a flash flood. Broadway Street received the worst of the flood with local businesses being severely damaged, with one being completely destroyed. The city of Yorkton declared a State of Emergency and the Canadian Red Cross helped out with the victims of the flood.
• On the weekend of June 29, 2014, Yorkton declared a State of Emergency after rain caused flash floods in south-eastern Saskatchewan.

Demographics

|1901|700 |1911|2,309 |1921|5,151 |1931|5,027 |1941|5,586 |1951|7,074 |1961|9,995 |1971|13,430 |1981|15,339 |1991|15,315 |2001|15,107 |2006|15,038 |2011|15,669 |2016|16,343 |2021|16,280 In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Yorkton had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of 36.19 km2, it had a population density of in 2021.

Ethnicity

The first settlers to the Yorkton colony were English from Eastern Ontario and Great Britain. 6 mi west were Scottish settlers at the settlement of Orkney. A significant number of residents are also descended from immigrants from Ukraine who came in the early 20th century.

Attractions

The Yorkton Gallagher Centre is an entertainment complex constructed in 1977 by the civic government and the Yorkton Exhibition Association. The centre includes an arena, curling rink, conference rooms and an indoor swimming pool.{{cite web | access-date =2014-07-23}} Until 2005, the facility was called the Parkland Agriplex. In the early 1900s an older Agriplex building was located on the fair grounds adjacent to the Gallagher Centre.{{cite web | access-date =2014-07-23}}

Yorkton is home to a branch of the Saskatchewan Western Development Museum, which houses a number of exhibits depicting pioneer life in the town and on the surrounding prairie. The museum includes an early pioneer log home and an extensive outdoor exhibit of agricultural machinery, including early tractors and steam engines.{{cite web |access-date=2009-05-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100715113423/http://www.tourismyorkton.com/attr_heritage.html |archive-date=July 15, 2010

Located on several buildings in downtown Yorkton are murals depicting historic personalities.

Historic sites

A number of heritage buildings are located within the city. Yorkton Tower Theatre is a single screen movie theatre built in the 1950s.{{cite web | access-date = 2009-05-10}} Army Navy and Air Force Veterans Building, Dulmage Farmstead, Hudson's Bay Company Store, St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Yorkton Armoury, Yorkton Court House, 29 Myrtle Avenue, 81 Second Avenue North, Old Land Titles Building{{cite web | access-date = 2014-07-26}} and Yorkton Organic Milling Ltd are also listed historic places.

Yorkton Film Festival

Main article: Yorkton Film Festival

Film Festivals have been an enduring part of life in Yorkton since the projector spun to life in October 1947. At that time the Yorkton International Documentary Film Festival was born. The international component was dropped in 1977, deciding to focus on Canadian short film instead. The festival renamed itself the Yorkton Short Film Festival also in 1977. In 2009 it became the Yorkton Film Festival.

Sports

The city of Yorkton hosted the 1999 Royal Bank Cup (Junior "A" ice hockey National Championship), the 2006 World Junior A Challenge (an international Junior "A" ice hockey tournament) and the 2009 Canada Cup of Curling.

Teams

The Yorkton Terriers are a team in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. The Yorkton Rawtec Maulers are a Midget AAA ice hockey team and they are a member of the SMAAAHL. The teams play their games in the 2,300 seat Westland Arena in the Yorkton Gallagher Centre{{cite web | access-date =2014-07-25 }}{{cite web | access-date =2014-07-25 }}

Yorkton Cardinals were a baseball team playing in the Western Canadian Baseball League.{{cite web | access-date = 2009-05-18 }}

The Yorkton Bulldogs are a retired box lacrosse team formed in 2003. They are a member of the Prairie Gold Lacrosse League.{{cite web | access-date =2009-05-18 }}

Government

Municipal

The current mayor as of 2024 is Aaron Kienle. He is serving with councillors Dustin Brears, Stephanie Ortynsky, Quinn Haider, Randy Goulden, Greg Litvanyi, and Darcy Zaharia.

Provincial

The city is located in the Provincial Electoral District of Yorkton.{{cite web |access-date=2014-07-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513152231/http://www.elections.sk.ca/resources/directory-of-communities-by-saskatchewan-electoral-district.pdf |archive-date=May 13, 2014

Federal

The federal constituency of Yorkton—Melville is represented in the House of Commons of Canada by Cathay Wagantall of the Conservative Party of Canada.

From 1968 to 1993, Yorkton was represented federally by New Democratic Party MP Lorne Nystrom who at his first election win was the youngest person to be elected to the Canadian Parliament.

Infrastructure

Health care

Yorkton established its first hospital in 1902, and this was followed by a maternity care home which lasted a couple of decades. The original hospital was converted into a residential apartment, which in 2014 suffered a large fire which engulfed the entire building. The current hospital, the Yorkton Regional Health Centre, is located on Bradbrooke Drive and is part of the Saskatchewan Health Authority.

Transportation

Air

During the Second World War an airport was built 2.8 nmi north of Yorkton for the Royal Canadian Air Force's No. 11 Service Flying Training School. It is now operated as the Yorkton Municipal Airport .

Roads

Yorkton is located at the intersection of Hwy 52, Hwy 10, Hwy 9 and The Yellowhead which is part of the Trans-Canada Highway{{Cite book

Rail

Yorkton is served by Canadian National Railway (JCT Yorkton Sub, Sk. (CN)) branch line and Canadian Pacific Railway (Yorkton IMS, Sk (CPRS)) mainline track.{{cite web | access-date =2014-08-02}}

Transit

Yorkton Transit runs two routes, covering the majority of the city.

Education

Tertiary institutions

Parkland College has campuses in Yorkton.

High schools

Sacred Heart High School was founded by the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate, and the school celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1991.{{cite web |access-date=2014-07-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808032347/http://www.christtheteacher.ca/index.php/information-about-our-division/our-schools |archive-date=August 8, 2014 | access-date =2009-05-18 }}

Elementary schools

There are four separate Catholic elementary schools. St. Alphonsus Elementary School provides pre-kindergarten through Grade 8. St. Mary's Elementary School offers pre-kindergarten classes to grade 8. St. Michael's Elementary School offers both English and French immersion from Kindergarten to grade 8. St. Paul's Elementary School also belongs to the Christ the Teacher Catholic School Division, and provides Kindergarten to Grade 8 classes.

The public elementary schools are also four in total. Columbia Elementary School has an approximate enrolment of 340 students and offers pre-Kindergarten to Grade 8.{{cite web | access-date =2009-05-18 }} Dr. Brass Elementary School is named after the dentist, Dr. David James Brass and offers pre-Kindergarten to Grade 8.{{cite web | access-date =2009-05-18 }} M.C. Knoll Elementary School opened in August 1998, and is named after Milton Clifford Knoll.{{cite web | access-date =2009-05-18 }} Yorkdale Central School is also a part of Good Spirit School Division No. 204 and offers Kindergarten to Grade 8.{{cite web | access-date = 2009-05-18 }}

Military

The 64th (Yorkton) Field Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery is garrisoned at the Yorkton Armouries.{{cite web | access-date =2014-07-21}}{{cite web | access-date =2014-07-21}}

During World War II the Yorkton airport was home to No. 23 Elementary Flying Training School and No. 11 Service Flying Training School – both schools being a part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Among the present users is a Gliding Centre, operated for the Royal Canadian Air Cadets.

The Royal Canadian Air Force Station Yorkton (ADC ID: C-51) was a Long Range Radar (LRR) and Ground Air Transmitter Receiver (GATR) facility of the Pinetree Line. The site was SAGE compatible from day one. The facility which was in use during the Cold War was renamed CFS Yorkton (Canadian Forces Station) in 1967. The station located near Yorkton was operational from 1963 to 1986.

Media

Newspapers

;Weeklies

• The Yorkton News Review (defunct)
• Yorkton This Week

Radio

Television

Cable television services are supplied by Access Communications. Access is a Saskatchewan-owned not-for-profit co-operative established in 1974. It also supplies home phone and Internet service to the community.

SaskTel provides maxTV and maxTV stream services on both DSL and Fiber. SaskTel is a Crown Corporation owned by the provincial government to serve the people of Saskatchewan with telephone, Internet, and TV services. Current internet speeds are up to 50/10 on DSL and up to 1000/500 on fiber. Business is up to 5000/5000 in select markets.

The only terrestrial television station serving Yorkton is CICC-TV channel 10, a CTV affiliate station.

Yorkton was previously served by CKOS-TV channel 5, a private CBC Television outlet; formerly a sister station of CICC, it became an owned-and-operated repeater of CBKT in 2002, before closing down with the rest of CBC's repeater network in 2012.

Notes

References

References

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2. "Toporama – 062M01 – YORKTON, Saskatchewan". NRC.
3. [https://census.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&GENDERlist=1&STATISTIClist=1&HEADERlist=0&DGUIDlist=2021A00054709012&SearchText=Yorkton Population and Dwelling Count Highlight Tables, 2021 Census – Census subdivisions]
4. Commissioner of Canada Elections, Chief Electoral Officer of Canada. (2005). "Elections Canada On-line".
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6. (2012-05-09). "Time zones & daylight saving time". National Research Council Canada.
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10. (2012-05-09). "York Farmers Colonization Company guide and record". University of Alberta.
11. "Tourism Yorkton History". Tourism Yorkton.
12. Coupland, R.T.. (1969). "Natural Vegetation of Saskatchewan". University of Saskatchewan.
13. (31 October 2011). "July 1941". Environment Canada.
14. Climate data was recorded in the city of Yorkton from February 1884 to October 1945, and at [[Yorkton Municipal Airport]] from May 1941 to present
15. (25 September 2013). "Canadian Climate Normals (1981–2010)". Environment Canada.
16. "Flood emergency declared in Yorkton, Sask.". CBC.
17. (2 July 2010). "Flooding prompts evacuations in Yorkton, Sask". CTV NEWS.
18. (July 2, 2014). "Monsoon déjà vu". Yorkton This Week.
19. (2011). "Population of the Prairie Provinces, 1901, 1906, 1911 and 1916 (Yorkton p.98)".
20. (2021). "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities)".
21. (February 9, 2022). "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Saskatchewan". [[Statistics Canada]].
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31. (3 December 2014). "Yorkton apartment building goes up in flames".
32. {{CFS
33. [http://www.tc.gc.ca/pol/en/Report/tp577/vol2/51-210-XIE2008001.pdf Aircraft Movement Statistics: Airports Without Air Traffic Control Towers (TP 577)] {{webarchive. link. (October 29, 2008 Movements from [[Statistics Canada]].)
34. "Good Spirit School Division Schools List".
35. "To our readers of the Yorkton News Review".
36. "Yorkton News, Events & Classifieds".
37. "Radio and TV Station Lists". CRTC.
38. "My Access".