Yorkton
Downtown on Broadway Street
Flag
Motto: "Where Good Things Happen"
Yorkton
Coordinates: 51°12′50″N 102°27′46″W / 51.21389°N 102.46278°W / 51.21389; -102.46278
Country	Canada
Province	Saskatchewan
Incorporated Village	July 15, 1894
Incorporated Town	1900
Incorporated City	February 1, 1928
Government
• Mayor	Bob Maloney
• MLA	Greg Ottenbreit
• MP	Garry Breitkreuz
Area
• Total	25.77 km2 (9.95 sq mi)
Elevation[1]	498.30 m (1,634.84 ft)
Population (2011)[2]
• Total	15,669
• Density	608.1/km2 (1,575/sq mi)
Time zone	Central Standard Time (UTC−6)
Postal code span	S3N
Area code(s)	306
Highways	The Yellowhead Trans Canada Highway Hwy 52, Hwy 10, Hwy 9, the Saskota Flyway
Post office established	January 1, 1884
Website	City of Yorkton
[3][4][5][6][7]

Yorkton is a city located in southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada, near the Manitoba border. Founded and incorporated in 1882 by a group of settlers from Ontario, it has grown to 15,038 residents as of the 2006 census.^[2] The city is bordered by the Rural Municipality of Orkney No. 244 and the Rural Municipality of Wallace No. 243.

The Yorkton Film Festival has been held there every year since 1947.

History [edit]

A group of settlers from York County, Ontario, established the York City settlement in 1882.^[8] They had been recruited by the York Farmers Colonization Company and originally founded York Colony on the banks of the small Whitesand river about 3 miles (4.8 km) north of the site of the modern city.^[9] York City remained here until 1893. Yorkton has expanded, and the original settlement was approximately located where Yorkton airport is now located.^[10]

The York Farmers Colonization Company, with Ontario Member of Parliament N. Clark Wallace as president, and a capital shareholders' investment of CA$300,000 was incorporated May 12, 1882.^[11] ($300,000 then is equivalent to $7.14 million in present day terms.^[12][13][14]) Earlier in the year, a group of Toronto businessmen had met to discuss a plan to invest in the opening of lands for homesteading in Western Canada, specifically in the newly created Provisional Assiniboia, North West Territories.^[15]

Geography [edit]

Yorkton is located in the aspen parkland ecosystem.^[11] The terrain is mainly one of agriculture and there is no forestry industry.^[16] It is also in an area of black calcareous chernozemic soils.^[11][16] The Yorkton area was located on the edge of an area of a maximum glacial lake.^[16] The quaternary geology has left the area as a moraine plain consisting of glacial deposits.^[11] The bedrock geology is the pembina member of Vermillion River Formation and Riding Mountain Formation. Yorkton is located in the physiographic region of the Quill Lake-Yorkton Plain region of the Saskatchewan Plains Region.^[16]

Climate [edit]

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 (−0.2 °F) in January to 17.8 °C (64.0 °F) in July. Typically, summer lasts from late June until late August, and the humidity is seldom uncomfortably high. Winter lasts from November to March, and varies greatly in length and severity from year to year. Spring and autumn are both short and highly variable.

July 2010 Yorkton flood [edit]

On the evening of July 1, 2010, Yorkton received a severe thunderstorm warning. Soon after, Yorkton was having pea sized hail, strong winds, lightning and heavy rain. The rain created a flash flood. Broadway Street got the worst of the flood, McDonald's and Dairy Queen were damaged, with Dairy Queen receiving the worst damage. The City of Yorkton declared a State of Emergency on the flood. The Canadian Red Cross helped out with the victims of the flood. As of October 2011, McDonald's has been completely rebuilt, and Dairy Queen was opened on October 14, 2011, a year after the flood.

Demographics [edit]

Historically the first settlers to the area at the Yorkton colony were English from Eastern Ontario and Great Britain. 6 miles (9.7 km) west were Scottish settlers at the settlement of Orkney.^[17]

Government [edit]

The city of Yorkton has a mayor as the highest ranking government official. The city also elects aldermen or councillors to form the municipal council. Currently the mayor is Bob Maloney. He is serving with councillors Larry Pearen, Chris Wyatt, Randy Goulden, Les Arenelien, James Wilson, and Ross Fisher.^[20]

Provincially Yorkton is within the constituency of Yorkton served by Member of the Legislative Assembly Greg Ottenbreit.^[5]

Yorkton is represented in the Canadian House of Commons by Garry Breitkreuz of the Conservative Party of Canada. From 1968 to 1993, Yorkton was represented by Lorne Nystrom of the New Democratic Party.

Infrastructure [edit]

Yorkton established its first hospital in 1902, and this was followed by a maternity care home which lasted a couple of decades.^[11] The hospital is now a residential apartment.

Transportation [edit]

On the Yellowhead Highway near Yorkton

Yorkton is strategically located on a network of highways; The Yellowhead Trans Canada Highway Hwy 52, Hwy 10, and Hwy 9, the Saskota Flyway.^[10]

Yorkton was located on the Minnedosa, Saskatoon, Edmonton section of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The track travelled from northwest to southeast through Insinger, Theodore, Springside, Orcadia, to Yorkton, and continued through Rokeby, Clonmel, Saltcoats and Bredenbury. It is at Bredenbury that travellers experienced a time change, and set their watches one hour earlier going west along the line in the early twentieth century.

Yorkton was also located on the Melfort, Tisdale, Canora Kamsack Canadian National Railways line. The track traveled from south west to north east through Melville, to Yorkton and continuing to Mehana, Ebenezer, Gorlitz, Burgis and Canora.

There was another CNR branch line through Yorkton, which travelled between Regina, Melville, The Pas, Swan River, and Kelvington, Saskatchewan. The line traveled from south to north through Melville, Brewer, McKim, Otthon, Enfin to Yorkton, and continued on through Young's Siding, Mehan, Ebenezer, Gorlitz, Burgis, and Canora.

The Neepawa, Manitoba, Yorkton, Willowbrook, and Parkerview CNR also ran through Yorkton. From south to north the railway stations along the line near Yorkton were Parkerview, Fitzmaurice, Jedburgh, Beaverdale, Willowbrook, Fonehill, to Yorkton, leaving to arrive at Calley, Strudee, Tonkin, Barbour, Barvas, Kessock, Wroxton, Stornoway, Rhein, Hampton, Donwell, Ross Junction, and Canora.

The Yorkton Municipal Airport (IATA: YQV, ICAO: CYQV), is located 2.8 nautical miles (5.2 km; 3.2 mi) north of Yorkton.^[21][22] During the Second World War, an airport was built north of the city for the RCAF's No. 11 Service Flying Training School, now operated as the Yorkton Municipal Airport.

Media [edit]

Newspaper

• The Yorkton News Review, a weekly paper.^[23]
• Yorkton This Week, a weekly paper

Radio

• CJGX AM 940, Harvard Broadcasting
• CBK-FM-3 91.7, rebroadcaster for CBK-FM (CBC Radio 2)
• CFGW-FM 94.1, Harvard Broadcasting
• CJJC-FM 98.5, Dennis Dyck

Television

• CICC-TV channel 10, CTV

Yorkton was previously served by CKOS-TV channel 5, a private CBC Television outlet; this station would close down in 2002, with its transmitter becoming CBKT-6, a repeater of CBKT Regina. CBKT-6 would close down on July 31, 2012, due to budget cuts handed down by the CBC.^[24][25]

Education [edit]

Tertiary institutions [edit]

• Parkland College
• Academy of Learning Career and Business college

High schools [edit]

Sacred Heart High School (also known as SHHS or Sacred) was founded by the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate, and the school celebrated its 75th Anniversary in 1991.^[26] Dream Builders is an alternative education program offering grades 6 through 12 with a work experience component.^[27] Yorkton Regional High School (also known as the YRHS or The Regional) opened November 10, 1967 offering grades 9 to 12.^[28]

Elementary schools [edit]

There are four separate Catholic elementary schools. St. Alphonsus Elementary School provides Kindergarten through Grade 8^[29] St. Mary's Elementary School offers pre-kindergarten classes to grade 8.^[30] St. Michael's Elementary School offers both English and French immersion from Kindergarten to grade 8.^[31] St. Paul's Elementary School also belongs to the Christ the Teacher Catholic School Division, and provides Kindergarten to Grade 8 classes.^[32]

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.^[33] Dr. Brass Elementary School is named after the dentist, Dr. David James Brass and offers pre-Kindergarten to Grade 8.^[34] M.C. Knoll Elementary School opened in August 1998, and is named after Milton Clifford Knoll. .^[35] Yorkdale Central School is also a part of Good Spirit School Division No. 204,^[36]

Sports teams [edit]

The Yorkton Terriers are a team in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. The team plays their home games in the Farrell Agencies Arena which has a seating capacity of 2,300.^[37] Yorkton Harvest are a Midget AAA ice hockey team and they are a member of the SMAAAHL. They play their home games at the Farrell Agencies Arena.^[38]

Yorkton Cardinals are a baseball team playing in the Western Major Baseball League.^[39]

The Yorkton Bulldogs are a box lacrosse team formed in 2003. They are a member of the Prairie Gold Lacrosse League.^[40]

The Yorkton Regional Raiders are the Yorkton public High School sports teams.^[41] The Sacred Heart Saints is the name for the sports teams of the Separate Sacred Heart High School.^[42]

Military [edit]

The 64th (Yorkton) Field Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery is garrisoned at the Yorkton Armouries.

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.

Museums and points of interest [edit]

The Yorkton Gallagher centre is an entertainment complex constructed in 1977 by the civic government and the Yorkton Exhibition Association. Up until 2005, the facility was called the Parkland Agriplex and hosted an arena, curling rink, conference rooms and an indoor swimming pool. The Agriplex was built on the fair grounds until they moved in the early twentieth century.^[43] Yorkton Tower Theatre is a single screen movie theatre built in the 1950s.^[44]

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.^[17]

Notable Yorktonites [edit]

The Right Honourable Brian Dickson, born May 25, 1916 in Yorkton, was appointed Chief Justice of Canada on April 18, 1984.^[45] The library of the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Law is named for him, and contains many of his papers and personal effects.^[46]

Honourable Madame Justice Constance Hunt was born 1951 in Yorkton, attended the University of Saskatchewan and received her Master of Law degree from Harvard University.^[47] In 2006, it was reported that she was one of three "short list" candidates to be recommended to be appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada replacing the retired justice, John C. Major.^[48]

E.F. Anthony "Tony" Merchant, Q.C., born October 19, 1944 in Yorkton is a former politician and Saskatchewan lawyer whose law firm had major involvement in the residential school lawsuits.^[49]

David Rodney born June 27, 1964 is a Yorkton native, and a Canadian politician and current Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. He holds the distinction of being the only Canadian to ascend to the summit of Mount Everest twice. He has received many accolades for his philanthropic work and personal accomplishments including the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal for community service, a spot on Alberta Venture magazine's list of Alberta's 50 Most Influential People, and the dedication of Rodney Ridge in his hometown, where he holds a spot on the sports hall of fame.^[50]

Brent Fedyk, born March 3, 1967 in Yorkton was drafted in the first round, 8th overall, by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft.^[51]

Jarret Stoll born June 24, 1982, in Melville and the family moved to Yorkton when he was 8 years old. In 1997, Stoll helped the Yorkton Bantam AAA Terriers to a Western Canadian Championship.^[52] On June 29, 2008, Stoll was traded to the Los Angeles Kings, and on September 5, the Kings signed Stoll to a four-year deal worth $14.4 million.^[53] Stoll has also won a Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2012.

Alvin Law born 1960 in Yorkton is a motivational speaker and former radio broadcaster. Law was born without arms as a consequence of his mother's use of the prescription thalidomide while pregnant.^[54]

Nick Stoubis was born April 2, 1972, in Melville. The family moved to Yorkton when he was nine years old, where he became musically inclined. He toured Canada playing on bills with Nazareth, Bachman–Turner Overdrive (B.T.O.), Trooper, Prism, Barney Bentall, and Lee Aaron. He is a professor at the University of Southern California as a part of their Music Faculty.^[55]

Matt Zaba born 1983 in Yorkton is a goaltender in the New York Rangers farm system.^[56]

Darrell Pasloski, born 1960 grew up in Yorkton and is now serving as the leader of the Yukon Party and as Premier of Yukon.^{[citation needed]}

References [edit]

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Yorkton, Saskatchewan

• City of Yorkton
• Saskatchewan Roman Catholic Churches ~ Online Parish Registers ~ History >> Yorkton
• The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan - Yorkton

		Canora
	Foam Lake		Roblin
		Yorkton
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Coordinates: 51°12′50″N 102°27′46″W / 51.21389°N 102.46278°W / 51.21389; -102.46278