Municipal History Manual
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PREFACE This Manual is updated annually by the City of Yorkton in order to provide the citizens of Yorkton, and others, with information relative to the history of the City, its form of government, departments and general activities. The information contained in the manual is the latest made available for the year ended 2019. The co-operation of all civic departments, and the material supplied from other sources for insertion in this manual is appreciated and gratefully acknowledged. Yorkton, Saskatchewan Jessica Matsalla June 2020 Director of Legislation/Procedures (City Clerk) Municipal Manual 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Location/Early History of Yorkton ............................................................................................................... 4 Yorkton History and Folklore Summary ....................................................................................................... 6 Corporate Logo ........................................................................................................................................... 58 City of Yorkton Flag ................................................................................................................................... 59 Population ................................................................................................................................................... 60 Mission Statement/Vision/Core Values ...................................................................................................... 61 Yorkton 2020 Strategic Plan ....................................................................................................................... 62 City Council Overview ............................................................................................................................... 63 Yorkton City Council – 2019 ...................................................................................................................... 64 Organizational Structure ............................................................................................................................. 66 Map of City of Yorkton ............................................................................................................................... 67 Mayors of Yorkton (1900 to present) .......................................................................................................... 70 Councillors (Aldermen) of Yorkton (1900 to present) ................................................................................ 71 Election Statistics ........................................................................................................................................ 73 Council Boards/Commissions/Committees ................................................................................................. 81 Retirements ................................................................................................................................................. 89 Senior Management - 2019 ......................................................................................................................... 90 City Manager’s Office ................................................................................................................................. 92 Yorkton Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) .................................................................................. 94 City Auditor ................................................................................................................................................ 94 City Solicitor ............................................................................................................................................... 94 City Clerk’s Office ...................................................................................................................................... 95 City Archives .............................................................................................................................................. 96 Finance Department .................................................................................................................................... 97 Financial Statistics ................................................................................................................... 99 2019 City Budget ..................................................................................................................... 99 2019 Mill Rates ..................................................................................................................... 100 Property Tax Discounts & Penalties Bylaw .......................................................................... 101 Fire Protective Services ............................................................................................................................. 103 Human Resources ...................................................................................................................................... 105 Community Development, Parks & Recreation ........................................................................................ 108 Planning, Building & Development .......................................................................................................... 119 Engineering & Asset Management ........................................................................................................... 121 Public Works. ............................................................................................................................................ 124 Environmental Services ............................................................................................................................ 126 Gallagher Centre ....................................................................................................................................... 129 Yorkton R.C.M.P. Detachment (Municipal) ............................................................................................. 132 Tourism Yorkton ....................................................................................................................................... 135 Yorkton Chamber of Commerce ............................................................................................................... 136 Alphabetical Index .................................................................................................................................... 137 Municipal History 3 City of Yorkton Location 1882, a group of businessmen met in Toronto, Yorkton enjoys a strategic location ideally Ontario, to discuss a plan to invest in the suited for serving central and western Canada opening of lands for homesteading in Western as well as the U.S. market. Linked by one of Canada, specifically in the newly created the most sophisticated fibre optic Provisional District of Assiniboia, North West communications networks in the world, Territories. The Dominion Government had businesses in Yorkton interact daily with provided for the acquisition of free homestead customers worldwide. quarter sections, as well as offering certain sections for sale to companies, who in turn . Largest city on the Trans Canada could sell for profit, at the same time furthering Yellowhead Highway (Hwy.16) the Government’s dream of Western expansion. between Winnipeg, Manitoba and The York Farmers Colonization Company, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. with an Ontario Member of Parliament N. Clark Wallace as President, and a capital . Largest city in east-central shareholders’ investment of $300,000.00 was Saskatchewan, an area of approximately incorporated May 12, 1882. Their charter 14,000 square miles. allowed them not only to buy and sell certain lands, but to set up businesses, build roads, . Largest city nearest to the port of operate ferries, run stagecoaches, make loans, Churchill. and generally take charge of the founding of a new colony. They also acted as agents of the . Served by four main highways in all Dominion Government for the assigning and directions, with several trucking firms filing of free homesteads. passing through. When four company officials, one being the . On both the Canadian Pacific and Managing Director, James Armstrong came to Canadian National rail lines. view the area, they were impressed with the woodland scenery which resembled parts of . Adjacent to the lakes and scenic Ontario, and with the rich quality of the soil. recreation areas characteristic of the They obtained 6 townships and invited settlers city’s rolling parkland setting. from York County and other parts of southern Early History of Yorkton Ontario, Quebec, the Maritimes, Manitoba, Great Britain and United States. Settlers began arriving in the summer of 1882, most of them It falls to the firstly arrived of a frontier heading east for the winter and to return the settlement - if it is to be a successful one, to following spring. Four men stayed and firmly establish the essential services required wintered in one shack, existing on a minimum of the people of a community, and set up of supplies and with the help of Native people. institutions to meet their needs, and the needs They called their settlement “York Colony” of the settlers yet to come. and the hamlet, erected on the banks of the Little White Sand River “York City” situated 2 In the history of the Yorkton area, this mantel ½ miles (4.6 kilometres) north of present day fell primarily