'A profound time in Yorkton's history': Tipi site blessing event kicks off work for new permanent structure

A ceremony held on Thursday by Yorkton Triabl Council focused on blessing the land where the tipi will be erected. (Brady Lang / CTV News)

Yorkton, Sask. -

A steel tipi will be taking the place of the sundial in Yorkton on Broadway Avenue.

It all began with an idea, nearly one year ago to the day, right in City Centre Park in Yorkton.

A City Councillor noticed Indigenous representation wasn’t seen within the park, including on the mural on the north side of the neighbouring Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming building.

“I said, ‘This is wrong, there’s no First Nations content,’” recalled Yorkton Tribal Chief Isabel O’Soup.

“Ironically, the idea [of a tipi] was born here, on September 30.”

O’Soup said it was the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation where the idea of the tipi really started.

It was fully funded by Yorkton Tribal Council, and O’Soup described it as a relief to get the initial temporary poles up on Thursday.

The tipi will be a 27 foot steel structure when it is unveiled in late September or early October. It won’t be the lone tipi in the community, however.

A second will be coming to the Tourism Yorkton office east of King Street. It will be 40 feet tall, and wood-built.

The plan zipped through City Council, according to O’Soup — a degree of urgency as the old sundial moved to the Heritage Flour Mill site.

Yorkton Mayor Mitch Hippsley was beaming with pride at a blessing event on Thursday.

“This is a profound time in Yorkton’s history. Truth and Reconciliation has finally surfaced and this is an act to prove we want to move forward together,” he said.

“There wasn’t enough representation with our Indigenous communities.”

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Hippsley said ideas such as erecting a tipi on the stage were also brought up, but he described it as the “perfect” location in the old sundial location.

He added that Yorkton’s tipi site will be the second in Canada for a municipality like Yorkton, to Medicine Hat, Alberta.

“I’m very proud of our council – it was unanimous, there was no hesitation. Yorkton Tribal Council was so open minded and cooperative … the doors were open to talk, the phone line was always open,” Hippsley said.

For O’Soup, it was an emotional day.

“I tried all day, not to cry. I was thinking about my grandmother, I was thinking about all the other (grandparents) that didn’t have the freedom to express their First Nations culture, their First Nations traditions … and I think of all the young kids.” she said.

“So they can go forward, not having to be ashamed of being a First Nation.”