Western Development Museum marks historic milestone of their own
In celebration of the Western Development Museum (WDM) fostering Saskatchewan’s history for 75 years, a new historic day has been proclaimed for April 2 - Western Development Museum Day.
“It was April 2, 1949 that it was passed as legislation for the provincial government to establish the Western Development Museum," Carla Madsen, manager of the WDM Yorkton Branch, said.
The four WDM exhibits - located in Yorkton, North Battleford, Saskatoon, and Moose Jaw – showcase different elements of prairie life with more than 75,000 artifacts, each telling the stories of Saskatchewan and its people.
“Each of the branch locations specifically have a theme to help tell Saskatchewan’s stories comprehensively,” Madsen explained.
“Here in Yorkton, ours is the story of people. We have a number of feature exhibits on some of the cultures that settled in Saskatchewan. We also feature a 100 year timeline of Saskatchewan history from 1905 through 2005."
In addition to Yorkton’s theme being stories of immigration, the WDM in Moose Jaw focuses on transportation, an emphasis on farm and rural life is present in North Battleford, and Saskatoon looks at innovation.
When visiting the Yorkton branch, one resident said she could not believe the variety of artifacts that were on display.
"When we heard it was their anniversary I said, 'Oh I got to see what displays they've picked out over the 75 years,' and they did an excellent job, holy cow,” Florence Slywka expressed.
“It’s very well documented, and I’m really proud of what they did in the short time they’re opened.”
As the museums continue capturing the memories of Saskatchewan people, the collection of objects and artifacts are on display all-year round to help keep the province’s history alive.
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