UNESCO Accreditation
In 2020, Heritage Saskatchewan became an accredited Non-Government Organization (NGO) under the 2003 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Org anization (UNESCO) Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Thank You!
We extend our gratitude to all of our volunteers, including the Board of Directors, who give of their time and expertise in guiding the work of Heritage Saskatchewan. Thank you to our consultants, partners, and sponsors who contribute to our work.
We thank SaskCulture for their ongoing support, at many levels, as we continue our work as their Community of Interest for Heritage.
WE COULDN’T DO IT WITHOUT YOU!
Land Acknowledgement
Heritage Saskatchewan’s work traverses the traditional homelands of the Nehiyaw/Nehithaw/ Nehinaw (Cree), Nahkawe (Saulteaux), Dakota, Lakota, Nakota, and Dene, the homeland the Michif (Métis), which are territories covered under Treaty 2, Treaty 4, Treaty 5, Treaty 6, Treaty 8, and Treaty 10, a place many cultures now call home – Saskatchewan.
We are committed to building relationships with Indigenous communities and learning to live on these lands in a better way.
Funded by
Heritage Saskatchewan was incorporated October 14, 2009
A Message from His Honour the Honourable Russ Mirasty
A Message from the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, our Honourary Patron
As our Sovereign’s representative in Saskatchewan, I am pleased to extend greetings on behalf of His Majesty King Charles III, King of Canada , to the board of directors, staff, members, volunteers and sponsors of Heritage Saskatchewan .
It has been my pleasure and privilege to serve as your Honorary Patron for the past five years, and I wish to express my gratitude for your continued management of the annual Lieutenant Governor’s Heritage Awards.
I would also like to recognize Heritage Saskatchewan’s programming for children. Each year the Heritage Fairs provide excellent opportunities for young students around the province to learn about Canadian culture, develop presentation skills and gain a sense of accomplishment from a job well done. Thank you for partnering with participating schools to make this program so successful.
I applaud Heritage Saskatchewan for championing and cherishing our province’s rich heritage. Please accept my best wishes for 2025.
Russ Mirasty Lieutenant Governor Province of Saskatchewan
His Honour the Honourable Russ Mirasty, Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
Ian Worme, President
A JOINT MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Once again, we are grateful for the dedication and commitment by individuals and organisations that partnered with us this past year. Growing challenges, political uncertainty, growing polarization, and increased anxiety continue to occupy space in our thoughts and actions. How do we navigate through these uncertain times? There are no easy answers, but an important part of the way forward is acknowledging and appreciating those who remain committed to advocating for, and working towards, a better shared future.
First and foremost, we wish to express our gratitude and appreciation to our Honourary Patron, the Honourable Russ Mirasty, Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, and Her Honour Donna Mirasty, for serving as Heritage Saskatchewan’s Honourary Patron over the past five and a half years. Your support for heritage has been reflected in your outstanding service to this province. Through your leadership and your willingness to share your own heritage, we have benefited from your knowledge and wisdom. As one of the few Lieutenant Governors that has served under two monarchs, we thank you for your service and we wish you both good health and sincere wishes for the future.
Thank you to our members, volunteers, sponsors, consultants, and partners for your support and willingness to engage with us. Through active engagement with individuals, communities, and organisations this past year, we were inspired by your incredible work. We look forward to strengthening those partnerships and learning from them, including a new opportunity through the establishment of a heritage coalition and elders’ advisory circle.
Our deep appreciation is extended to the Board of Directors who continued to govern the organisation, sharing their experiences and perspectives. The Board encouraged presentations at their meetings to learn and hear from organisations in Saskatchewan. These ownership linkage sessions provided the Board and Staff new knowledge that informed our work. Presentations by the Treaty Land Sharing Network, Cultural Humility Training by the Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Saskatchewan, and our regular engagement discussions with one another are a few of the examples of these informative sessions. The Board remained committed to governing through a policy governance model policy, ensuring that the legal and fiduciary requirements to operate the organisation were fulfilled and additionally providing time for meaningful dialogue focused on current and future trends affecting our work.
We value and acknowledge SaskCulture for their vision and guidance, both in establishing Heritage Saskatchewan and for their continued commitment to strengthening our partnership, as we serve as one of their communities of interest.
Heritage Saskatchewan welcomed three summer research students this past year whose work is highlighted in this annual report. On our website, you will find all the blogs they produced, including: “A Personal Reflection on Our Attachment to Place: How Interactions with Heritage Impact Us in our Youth”; “An Attempt at Understanding: Reflections from a First Generation Canadian”; and “Childhood Memories Inspire Me to Keep Living Heritage Alive”. These are only a few of the examples of their work and provide encouragement to all of us that there are new generations of people that value and are willing to advocate for living heritage in Saskatchewan. Thank you, Faith Boser, Maha Abbas, and Cat Woloschuk, for your outstanding work and we are grateful that you chose to work with us. We have benefited a great deal from your contemporary insights and new ideas. We remain committed to encouraging and advocating for resources and opportunities to engage with and employ future generations of heritage practitioners in Saskatchewan.
In May of 2024, one of our staff left the organisation and joined Parks Canada as Manager of Visitor Services for Fort Battleford and Fort Walsh. Kristin Catherwood Mantta was a key influencer in setting direction for Heritage Saskatchewan, leading to new avenues and opportunities for the organisation. Her knowledge and dedication to her work as our Director of Living Heritage was outstanding and, while it was not an easy decision for her to make and for us to accept, we recognise the extensive benefits we received from her working with us and look forward to having our paths cross in the future. Thank you, Kristin!
Our sincere gratitude is extended to the highly motivated and skilled staff team for their ongoing commitment, leadership, adaptability, and dedication. This past year, we came together to consider future directions and needs precipitated by both change and the desire to direct our resources to address challenges and opportunities occurring within and outside the heritage sector. The results of those decisions were met with enthusiasm and a renewed sense of dedication to our purpose. Thank you to Olivia Shumski, Katherine Gilks, and David Siebert for your insights and experiences that are foundational to all the work we do. In addition, we extend our thanks to Darren Adams, our Accountant, for providing sound and expert advice.
& CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
A new project commenced in 2024 which emerged from our previous research, and through conversations with communities. This new project will demonstrate how heritage contributes to the economic wellbeing of Saskatchewan communities. We heard from organisations throughout the province that costs are rising in the heritage sector, along with depletion and/or non-existence of revenue streams to address growing, diverse critical needs. There is also a deficiency in data and lack of an accompanying narrative to demonstrate the potential and value added that exists in heritage, including jobs, when greater investment is directed at the sector. Being done in partnership with the Museums Association of Saskatchewan, this work is in addition to building our case for the value of living heritage in our everyday lives, and we look forward to directing time and energy to this vital project. Thank you to our consultants who are working with us in this area.
We continued to work on several projects that demonstrate living heritage in community, and examples of some of these are reflected in this annual report. Furthermore, we dedicated time to redesign our website with a newer, fresher look, providing greater accessibility by making the site easier to navigate. This new refreshed site was successfully launched in June, and we encourage you to explore the website for updates and to sign up for our Heritage Happenings newsletter.
Lastly, as two elections were held near the end of our fiscal year, we developed a one-page advocacy brief, “How Does Heritage Create a Stronger Saskatchewan?”, which was distributed to the provincial political parties. Katherine Gilks produced an excellent blog on the importance of voting that was posted on our website and in our newsletter during the provincial and municipal elections. As we are moving into a federal election soon, the importance of voting and encouraging others to do so remains. Please check out this blog on our website.
The need to assess relevancy, both in the present and future, was a significant part of our ongoing discussions and plans this past year, bringing to light the value of collective voices and experiences from partners, members, Board, and Staff. Adaptability and flexibility during uncertainty and unprecedented change are fundamental to our organisation remaining relevant and we are grateful to all of you who support and recognise the value of our work.
With gratitude,
Ian Worme, President
Ingrid Cazakoff, CEO
RECOGNIZING PAST PRESIDENTS
Kristin Enns-Kavanagh (2009-2014)
Les Oystryk (2014-2017)
Wendy Fitch (2017-2018)
Tara Janzen (2018-2019)
Alicia Buckley (2019-2020)
Tomasin Playford (2020-2021)
Emma Morris (2021-2023)
Ingrid Cazakoff, CEO
HERITAGE SASKATCHEWAN BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ian Worme, President; Jennifer Fitzpatrick, Vice President; Erin Folk, Past President; Bailey Pelletier, Haven Rees, Jennifer Rychlo, John Richards, Paige Hundt, Ranelle Sylvestre, Stephanie Danyluk, Tim Panas
AUDIT
BOARD COMMITTEES
Tim Panas, Chair
Bailey Pelletier
Chad Debert
Haven Rees
Ian Worme
Ranelle Sylvestre
GOVERNANCE
Jennifer Fitzpatrick, Chair
Haven Rees
Ian Worme
John Richards
Stephanie Danyluk
NOMINATIONS
Erin Folk, Chair
Ian Worme
Jennifer Rychlo
Ranelle Sylvestre
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION & COMPENSATION
Ian Worme, Chair
Erin Folk
Jennifer Fitzpatrick
Paige Hundt
RESEARCHERS
Nicholas (Nick) Antonini Research Intern Director of Operations
Katherine Gilks Heritage Fairs Coordinator & Operations Assistant
Kristin Catherwood Mantta
Ingrid Cazakoff Chief Executive Officer
Katherine Gilks Heritage Fairs Coordinator / Operations Assistant
Cat Woloschuk
Faith Boser
Maha Abbas
Nick Antonini
Darren Adams Accountant
Kristin Catherwood Mantta Director of Living Heritage (through to April 2024)
David Siebert Communications /Research Manager
Olivia Shumski Director of Operations
RESEARCH
Living heritage and wellbeing* are relevant to Saskatchewan citizens. Our research demonstrates the connection between living heritage and wellbeing, its importance to daily life, and how it is necessary to address equitable policymaking.
Research informs our own work, and we endeavour to take it from theory to practice. Our ability to influence and inform new thinking about heritage necessitates that our research be shared with the people of Saskatchewan to strengthen our collective ability to lead, collaborate, develop, and promote living heritage. Most importantly, our research work is not done in a void – partnership and engagement are essential to all our work.
*Wellbeing is achieved when people are physically, emotionally and spiritually healthy; economically secure; have a strong sense of identity, belonging and place; and have the confidence and capacity to engage as citizens.”. -from our 2019 SIW Report
In 2024, work continued in partnership with the Community Initiatives Fund (CIF). One ongoing project, initiated by Dr. Iryna Khovrenkov, Associate Professor (Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, JSGS), continues to look at wellbeing at the municipal level. A final report will be forthcoming in 2025.
An updated Saskatchewan Index of Wellbeing Technical Report was initiated in 2024, and a report will be forthcoming in 2025. Our last report was based on data up to 2016. The new report will pick up from 2016 and will include the years during the Covid-19 pandemic through to 2022. It will also include new indicators in the Environment domain that may better reflect realities in Saskatchewan.
Visit the website dedicated to wellbeing in Saskatchewan for current updates: www.saskwellbeing.ca .
RESEARCH WORK IN 2024
INTRODUCTION
In the summer of 2024, we hired three researchers - Cat Woloschuk, Faith Boser, and Maha Abbas - who tackled questions that we thought were important to communities in Saskatchewan. We also received interest from other provincial organizations on this research, so the topics we chose to pursue were timely and relevant to the heritage community across Canada.
The three areas of research were:
• Funding, given the resources for heritage places in Saskatchewan is insufficient, how communities are adapting creatively to this situation;
• Volunteerism and how changes in volunteering
have affected heritage organisations, especially after the pandemic; and
• Designations, whether this system of recognizing heritage places is working for communities in Saskatchewan.
This research was conducted through surveys, interviews and site visits. Hiring three researchers to investigate these questions simultaneously had the added benefit of allowing them to compare notes in real time, finding ways their individual research questions crossed over into those of others, or built towards solutions that answered all three of their research questions.
We received funding from ICOMOS Canada to hire Maha Abbas, and funding from Young Canada Works in Heritage to hire Cat Woloschuk and Faith Boser.
VOLUNTEERISM
By Cat Woloschuk
Research findings for this project were compiled from background research, literature reviews, surveys, and interviews. The surveys and interviews with both heritage workers and heritage volunteers gave deeper insight into the state of the Saskatchewan heritage sector and the needs of its volunteers. What came through in many interviews was that heritage sector funding, volunteers, and designations are closely linked and fed into a cycle of underpaid staff, overworked volunteers, a lack of funding, and an abundance of sites with heritage designations that are decaying and not being used to their full potential.
The Covid-19 pandemic caused many heritage organisations, places, and projects to undergo restructuring and staff and volunteer turnover, which led to a loss of institutional and governance knowledge, cutting some programs, or having to cease operations in the same ways they were before the pandemic. Research participants stated that their heritage organisations, places, or projects are still not yet back to the pre-pandemic capacity regarding programs and volunteer opportunities. Nor have they returned to pre-pandemic regular, consistent volunteer numbers. Due to a lack of capacity (paid workers and/or volunteers needed to maintain regular operations), many places struggle to apply for funding, safeguard heritage, and attract visitors. The capacity issue is a circular loop: where a lack of resources feeds into a lack of volunteers, which feeds into a lack of funding, and heritage of all kinds – built, natural, cultural, tangible, and intangible – suffer. Some survey and interview participants stated that their volunteer habits remained consistent before, during and after the pandemic. Those who had been volunteering for a long time felt it was part of their identity and reported feeling left behind, unwanted, and undervalued when the places they volunteered restructured or changed operations, often in response to other changes resulting from the pandemic.
The contributions of volunteers to Saskatchewan’s heritage have been invaluable. However, the research indicated that
changes to volunteering means that we can no longer rely solely on volunteers to safeguard our heritage. Volunteers are stretched thinly and are often doing the work of what could be full-time, permanent, paid positions. This has two sides: one is that these volunteers are contributing significant amounts of time and energy to keeping heritage living in Saskatchewan and often do more than they signed up for. The other side of this is that heritage places and activities could be supporting even more jobs if properly resourced. Volunteering stops being fun, and the positive impacts reported by participants diminish when volunteers are stressed about how to keep the doors open and the heat on at the places they care for.
This is not an abstract risk to our heritage. The work that volunteers put into the diverse, interesting, and engaging tangible and intangible heritage in the province makes Saskatchewan an attractive place to live, and to visit. That is at risk if volunteers are not properly supported or resourced.
National Doukhobor Heritage Village in Veregin
FUNDING
By Faith Boser
This research found two factors that make heritage conservation difficult: a lack of support from the broader community; and small community size. Other issues voiced during community consultations this summer were primarily related to the lack of consistent funding for operations, including funding for permanent, experienced staff members. Through in-site visits and interviews, we heard that full-time, permanent staff are needed to seek out and navigate the often-complicated grant application and reporting processes. Permanent staff give stability and consistency to heritage organizations, allowing them to be a constant presence in the life of the community. Temporary workers (via programs like Young Canada Works) are hugely beneficial, often to bring in revenue through tours or programming, but also take staff time away from core operations, including the sometimes hundreds of hours needed to apply for grants. Achieving this balance is tough for communities.
The Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation (SHF) is the main source of funding for heritage conservation in the province and is accessible to municipalities, First Nations, incorporated nonprofits, private individuals, and corporations. In Saskatchewan’s 2024 budget, $308,000 was allocated to the Foundation which exclusively funds heritage conservation. No more than $50,000 can be provided for each selected project, and 50% matching funds are required. With ever-rising costs for labour, materials, etc., this means the amount of funding allocations for these projects is not meeting the needs, opening places to potential long-term risks as small problems grow into big ones. In addition, having to raise the other 50% of funds to match the SHF grant means some communities end up reconsidering their commitment to designating and conserving heritage places.
Our research found that one way to ensure success in funding is to ensure the community is engaged in the heritage project. If the community does not care, then why should funders? Community support increases the likelihood of success through volunteer participation, fundraising efforts, donations, partnerships, and sponsorships with local businesses and larger corporations. It
is important, therefore, that the value of the heritage site or project is communicated to the public, especially across different demographics (e.g. involving younger generations). This is most feasible when there are permanent staff members involved with the heritage property/organization or devoted and experienced volunteers taking on the same role as full-time staff. Humboldt, through their Cultural Services position, and the Yorkton Brick Flour Mill, with dedicated volunteers, have achieved success in this way.
The research also found that heritage places and projects that successfully found funding also did so by seeking out different sources of funding and adding that together for their overall goals. Once some funding comes in, it is often easier to find more; the applications are sometimes onerous, but much of the content can be reused in further applications.
National Doukhobor Heritage Village Prayer Home in Veregin –Cat Woloschuk, Faith Boser, and Maha Abbas
Yorkton Flour Mill – Cat Woloschuk, Faith Boser, Maha Abbas, and Larry Pearen
Yorkton Flour Mill - Sam Hovel Giving a Tour
DESIGNATIONS
By Maha Abbas
Records from 2020 indicated that Saskatchewan had a total of 892 designated heritage sites. Of these, 837 were municipally designated (with an estimated 38% located in rural municipalities), while 55 held provincial designations. According to Saskatchewan’s Heritage Property Act (HPA), the stewardship responsibilities for municipal heritage properties lie with individual municipalities. Our research during the summer of 2024 showed that many municipalities lack the fundamental resources and understanding to effectively manage and conserve their heritage.
Interviews revealed that, although heritage sites play a central role in community building and are deeply valued by residents, the conservation and management of these sites frequently fall upon staff whose role is not solely dedicated to heritage. This situation underscores the need for dedicated champions with heritage-specific skills — individuals whose sole focus is heritage management — to effectively advocate for and oversee conservation efforts.
The Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada came up in many discussions. The document is intended as a flexible framework, but many Saskatchewan municipalities struggle to apply it effectively due to a lack of heritage-specific knowledge and expertise. This can lead local governments to adopt an overly cautious, rigid approach, adhering strictly to the guidelines out of fear of violating conservation principles, ultimately hindering conservation efforts. Other times the lack
of knowledge leads to local governments bowing to requests to de-designate and demolish otherwise usable buildings.
Several interviewees highlighted that while obtaining a heritage designation opened opportunities for recognition, community involvement and partnerships, it simultaneously increased financial burdens, notably insurance costs and the need for specialized materials for preservation work. This research underscores the need for cross-collaboration between different sectors and disciplines to ensure heritage conservation remains dynamic and adaptable. Working closely with professionals from various fields will also help better interpret and apply conservation policies – making way for creative solutions while allowing for modern use.
The research also revealed that heritage sites have potential to drive economic development by increasing tourism and local business opportunities. Towns like Maple Creek experienced significant economic benefits by leveraging heritage conservation through the Main Street Program for its downtown revitalization, leading to a surge in local commerce. The conservation attracted visitors, stimulated local businesses, and fostered community pride. In Maple Creek, stacking multiple funding sources — including Main Street Program funds, heritage conservation grants, tax incentives, and loans made heritage projects viable and more palatable for property owners.
Our research also found that municipalities often struggle to find the expertise needed for heritage restoration, especially when it involves specialized knowledge of traditional materials and techniques,
Gravelbourg Convent (interior)
such as masonry or heritage carpentry. While some skilled professionals, including structural engineers, architects, and specialized tradespeople, are available, they are primarily concentrated in larger urban centres. This shortage leaves many smaller communities without the necessary technical guidance to manage their heritage sites effectively.
Participants in our research emphasized that heritage conservation should not result in preserving something as frozen in time, but should evolve with the community’s changing values, acknowledging the importance of social and cultural heritage, as well as environmental sustainability, in shaping the future of heritage conservation.
CONCLUSION
The research conducted this past summer has been useful as a foundation for our ongoing economic research and has provoked questions that we will be pursuing further, chiefly around the efficacy of heritage legislation and how heritage places can best be supported.
Old Humboldt – Faith Boser, Maha Abbas, and Jennifer Fitzpatrick
Humboldt Post Office (interior)
EMPOWERMENT
We envision a future where heritage is recognised as essential to building a shared future. It is fundamental to our sense of identity, belonging, and place and is integral to building resilient and inclusive communities.
We cultivate an environment where we work with and empower others to promote heritage industries. Our work is informed by the diverse communities* within Saskatchewan. At the core of our role is community engagement, building relationships, and drawing from experiences that already exist.
These relationships are mutually beneficial and respectful. This emphasis on establishing and strengthening relationships within communities is evident in our annual programs, such as the Heritage Fairs and the Heritage Awards. By supporting and engaging in these activities, we create environments where we can empower others through recognition, education, and critical thinking.
*Heritage Saskatchewan defines a ‘community’ as: - a geographic or municipal entity; or - a group of individuals sharing common interests; or - a group of individuals united by one or more shared characteristics; or - a combination thereof.
RELATIONSHIP BUILDING AND RECONCILIATION THROUGH LIVING HERITAGE IN HUMBOLDT
The Relationship Building and Reconciliation through Living Heritage in Humboldt pilot project was conceived in partnership with the Aboriginal Friendship Centres of Saskatchewan and the Office of the Treaty Commissioner (OTC). In 2024, we completed several aspects of the Reconciliation project that we originally set out to do.
As a site for this project, we approached the City of Humboldt due to the reconciliation work Director of Cultural Resources, Jennifer Fitzpatrick, had initiated in previous years. We received funding from the Community Initiatives Fund (CIF) to run the project. Our approach bridges the concepts of living heritage as it relates to the formation of individual and family identities, sense of belonging and connection to place and relationships, and conversations about reconciliation. This attempts to fill the gap between the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), the tenets of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), and the practical realities of implementation at a community level. Through the work of this project, we strove to incorporate Indigenous ways of knowing and worldviews in contemporary Saskatchewan into a project that connected community members with personal, community, provincial, and national historical realities to understand how past and present are linked, to build a foundation for a more just and equitable society.
When we began the project, we created a survey for Humboldt residents to gauge their understanding of, and engagement with, reconciliation and living heritage. We did the same at the end of the project, following up on the questions we originally asked and adding some new questions focusing on areas of interest that arose during the project, and about next steps for what could happen in Humboldt going forward.
The survey had a good response rate and gave some useful information for the future of reconciliation work in Humboldt. Unlike the first survey, in the follow-up we asked participants open-ended questions about where they saw their place or role in reconciliation going forward. We learned from this that Humboldt residents feel good about reconciliation activities happening through the museum, and that it is a natural location for this material to be discussed. We also found that many people reported that they felt confident in their knowledge of reconciliation while also saying they wanted to learn more about Canadian history as it relates to Indigenous peoples and living heritage.
This is not a bad thing, as the original design of the project was cyclical. The intention was for participants and organizers to return to a stage of learning as they move from one phase of the project cycle to another. The risk we have communicated to Humboldt is to not get stuck at just learning, but that reconciliation work must move to action as well.
The final meeting with the Advisors was April 30th, 2024, where Nicholas Antonini presented his report on the notes taken at meetings throughout the pilot and David Siebert updated the Advisors on the results of the survey. The discussion focused on what the Advisors believed was beneficial from the project, and what could be done in the future.
David Siebert, along with Rhett Sangster from the Office of the Treaty Commissioner, were invited to Humboldt in September 2024 to present. David presented on the pilot project with a focus on what was learned from the survey and Rhett presented on the history of and early understandings of treaties. The presentations were well attended by members of the community.
The project was accepted as a topic to present at the joint Association of Preservation Technologies - National Trust for Canada Conference in Montreal, at which time David Siebert shared information with the goal of providing practical advice and lessons learned. The event was attended by heritage workers from across Canada and the United States and resulted in some useful discussion. The secondary benefits of both these presentations were the sorting and understanding of our own processes, strengths and weaknesses in order to better communicate these to communities in the future.
The project coordinating team was composed of Christine Fiddler, a consultant and PhD candidate in History at the University of Saskatchewan; Jennifer Fitzpatrick, Director of Cultural Services for the City of Humboldt; and David Siebert and Kristin Catherwood Mantta from Heritage Saskatchewan. Additional research support was provided by Nicholas Antonini, who was on contract with Heritage Saskatchewan. Staff at Humboldt & District Museum and Art Gallery and Heritage Saskatchewan provided considerable additional resources for the project.
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L to R: Jennifer Fitzpatrick, Melanie Gray, Myron Neapetung, Gilbert Kewistep, Taylor Severight, Christine Fiddler. Photo: City of Humboldt
The project was overseen by a committee of Indigenous advisors with connections to the local community and a background in reconciliation and living heritage:
• Melanie Gray, a Humboldt resident who offers arts programming in the community and employee of Horizon School Division
• Gilbert Kewistep, a social worker, instructor at First Nations University of Canada, Elder, and member of Yellow Quill First Nation
• Crystal Longman, Community Consultant, Prairie Central District for Sport, Culture, and Recreation and member of George Gordon First Nation
• Bryan McNabb, Superintendent of Indigenous Education, Horizon School District
• Taylor Severight, Reconciliation Coordinator, Yellow Quill First Nation
Representatives from our partner organizations acted in an advisory capacity as well:
• Autumn Baptiste, Joni Brass, and Rhett Sangster from the Office of the Treaty Commissioner
• Brenda Robertson and Alicia Buckley, from the Aboriginal Friendship Centres of Saskatchewan
Heritage Saskatchewan is profoundly thankful for the work done by the Advisors from the community and from our partners. The project would not have been possible or successful without the feedback, advice, and guidance provided throughout the work. In the presentations we have made, and public communications about this pilot project, one of the key takeaways is creating and engaging with an advisory committee such as the one created for this project.
2024 HERITAGE FAIRS
In 2024, we welcomed the return of our in-person Regional Heritage Fairs in Saskatoon and Regina after a five-year hiatus, as well as hosting the Moose Jaw Regional Heritage Fair, our Virtual Heritage Fair, and the Provincial Heritage Fair. It was an exciting season getting re-acquainted with and exploring new venues, re-establishing connections, and organising activities for approximately 400 students at our Regional Fairs. Even with rotating job action, the Heritage Fairs season went smoothly with lots of support from teachers, community members, and parents.
In the late winter and early spring, in our continued effort to empower communities, Katherine Gilks travelled to various school Heritage Fairs to meet with teachers and students, mostly in the Regina and Moose Jaw areas. This provided an opportunity to interact with numerous students and teachers, learning about the wide variety of topics they had to present. There are so many amazing young researchers, artists, communicators, and creators in our schools! It was an honour to meet every student and view every project. Thank you to all the schools and communities for the warm welcomes!
For the first time since 2019, the Saskatoon Regional Heritage Fair took place at the Western Development Museum, who
once again were wonderful hosts. New and returning committee members put together a fun event that included judging on April 30 and various workshop-activities throughout the museum on May 1. There were 88 projects, presented by 111 students, from across the Saskatoon area and from as far away as Little Pine First Nation and Prince Albert.
The Regina Regional Heritage Fair took place at the Caledonian Curling Club on May 16. Despite moving venues and needing to make programming changes at the last minute, the event was a success, with 104 projects presented by 150 students. There were lots of new judges participating and they were thrilled to be able to interact with the students in person. Heritage Saskatchewan temporarily absorbed the responsibility for organising the Regional Fair in Regina due to a variety of challenges faced by the local committee. While we rose to the challenge, we will continue to reach out to rebuild a local organising committee, as keeping a strong foundation in our capital region is important.
The Moose Jaw Regional Heritage Fair was held on May 8 at the Western Development Museum, who once again were fantastic hosts, along with the Moose Jaw Regional Heritage Fair Committee. With many new faces around the committee table
Group Photo - Regina Regional Heritage Fair
and many new volunteer judges, it was an exciting opportunity to discuss the logistics of the event and the values of the program. The 80 students (60 projects) who attended enjoy presenting their projects as well as fun, educational activities.
Thank you to all involved with our in-person Regional Heritage Fairs! We really appreciate the work that you did for us and that you took the time to judge, chaperone, present activities, host the event, organise, etc., whether you did so as volunteers or as part of your employment. Thank you also to the many teachers, parents, educational assistants, and students!
We also had just over 100 projects submitted to our Virtual Heritage Fair. Since there were in-person opportunities to participate in the major cities this year, submissions to our Virtual Fair decreased, which was anticipated. The Virtual Fair was a wonderful opportunity for independent students, smaller schools, schools who were unable to hold Heritage Fairs due to events outside of their control, and others to share their projects. Ten projects were selected to participate at the inperson Provincial Fair as well. In addition, the projects from the Virtual Fair remained available throughout 2024 as a resource for future years.
The Provincial Heritage Fair was held on June 5 at Government House in Regina, with 53 students in attendance (presenting 45 projects). We had several returning participants, including Alayna Clake who joined the small number of three-time Provincial Fair finalists. Our special award this year was given in honour of Heritage Saskatchewan’s 15th anniversary to Camryn Michener (of Moose Jaw) for her excellent project on early Carnegie libraries in Canada. Camryn was also the top student overall, while second place went to Lawson Lofstrom (of Saskatoon) for his project about Alex DeCoteau, an Indigenous athlete, police officer, and First World War soldier. Our students continue to research and present a range of topics relating to our living heritage, as evidenced even just by the Top Ten projects at our
Provincial Fair, which included family stories, social movements, scientific innovation, Indigenous rights, and archaeological mysteries, to name but a few.
Thank you to everyone who supported and contributed to the success of our Heritage Fairs program this past year! Complete lists of winners, as well as photos, from the Regional Heritage Fairs, the Virtual Heritage Fair, and the Provincial Heritage Fair are available on the Heritage Fairs website: https://heritagefairssk.ca/regional-fairs/provincial-fair (Each contest is housed on separate pages, available in the dropdown menu.)
We celebrate the wonderful work the students have done and thank them, their families, and especially their teachers for all their efforts at keeping the Heritage Fairs program running during a year of uncertainty. Now more than ever, learning to research, think critically, and share stories that bring us together as a provincial, national, and global community is essential. We wish the students well in their future endeavours and hope to see them again, and that they take their Heritage Fairs experience, as well as their passion and appreciation for heritage, into their adult lives.
Finally, in fall 2024, we started the process of renovating our Heritage Fairs website: https://heritagefairssk.ca/ . The updated website is expected to be ready in August 2025.
Group Photo – Saskatoon Regional Heritage Fair
Left- Brianne Bell presenting to Their Honours Nov. 2024
Group Photo – Moose Jaw Regional Heritage Fair
Group Photo – Provincial Heritage Fair
LEADERSHIP
We are recognised nationally and internationally for our ground-breaking work in living heritage, its connections to wellbeing, and safeguarding of tangible and intangible cultural heritage. We advocate and communicate the social, environmental, cultural, and economic value of heritage, and are a facilitator of new ideas and conversations. We encourage and engage in long-term thinking informed by cutting-edge research and our experiences working with communities.
Our greatest strength lies in the continuing nurture of strong, diverse relationships, both within the heritage community and beyond. We seek to dissolve silos and collaborate with a multitude of organisations and institutions to reach more people in Saskatchewan, and to better serve them. We are adept at working within our established parameters to create results.
Our organisational ethos also values a dexterity that allows us to seize unexpected opportunities and meet the challenges of the moment with confidence. In so doing, we pave the way for a more just, equitable, and vibrant future: one built on the legacy of our collective living heritage.
SASKCULTURE
Heritage Community of Interest
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed annually with SaskCulture defines our commitment to work together in partnership as their Heritage Community of Interest. Dean Kush, CEO for SaskCulture and Heritage Saskatchewan’s CEO Ingrid Cazakoff met regularly throughout the year to inform one another and to connect on relevant issues.
NATIONAL TRUST
Heritage Saskatchewan staff participated in advisory committee meetings relating to the National Trust’s Heritage Reset initiative. The majority of the work was completed in 2024 and resulted in a number of podcasts and case studies and will continue to inform future initiatives. Further information can be found here: https://nationaltrustcanada.ca/heritageisliving
In November, some members of Heritage Saskatchewan’s Board of Directors and Staff attended the National Trust Conference that was held in Montreal. “Building Bridges”, held in partnership with the National Trust for Canada (NT), the Indigenous Heritage Circle (IHC), the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals (CAHP), and the Association for Preservation Technology (APT), saw 720 Canadians, 500 Americans, and many other international participants attend this sold-out mega conference.
David Siebert from our staff presented on the process and methodology of the Humboldt project, which was well received. David also participated, along with CEO Ingrid Cazakoff, in the National Council meeting held the day prior to the start of the full conference. David is engaged in a specific Trust working group relating to Emergency Disasters and Ingrid is engaged with a new working group relating to federal issues. Presentations from both of these groups formed a part of the National Council agenda. The National Council brings together regional and provincial heritage organizations from across Canada to discuss items of collective interest and to hear from and network with colleagues. This past year the Council met virtually except for the annual in-person event that occurs as a part of the conference. The conference was also a time to celebrate, and a number of people and organizations from Saskatchewan were recognized for their outstanding heritage work. In 2024 this included
• A National Trust Governor Award presented to the Yorkton Brick Flour Mill Heritage Society;
• The National Trust John Edwards Bursary supporting heritage volunteers participation at the Trust’s Conference, awarded to Sharon Ann Brown, Chair of the Saskatchewan African Canadian Heritage Museum;
• Maha Abbas from our staff received the National Trust Herb Stovel Scholarship awarded to emerging professionals and supports research, travel and attendance at the Trust’s conference; and finally
• Dr. Vanessa Matthews, from the University of Regina, and her colleagues, received an award from the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals (CAHP) for their work relating to the Adaptive Reuse Practices in the Canadian Craft Beer Sector. Congratulations to all!
The National Trust is also responsible for the release of the Endangered Places list. Information on the most recent list can be found by visiting: https://nationaltrustcanada.ca/ online-stories/national-trust-endangered-places-list-2024
Heritage Saskatchewan’s CEO Ingrid Cazakoff continues as a member of the Board of Governors for the National Trust and is currently serving as the Board’s Chair. Congratulations Ingrid!
is seen here presenting at the National Trust Conference, November 2024
David Siebert
HERITAGE
Please note that a condensed version of the Audited Statement has been included in the Annual Report. The complete Audited Statement is available from the Heritage Saskatchewan Office upon request.
Please note that a condensed version of the Audited Statement has been included in the Annual Report. The complete Audited Statement is available from the Heritage Saskatchewan Office upon request.
Please note that a condensed version of the Audited Statement has been included in the Annual Report. The complete Audited Statement is available from the Heritage Saskatchewan Office upon request.
