Saskatchewan’s smaller urban centres are rich in historical and cultural attractions. Visit these communities and learn more about the past, the character of this province and the people who call it home.

Yorkton

Yorkton is a main commercial hub for east central Saskatchewan and one of the major centres of Ukrainian settlement in the province. At the Yorkton branch of the Western Development Museum, 100 Years of Saskatchewan History is on display. See an actual settler shack preserved for visitors and learn the sad story of the Humeniuk carved figures. Community pride and support drove an ambitious restoration of the Yorkton Brick Flour Mill, which offers guided tours in the summer months (online booking required). Storyboards on the grounds highlight milestones in the mill’s history and share insights on pre-settlement times. The Godfrey Dean Art Gallery features contemporary works from Saskatchewan artists. Learn more about the city’s heritage on a self-guided walking tour of Yorkton. Maps and information are available through Tourism Yorkton.

Melville

The Melville Heritage Museum is housed in the historic Luther Academy. The 1913 collegiate Gothic-style building houses more than 10,000 artifacts displayed over three floors. Features include a chapel, library and rooms dedicated to railway, military and sports history. A relocated Grand Trunk Pacific station serves as the Melville Railway Museum. Out front is a CN steam locomotive, Grand Trunk Pacific flat car and CN old-style caboose, while indoor exhibits include telegraphs and other communications equipment.

Estevan

The Estevan Art Gallery & Museum has an impressive permanent collection with two components: fine art in the form of prints and paintings; and artifacts relating to North West Mounted Police (NWMP) history. The province’s oldest NWMP detachment post was relocated to the museum grounds. The Souris Valley Museum focuses on human history and life in southeast Saskatchewan. Indoor exhibits recreate settings from the past – a post office, bank, general store and settler homes, and include an Indigenous Peoples exhibit. The museum grounds feature a schoolhouse, homestead shack, vintage harvest cook car, and heritage mining display.

Weyburn

The Weyburn and Area Heritage Village replicates an early-1900s village community through its collection of buildings and artifacts. The Soo Line Historical Museum and Tourism Information Centre highlights stories and history of the area and includes the largest private collection of silver known to exist – 5,000 items are on display.

Lloydminster

Spend the day exploring Lloydminster’s historic downtown and take a selfie in front of one of the many colourful murals during an ArtWalk. Impressive public art can be found throughout the border city, which straddles the boundary of Saskatchewan and Alberta. The new location of the Lloydminster Museum & Archives (formerly Lloydminster Cultural & Science Centre) features a permanent gallery dedicated to the history of Lloydminster and region. The facility also has a temporary gallery to host travelling exhibits and a gift shop.

North Battleford

View powerful images of the Northern Plains Cree through the art of renowned Indigenous artist Allen Sapp at the Allen Sapp Gallery/The Gonor Collection in North Battleford. Sapp’s real-life depictions of his past have been seen around the world and earned the late artist provincial and national recognition, including the Order of Canada. At the North Battleford branch of the Western Development Museum, tour a working 1920s-era village and farm with a fully preserved grain elevator.

 

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