History and Folklore Summary
1940 - 1949
1940
- In May, Mayor Charles Peaker and Council dedicated a park in memory of
Brother Stanislaus, which is located between Wellington and Ontario Avenues,
facing Darlington Street.
- Chief Kinistino of the Little Bone Reserve died.
- The Yorkton Coop was organized on March 6th.
1941
- Council resolved that any City employee wishing to enlist for military
service, would be assured of a job upon return.
- By May, the first class of Australians arrived for training at No.11
Yorkton Service Flying Training School of the British Commonwealth Air Training
Plan.
- Official opening of the B.C.A.T.P. base took place on June 11.
- In May, there was an armed robbery at the Bank of Toronto.
1942
- The City of Yorkton was asked to find a name for a war ship. "ORKNEY" was
chosen. During war time maneuvres, a ship named "Yorkton" could have been
confused with the existing ship USS YORKTOWN.
- On January 20th, Miss Phyllis Brown was appointed superintendent of nurses
at Yorkton hospital.
- On February 9th, "all clocks in Yorkton advanced one hour to start one of
the greatest controversies in Yorkton's history." (From an outline of past
events published in 1955 in THE ENTERPRISE GOLDEN JUBILEE EDITION, JULY 14TH.)
- Charles Beck's Hardware on Broadway East closed after providing 40 years of
service.
- In June of this year, sugar was rationed on an "honour" basis of
half-a-pound per person per week. The coupon ration system was to go into effect
across Canada on July 1st. (The Yorkton Enterprise June 18th, 1942.)
- On November 18th, 40 Yorkton young women left to work in munitions plants
in Eastern Canada.
- Representatives of Ducks Unlimited were honoured on November 20th for
building a $15,000 ditch at Willowbrook Creek.
1943
- The mercury registered an all-time 54 degrees below zero Fahrenheit in
Yorkton on January 20.
- Three of Yorkton’s first pioneers Cosmo J. McFarline, John F. Reid and Dave
Fergus visited the offices of THE YORKTON ENTERPRISE in July to reminisce about
their 60 years in Yorkton.
- Over 1000 people attended a hoof and horn dance at the John Deer showrooms.
- Rotary Club raised $5,000 for "Milk for Britain" fund.
- John F. Reid, parliamentarian farmer and public spirited citizen died in
July.
- No. 11 S.F.T.S (Fight Training School) won the pennant for the most
efficient twin-engine school in Canada.
- September 6th, pioneer doctor Thomas Patrick died.
- October 18 Archie Fraser signed a professional hockey contract with the New
York Rangers.
- On December 6, the Yorkton Community Savings and Credit Union was
incorporated.
1944
- The sale of Victory Bonds in the City of Yorkton totaled $662,000.00.
- January 29, Bob Rousay, pioneer Orkney farmer shipped a car of outstanding
cattle to Winnipeg. (It was a big deal in those days when a farmer came into
town to ship a carload of cattle.)
- King's Counsel F.C.Wilson, who practiced law in the city for years died in
Vancouver on Feb. 16th.
- Toy Ying, former longtime Yorkton restaurateur died in China on May 4th.
- On June 11th, Cosmo J. McFarline one of Yorkton's first citizens died.
1945
- The Victory over Japan Committee requested that a civic holiday be declared
for VJ Day celebrations.
- This year, Yorkton was mentioned in Robert L. Ripley's BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
Broadway Street constituted a section of highway deemed the "longest straight
road in the world." It ran 82 miles without a curve, from Roblin, Manitoba to
Ituna, Saskatchewan. (See article by Ruth Shaw --
http://yorkton.info/shaw/bits3.html )
- On January 15th, A.P. Simpson presided at the annual meeting of the Yorkton
Queen Victoria Hospital at which time it was decided to transfer ownership of
the hospital to the City.
- James Sinclair. a Yorkton pioneer died at Flin Flon on the 24th of January.
- On March 16th, the Yorkton Kinsmen Club received their charter.
- June 20th, Premier T.C. Douglas opened a new wing in the hospital.
- August 14th, "The greatest war in history ends. Yorkton with all humanity
goes wild." (The Enterprise Golden Jubilee Edition published 10 years later on
July 14, 1955)
- On September 2nd, Japan formally surrendered to the Allies after two major
spectacular events: Hiroshima, a city of considerable military importance was
almost completely wiped out when an American Air Force bomber dropped the first
atomic bomb ever used in warfare over the city on August 6th, followed three
days later by the second bomb to explode over the City of Nagasaki.
- October 15th, the First Yorkton Light Anti-Aircraft Unit was given a
thunderous welcome home.
- October 17th, Yorkton sent a railroad car full of clothing to Europe.
- December 18th, Yorkton viewed a total eclipse of the moon
1946
- The Dept. of Veterans’ Affairs officer, Jack Willis and Dr. H. G. Grant of
the Yorkton branch of the Canadian Legion attended a convention in Regina about
rehabilitation of veterans.
- The Yorkton Flying Services was organized with cooperation of the Board of
Trade.
- A school for Metis children of Crescent Lake settlement was opened in the
autumn of this year.
- Retail sales and services in Yorkton approximated $20,000,000.00
- On April 14th, a Mammoth Auction Sale of Power Farm Equipment took place in
Yorkton. One report has it that 10,000 farmers attended.
- March 2, an air ambulance brought in the first patient, Mrs. Charles
Rathgaber of Macnutt to the Yorkton hospital.
- March 18th, Yorkton wanted a Union Station--a combined CPR and CNR station,
and relocation of tracks.
- On May 22nd, the Rotary Club celebrated its silver anniversary.
- On June 16th, a dance pavillion and booths were being erected at York Lake.
- On September 27th, Mayor Charles Peaker officially opened the York Theatre
on Third Avenue.
- On October 22, Mayor Charles Peaker opens the first wartime house and
handed over the keys to Charles Taylor, the first veteran to move into the
house.
1947
- Yorkton District Board of Trade reports that Yorkton region has the biggest
crop in the province.
- The first 50 wartime houses were filled on May 15th.
- A 50 bed Auxiliary Hospital opened at the airport on May 20th.
- On June 2nd, 5,000 people flock to Yorkton to visit Cardinal Eugene
Tisserant.
- On March 11 local organizations founded the Yorkton Film Council.
- On July 6th, thousands of Lutherans gathered at the Fair Grounds for a
divine service.
- On July 7th, 4000 attend the religious feast of Vidpust.
- The Board of Trade organized a drive on October 8th to collect funds for a
gift to Princess Elizabeth on the occasion of her wedding. It was decided to
send her a carload of flour milled in Yorkton to help with post war shortage of
food in England.
- The Post Office reported that letter carriers delivered 82,700 Christmas
cards in Yorkton in the five days preceding Christmas.
1948
- The City Planning Commission recommended the location of Peaker Heights for
new homes on January 8th.
- Cliff Shaw of the Yorkton Historical Society requested that City Council
erect a cairn for the old millstone and locate it at the York City site, not far
from where the old mill stood.
- On March 10th, Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation agreed to soon
start building 58 houses here, which were part of the wartime housing project
- On March 13th, Samuel Wynn Editor of THE YORKTON ENTERPRISE sent a wire
from Ottawa to announce that Yorkton would be served by the Trans Canada
Airlines. The TCA officially opened for service on May 10th.
- The Yorkton Lions Club received its charter on September 13th.
1949
- A Parks Board was set up by the City of Yorkton to plan for any development
of designated areas.
- George Morris moved his farm implement business from Bangor to Yorkton.
- City Council sent a telegram of good wishes to the Government of
Newfoundland on becoming Canada’s tenth province.
- On August 28th the Yorkton Branch of the Canadian Legion dedicated a cairn
in the cemetery to "To the glory of God and in grateful memory of our gallant
dead."
- Dr. Harley Large purchased the dental practice of Dr. D.J. Brass on May
23rd.
- On August 7th, an all-time heat record was set at 99.9 degrees Fahrenheit
(37.7 degrees Celsius).
- Mac's Barber Shop, Lutcher's Leather Goods and Wolfe's Shopping Centre
opened stores on First Avenue in November.
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