This photo is of particular interest at this time of the proposed reconstruction of Broadway Street.
One hundred years ago, the Town of Yorkton was installing water, sewer and drainage systems on Broadway Street. We see that the buildings are mostly the same as they are today. On the left is the Dunlop Block, and on the corner of Third Avenue North are the two former banks, the Royal, now where Safire Clothing is and the Bank of Toronto where Alexander's Men's Wear is located. What a change was then occurring! Gone would be the outhouse with a bucket, which was serviced by a "honey' wagon going from house to house in the wee hours of the mornings! Surely no one protested this improvement. Home owners would now be able to install bathrooms, no longer obliged to take the weekly sponge baths from a basin, or rent the use of a tub at the downtown bath house. Of course, there had to be many discussions about the cost of doing this work and the disruption for the downtown businesses. The town still had a "rural" flavor, many who had been roughing it all their lives, lived by the philosophy that you don't spend on what you don't absolutely really need: "Nothing wrong with drinking from a dipper in the water pail on the sink!" Women probably were overjoyed at the prospect of the changes. In the planning stages, there would have been some heated discussions in Council, on the street, restaurants and hotel bars over the cost. The line-up of wagons, teams and workers looks impressive. These men needed to eat hearty meals. The horses needed care, and the street cleaned of manure. The work would have brought business to the livery stables, restaurants, stores, boarding houses and hotels. Following the work we see in the photo, there would have been many discussions on the erection of a sewage plant, a water tower, etc.
Recent news: The Yorkton Business Improvement District (YBID) held an informational meeting February 5, 2014 on future reconstruction of Yorkton's Broadway Street corridor. All infrastructure along Broadway Street between Highways 9 and 10 is nearing its end of life (some is over 100 years old) and needs to be replaced. Photo courtesy of Gene Denischuk of Frameworks.
Contact Terri Lefebvre Prince, Heritage Researcher,
City of Yorkton Archives,
Box 400, 37 Third Avenue North
Yorkton, Sask. S3N 2W3
306-786-1722 [email protected]
