City renews lease with WDM

The City of Yorkton will be renewing its lease agreement with the Western Development Museum.

“In 1987, the City of Yorkton passed bylaw No. 5/87 which permitted the City of Yorkton to enter a thirty-three year lease agreement with the (WDM) for the land in the west area of the city that it occupies still today,” explained Jessica Matsalla, Director of Legislation and Procedures, with the City at the regular meeting of Yorkton Council Monday.

Conditions in the agreement included a payment of $1.00/year, as well as providing that the WDM is responsible for the yard maintenance of trees and grass.

“Correspondence from the WDM corporate office received in the Mayor’s office in June expressed the desire for the renewal of the lease agreement, as the expiration date is Dec 31, of this year,” said Matsalla.

The Cities Act permits a council of a city to establish a policy setting out the conditions and threshold amount for the sale or lease of land for less than fair market value and without public offering, said Matsalla.

“Seeing as it is no longer a common practice to enact bylaws to permit lease agreements, it is of the opinion of Administration that should Council grant the renewal of this lease, that it be categorized under “Donated Lands”,” she said.

The WDM fits with much of what the City has laid out as priorities, said Matsalla.

“Under Yorkton’s Official Community Plan, one of our goals is celebration of History, culture and diversity in everyday activities and through programming,” said Matsalla.

“Section 4.6 of the plan states that we are a socially sustainable community that fosters its unique history by reflecting the values and cultures of our residents by contributing to heritage preservation and cultural vibrancy, and we provide opportunities for our culture and history to be showcased and appreciated.”

In addition, “Yorkton’s Strategic Plan 2020 has an objective under its Community Development goal to “Establish a vibrant culture that celebrates diversity, arts, customs, food, fashions, museums, motion picture/film festival, and heritage,” said Matsalla.

“By supporting a renewal of this lease, it would meet the spirit of both the Official Community Plan and the Strategic Plan 2020.”

As background Matsalla noted “The Western Development Museum (WDM) began in the mid-1940’s after a rising concern that settler’s farm machinery was fast disappearing. In 1945, the Saskatchewan Government charged the Minister of Natural Resources and Industrial Development with collecting historic items. The large number of donations led to the establishment of several collection depots, usually surplus aircraft hangars, to store the artifacts.

“On April 2, 1949, the Saskatchewan Legislature gave royal assent to a bill to create the Western Development Museum. The hangar in Yorkton opened in 1951, and the growth of the museum triggered the build of the current structure there today in 1971.”