1. Water Treatment Plant opens
The Queen Street Water Treatment Plant was officially opened in June, although the facility has been fully operational for months.
"This project is a long time coming," said then Yorkton Mayor James Wilson, adding the facility "is the largest municipal project in Yorkton history."
Wilson said in 2004 it was recognized the existing water treatment network "could no longer meet the growing needs of our community.
"We needed a new high out-put facility."
The plant took months of planning explained Michael Buchholzer, Director of Environmental Services with the City.
"To create the frame work for the plan, long term water quality objectives had to be established. To help create those objectives, a survey was distributed to the residents of Yorkton," he said.
"The level of response was remarkable. It indicated that many residents were interested in their water utility."
Funding for the project has come from federal and provincial grants, and from the city through its waterworks utility.
The government of Canada and Saskatchewan each contributed $7.36 million to the project, the City of Yorkton $18.3 million. Federal and provincial funding was provided through the Canada-Saskatchewan Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund and the Building Canada Fund Communities Component.
2. Jarret brings home Stanley
One of the great traditions of the Stanley Cup is that every player who wins it gets to bring it to his hometown.
In August, it was Yorkton's turn as former Terrier Jarret Stoll toured the Cup down Broadway Street on the back of a vintage fire truck.
The Los Angeles Kings assistant captain scored twice and assisted on three goals in the team's march to winning hockey's greatest prize.
3. Jimmy's Law
In 2011, Yorkton was devastated by the murder of Jimmy Ray Wiebe, a convenience store attendant gunned down while working a night shift.
NDP labour critic David Forbes along with Jimmy's good friend Aaron Nagy championed a private member's bill they called Jimmy's Law to improve safety, which received strong non-partisan support.
The bill itself was not passed, but in November, the Province entrenched new Occupational Health and Safety regulations based on the bill.
4. Dutch Consul visits city
There is potential for co-operation between companies in the Yorkton region and those in the Netherlands.
At least that was the view put forward by Johannes Vervloed, Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands during a brief presentation at a social in Yorkton last July.
Vervloed, who toured several companies earlier in the day including Milligan Biotech in Foam Lake, and LDM Foods and Grain Millers at Yorkton, said the region has a lot of things going for it.
"We really have the feeling we're in the heart of it," he said, pointing to canola, potash and oil and gas. " There is a lot of things going on in this part of the province."
Vervloed said he has believed there are chances for co-operation, adding they have actively worked on "an inventory of these opportunities."
The visit was to begin to confirm those opportunities, he said adding "the proof of pudding is always in eating it."
As an example of opportunity Vervloed explained how the European Union has initiated a phase in to 2020 of a 10 per cent use of biofuel in diesel, a mandate which could be met by the use of canola oil.
Vervloed said Europe wants to "use more renewables" in terms of energy. "We'd like to become a bio-based economy, especially in Netherlands."
In terms of renewable oil for biodiesel, Vervloed said Netherlands cannot produce enough.
"We have to import it," he said.
5. Yorkton receives AVIVA money for skateboard park
Yorkton skateboarders were smiling after the announcement in January the city would receive $150,000 from Aviva Community Fund Contest toward a new facility.
"We were the grand prize winner. We were the only community that won $150,000," said Dave Nussbaumer, the man who initially spear-headed the local effort through Farrell Agencies.
Nussbaumer explained there were initially 2,000 submissions for Aviva funding from Communities across Canada, with 900 making the initial round of Internet voting by the public.
"Then it got whittled down, and whittled down some more," he said.
The Yorkton project made it through two rounds of voting, to make the finals where projects were judged.
Nussbaumer said he knew the community had put forward a good effort, but added "I did not think in a million years we get it all."
The park was officially opened in the summer.
6. YRHS robotics team brings home gold
It was news when the Yorkton Regional High School robotics team won the provincial championship at Regina in March.
It was bigger news when Jayden Leister, Bo Chiasson, Taylor Pachal, and Rachael Machnee went to the national championship at Edmonton in May and brought home the gold again.
That earned them a berth in the SkillsAmerica championship at Brazil in November. Once again the team was good as gold winning top honours for the western hemisphere.
7. Cory Niefer competes at Olympics
The Canadian contingent at the recent Summer Olympics had a Yorkton flavour as Cory Niefer, who grew up here competed in the shooting events for his country.
Niefer said making the team was great, but a moment he could only savour for a short time.
"I think I pursued the Olympic dream for 24-years," he said last week after returning from London. "Obviously there were a lot of sacrifices."
So making the team was a dream come true, but Niefer said making the cut wasn't the end of the dream, it was merely the ticket in.
"It was an extremely inspiring process absolutely rewarding. It was the icing on the cake," he said, adding it has become sweeter looking back realizing "I've been striving for the goal for so long.
"The feeling was really hard to process to be quite honest. It took some time to sink in."
Niefer said the path to the Olympics started in Yorkton.
"I owe a lot to Yorkton," he said.
8. Samara Yung named SCMA Vocalist of the Year
Yorkton's Samara Yung was named the 2012 Female Vocalist of the Year by the Saskatchewan Country Music Association in February.
"To be honest I really hardly remember how I was feeling as my two awards were back-to-back and this one was the second one of the night," said Yung at the time. "I was still numb from the first one (which was for Single of the Year)."
Yung said awards always come as a surprise and something she is very thankful to have even been nominated for.
"It's always such an honour just to be nominated but to win an award such as female vocalist which is voted on by your fellow artists and musicians feels amazing," she said. "I truly believe that every time an artist takes the stage they learn a little bit more about themselves. I really just want to keep learning and growing as an artist and winning an award like this just helps give you the strength to keep at it and the knowledge that you are going down the right path."
Certainly of the two awards presented at the awards ceremony on the weekend Female Vocalist of the Year carried the most prestige, and by Monday that was soaking in for Yung.
"Yes it probably would be the biggest award I was up for as it is a reflection of who I am as an artist -- a vocalist," she agreed. "I've been working at it for quite awhile now and it's always nice to be recognized for something you are passionate about and have worked hard at."
9. Maloney elected mayor
Bob Maloney was elected as Mayor in October.
Maloney, who will be sworn in at the regular meeting of Council Monday, won in what has to be termed a landslide victory polling 3590 votes or 94.52 per cent of those cast, far outdistancing Richard Genaille who garnered 208 votes, or 5.48 per cent of those cast.
The voter turnout in the election was just shy of 27 per cent of estimated eligible voters in the city.
Maloney said the large margin of victory is not something he is going to let go to his head.
"I had a very inexperienced opponent My head's not going to get too big over this," he noted of the 27-year-old Genaille. " I congratulate him for putting his name in, and deciding to run.
The large margin of victory is not one Maloney believes will put added expectations on his term either.
"I don't think there's more pressure. All of us when we get into politics know there are expectations," he said, adding those who seek a spot on Council naturally "want to represent the community well."
Maloney said he believes politicians put more pressure on themselves than what occurs based on the vote.
10. Ukrainian Church Patriarch visits
Yorkton's Ukrainian Catholics were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in September.
His Beatitude Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk, world head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church visited the parish where he presided over a prayer service at St. Mary's and had breakfast with the local faithful at Sacred Heart High School.
In a travel schedule that normally hits only major cities, the patriarch's inclusion of Yorkton was a major event for the Ukrainian community.
