SASKATOON - The organizers of the 37th Heritage Festival of Saskatoon are bringing back its Evening Speaker Series on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at McNally Robinson Booksellers on 8th Street. The event is free and starts at 7 p.m.; attendees can attend in person or online.
The evening speaker series event is Discovering Our Heritage with Marcel Petit. More information can be found at this link.
Bridging Time: Exploring Saskatoon’s Hidden Heritage was part of the afternoon speaker series at the Western Development Museum on Sunday, Feb. 2.
Festival Coordinator Raeanne Van Beek said they had difficulty reaching out and connecting with people during the COVID-19 pandemic because everything was done online, including hosting the series virtually. Now, things are back to normal.
“It brings people together, allowing us to make connections. We tried to go back to what we had previously done, our signature festival event, but we also wanted to incorporate some of the new things that we did that went well,” said Van Beek.
“The speaker series, which is the third time we’re doing it, is one of those things. It will also be online so people can participate if they don't want to do it in person if they have mobility issues. Or, you don’t want to face the weather.”
She added that people who are too tired from a long day at work to attend in person can participate from the comfort of their homes, especially since an extreme cold warning is in effect in Saskatoon.
“Even if you’re snuggled up in your jammies with a cup of hot cocoa, you can still participate. It is important to make it as accessible as possible, right to you, to build that community and reach as many people as we can.”
“We're bringing it back after the pandemic. We are incorporating the online and in-person aspects of the event. This year, the Saskatchewan Archaeological Society is discussing Bridging Time: Saskatoon's Hidden Heritage.”
She said people might not know about it, but there are archaeological sites in the city where part of Saskatoon’s history is being discovered; one of the goals of the Heritage Festival is knowing the past. “The Heritage Festival is not just our cultural heritage. It's our natural, artistic, and civic heritage.
