The city of Yorkton of today would be completely unrecognizable to the Chamber of Commerce of 1898, but that is the last time that the Chamber of Commerce's boundaries have been revised. The Chamber of Commerce is now in the process of revising the boundaries.
The revision was prompted by communications from Corporations Canada and Industry Canada, who asked the Chamber if the records on file were still the boundaries of the chamber says Juanita Polegi, Executive Director of the Yorkton Chamber of Commerce.
"In 1898 it was the village of Yorkton and of course now it's a city, and the city itself has grown beyond those boundaries. So we're in the process of getting input from our members."
Polegi says that people from outside of Yorkton can be members of the local Chamber of Commerce, and she notes that there are currently members from places beyond the borders such as Regina. The boundaries affect the area where the chamber covers, but members can come from elsewhere.
Polegi says that Corporations and Industry Canada have been extremely helpful and accommodating during the process, and she has nothing but praise for their help in updating the boundaries and the records. It has still been a challenge, because the chamber has been working with records that are so old.
"We have had to engage the services of Prairie Mapping Services to help us create a map that will enable us to put these boundaries in... We've certainly required some assistance in this."
The current board is defining the new boundaries of the chamber as the City of Yorkton and the provincial electoral district of Yorkton and Townships 23 to 27 inclusive in Ranges 3 and 4 West of the Second Meridian. The initial boundaries laid out 116 years ago were the Village of Yorkton and the electoral district of Yorkton and Townships 23 to 27 in Range 3 West of the Second Meridian.
If members have any objections to the new boundaries, Polegi says they will need to contact the Chamber of Commerce before November 16.
