The battle to save the Yorkton Brick Mill continues on, and the group dedicated to saving it needs help to keep going. The Yorkton Brick Mill Heritage Society Inc. is raising money for a plan to look at the building and propose how to save it for the future.
The group needs to raise $20,000 in order to pay for the assessment, for which they have hired Murray Miller of PCR Services Corporation. They have applied for a matching grant of $25,000, which would require the society to raise $12,500.
There are three likely alternatives for the site which could be recommended in the plan.
The mill could be closed and mothballed. It could be open to the public with limited access, or, it could be renovated for an alternate use. No matter what happens, it will never be a functioning mill.
Any proposals will be dependent on what Miller finds to be the most viable option for the site, depending on the building's condition and the work which would need to be done to have the building survive. The plan will go before council in October of this year, and the group is hopeful that the final plan will be approved and they will be able to continue with their mission to save the site.
Carol Bolt, director, says that the goal of the project is to save the city's history, as the mill is one of the few buildings from the original York Colony that still stands. She says that the city needs to preserve the heritage it has left, since too many of the heritage buildings have been lost already.
"We have very few links to Yorkton's past, architecturally, because things have not been preserved," Bolt says.
She notes that as the city is trying to position itself as a tourist destination, it should be a priority to have buildings that people would come out to see.
Sheila Harris, secretary, says that the Mill is important not just from a city heritage perspective, but from a provincial one as well. It's the oldest industrial site in the city, as well as being the last remaining brick mill in the province.
"It's architecturally and historically significant for Saskatchewan, not just Yorkton," Bolt adds.
To help raise the funds, the society will be selling membership. Individual memberships are $25, family memberships are $40 and corporate are $100.
People who are interested in helping out with the project, either by becoming a member, by sharing their memories, or just finding out more information can call 783-0290 or visit yorktonbrickmill.org.
