The Western Development Museum (WDM) is seeing a major contribution to its theatres in three locations. BMO Financial Group is donating $70,000 to the theatres in Moose Jaw, North Battleford and Yorkton.
The theatres feature three shows to highlight the landscape and history of Saskatchewan. Two see a show based on a Saskatchewan ABC theme, and a third looks at Saskatchewan people and places from the 1940s and 50s captured by Everett Baker, a Wheat Pool field man for over 25 years.
The sponsorship allows the WDM to stay financially viable and allows for new programming to happen with the theatres, says Jack Hay, Chairman of the WDM Board. The money will be given to the museum over a five year period.
"It will help sustain that part of Winning the Prairie Gamble," Hay says.
With less worry about funding, Hay says it allows the museums to move forward with new programs and ideas.
"There are always new programs that the programmers at those museums are planning on doing, and it's just a continual thing that costs money," Hay notes.
Mike Darling, Vice President of the Saskatchewan District for BMO Financial Group, says that sponsoring the WDM program fits well with the groups the bank likes to support.
"Part of BMO's corporate giving is that we look for organizations that support families. The museum is a great place to have funds allocated towards, it paints a great picture of the history of Saskatchewan. For someone like myself who hasn't been here before, I'm in awe of the history of the province. These are people who are community based, so that's great as well," Darling says.
BMO has given out $54.3 million nation-wide, Darling notes, and he's proud to see it go to a variety of projects nation-wide, from small towns to large centres, and he says it's his job to ensure Saskatchewan projects get their fair share of that giving.
When it comes to where the money is being spent in Yorkton, he says it's a great project, and as a new resident of the province he has already learned much he didn't know before.
"This is a beautiful province, there are places I haven't seen yet and it makes me energetic to get out on my road trip for my vacation this summer and look at some of these places," Darling concludes.
