Heritage Saskatchewan to hold forum during Heritage Week
Saskatchewan residents can take pride in the rich, diverse heritage that shapes and defines them. Heritage Saskatchewan plans to participate in Heritage Week by holding its annual forum to remind the people of Saskatchewan of their shared past, celebrate it in the present and consider how it can benefit them in the future.
“The theme for this year is ‘Connecting Heritage and Creativity — How Heritage Contributes to Creative Communities,’” says Ingrid Cazakoff, CEO of Heritage Saskatchewan. “We’re trying to expand people’s understanding of the broader definition of heritage and how heritage contributes to the quality of life that we enjoy in Saskatchewan.”
“Not only do we celebrate another year for Heritage Saskatchewan, but it’s in celebration of Heritage Week as well,” adds Cazakoff. “We, as an organization, try to raise the profile of heritage, so having a week designated helps bring that to the forefront. We recognize that it’s necessary to raise public awareness about this and we appreciate the fact that there are a number of people throughout the province that value their heritage.”
Friday evening will feature a banquet and celebration, with banquet tickets available to the public for $50. “Our banquet speaker is Maggie Siggins, who’s a noted author and filmmaker,” reports Cazakoff. “I know she’ll be highly entertaining as she is presenting a topic on ‘Giving Birth on a Saddle: Four Incredible Journeys into Saskatchewan’s Past.’ She’s going to then weave that into how it affects the present and the future.”
The next day begins with a presentation exploring ‘The Power of the Past, the Role of Memory and How Heritage Contributes to Quality of Life.’ “We have Dr. David Goa, from the University of Alberta, who will be speaking on the topic and then be facilitating a dialogue with four different speakers who use past experiences to build healthy communities, and that kicks off the Saturday morning,” Cazakoff says.
The afternoon forum luncheon will begin with greetings from the mayor of Saskatoon and Jennifer Campeau, MLA for Saskatoon Fairview, followed by a book launch. “There’s a book that’s been written by local author Regine Haensel, called Creating Community: A Brief History of Arts and Culture in Saskatoon. It focuses on the development of Saskatoon’s arts and culture community,” says Cazakoff. “We’re excited about being able to provide the venue and audience for their launch.”
Following the luncheon is the annual general meeting, and then delegates will have the option of enjoying one of two concurrent sessions.
“When we talk about creative communities, we’re also talking about some examples of what’s occurring already in Saskatchewan and how heritage is contributing to the vitality of communities,” Cazakoff says.
Of the two afternoon presentations, “One session is ‘Mapping Tangible and Intangible Heritage’ and the other one is ‘How Heritage Tourism Contributes to Sustainable Development.’ People will have to make a choice as to which concurrent session they’d like to attend. Both are of value and will present different aspects of heritage.”
Cazakoff adds that, by presenting a variety of views on heritage, Heritage Saskatchewan hopes to promote a broader definition of heritage. “Heritage is a valued and dynamic legacy that contributes to our sense of identity, creates an understanding of our past, is used to build communities in the present, and informs our choices for the future. It really contributes to who we are as a people, who we are as individuals.”
The forum takes place over the evening of Feb. 24 and all day Feb. 25 at the Sheraton Cavalier Hotel in Saskatoon.
For information about the forum and the cost of attending, or about Heritage Saskatchewan, see the website at
heritagesask.ca .