The archives of Weyburn native son and author, the late W.O. Mitchell, will be preserved at the University of Calgary, following a donation made to that institution by a friend of the Mitchell family.

Special ceremonies were held on Monday at the university to honour Mitchell's memory and to dedicate the archived collection.

The archives are located in the U of C Library's Special Collections, and include W.O. Mitchell's correspondence, manuscripts and other historical items, plus additional materials which the Mitchell family have made available. The university began collecting these items in 1976.

Mitchell had an office at the university from 1989 until 1997, and this room has now been dedicated in his honour also. Mitchell was awarded an honourary doctorate in 1982 by the U of C in recognition of his contributions to Canadian literature.

His most well-known work, Who Has Seen The Wind, was largely based on his early years in Weyburn.