A unique tourism promotion tool for the City of Weyburn was unveiled on Friday as part of Tourism Awareness Week.

The city's tourism department also welcomed a delegation tour from Tourism Saskatchewan on Friday, as they stopped in at the Heritage Village as part of their RV tour, also to celebrate Tourism Awareness Week.

The 45-minute CD was originally to be launched at the Crocus Spring Festival, but was launched on Friday when the festival was rescheduled to Sunday, June 13.

The launch began from the Soo Line Historical Museum, where interested parties and some of those involved with the creation of the CD took part by driving through the actual tour of Weyburn's historic sites.

Narrated by Glenn Rogers, the CD includes facts and figures about the city, and stories from historian and writer Isabelle Eaglesham.

The tour was developed with a view to promoting the city with major events coming up in Weyburn, including the 2004 Saskatchewan Summer Games this August, and the national junior hockey championship, the Royal Bank Cup, in 2005. The CD was developed by the city's tourism committee with the assistance of the Sask. Heritage Foundation.

The first stop on the tour, after going through River Park, was the Heritage Village, which coincided with the arrival of the RV tour from Tourism Saskatchewan. From there, the CD takes the visitor or tourist down Third Street, through the downtown and up to the court house on Prairie Avenue, over to Second Street and Bison Avenue and north to the King Street entrance to the Souris Valley grounds.

The tour makes a circuit around Souris Valley and comes out on First Avenue, heads east to Sixth Street and south past the former home of Canadian writer W.O. Mitchell, over to Coteau Ave. and Second Street before bringing the tour back to the museum.

The tourism officials were given a tour of the village by summer student tour coordinators Alisa McLeod and Erin Mazenc, along with a taste of home-made ice cream and lemonade. The officials were also given a copy of the CD tour.

The RV tour's itinerary included prior stops in Prince Albert, Watrous, Eastend, Swift Current, Estevan and North Portal.

Tourism Saskatchewan officials also launched the Great Saskatchewan Photo Contest, open to all Saskatchewan residents and visitors, with each person allowed to submit up to three entries. Categories for the contest include Saskatchewan people, nature, prairie scenic, woods and water, towns and cities, and My Saskatchewan Vacation. The deadline for entries is Oct. 8.