Saskatchewan residents have long known the special place this province holds in this grand and glorious country of Canada.

For those who have grown up in her grain belt, or in one of her uniquely-named villages or towns, the names of "Land of Living Skies" emblazoned on our green and white licence plates is hardly a mystery; we live in a province of a pure, natural and sometimes subtle beauty not found elsewhere.

Thus we are all celebrating the province's Centennial this year, and this summer is the busiest time of all for that celebration. Already, so far in the Weyburn area we've had Fillmore, Stoughton, Yellow Grass and, most recently, Creelman, all mark the Centennial in some way, with much, much more yet to come.

Each town and village brings their own special taste and slant to the celebration that area resident should try and take it, along with the many former residents who will be flocking home to see and experience the hospitality and grassroots charm of this province.

Such communities as Lang, Pangman, Midale and Minton all have celebrations coming up including Homecomings, parades, breakfasts, games, memorabilia and of course, times for visiting and socializing, and catching up on those long-lost names who've come back to renew acquaintances.

This isn't the first provincial Homecoming held, of course, but it is nearly unprecedented to see such a huge effort, on the provincial as well as local scale, at making Saskatchewan a welcoming and interesting place to visit.

The province has certainly gotten into the act, with its distinctive logo and green and white flag marking the Centennial; its support of a number of arts groups and events around the province, such as the free "Checkin' the Crop" tour that will soon be hitting Weyburn, and then the highlight of the year, the official Centennial celebration on Sunday, Sept. 4, including Weyburn hosting one of 15 major fireworks shows held throughout the province.

Then there are the innumerable promotions and promotional items available throughout the province to mark this milestone year, and you've also got communities marking their own Centennial in the same year as the province (Fillmore being a notable local example).

A big part of the year-long event is the recognition of our province's unique heritage, and informing people of the stories and peoples who helped found this great province is a worthwhile aspect of the Centennial, such as the weekly "Saskatchewan Life" provided in the Weyburn Review.

Of course, Weyburn's own Homecoming event, capped off by the annual Wheat Festival on the Aug. 5-6 weekend, will be the local highlight for the city, ahead of the Sept. 4 celebration. The entire week is crammed full of school and family reunion, events in and around the community, and then the major celebration with the Wheat Fest and Rodeo, which by itself always bring in hundreds of visitors to celebrate Weyburn's rural-urban connections.

So whichever community you hale from, or however you and your family wish t mark this special year, make sure you're a part of history as well celebrate the birthday of our beautiful province in 2005, - G.N.