A century ago, the birth of the brand new province of Saskatchewan was marked by the "finest pyrotechnical display ever seen in the Dominion" on Sept. 4, 1905, and the second century will be marked by an even larger fireworks display.

Weyburn will be one of the 15 communities around the province to host this fireworks-and-music display, which will be identical in all centres when it begins at 9:39 p.m. on the exhibition grounds.

Saskatchewan's Centennial chairman, MLA Glenn Hagel, met with Weyburn's Centennial committee chair, Coun. Rob Stephanson, and his committee on Aug. 16 to go over the city's plans for Sunday, Sept. 4. Hagel noted that the vast majority of Saskatchewan residents live within a two-hour drive or less from the centres, which are Saskatchewan's 13 cities, plus the northern communities of Meadow Lake and La Ronge.

"Each centre will serve as regional hosts on Sept. 4. There will be local celebrations for anyone who wants to come and celebrate. We devised a plan that will be a Canadian first. We put out a national tender, won by Regina firm, Ruggieri Fireworks and Special Effects," said Hagel, noting the company recently won a national fireworks competition.

The fireworks "will be a 30-minute narrated pyrotechnical display choreographed to music that will be seen in each of the 15 centres, including Weyburn, starting at 9:39 p.m.," said Hagel.

He noted the provincial Centennial organization provided a grant of $27,000 to Weyburn's committee to support their celebrations held prior to the big fireworks show. Saskatchewan Centennial 2005 is also covering the approximate total cost of $840,000 for the province-wide fireworks show.

Coun. Stephanson said the fireworks will go off from usual position, just southwest of the fair grounds. The southwest portion of the exhibition grounds will be barricaded off so people can bring their lawn chairs to watch the fireworks show and hear the music and narration.

For those who want to watch the fireworks from further away, the music for the show will be carried simultaneously on AM1190. Stephanson said council may even look at the possibility of closing Highway 39 from about 9:15 to 10:15 p.m., so the fireworks won't create a hazard to the motoring public.
"We do like the idea that it's provincial in scope. We are trying to make the most of that," said Stephanson, noting during the day there will be a wide variety of events and activities which will be at a low or no cost. Those with a nominal cost, such as food and drinks, will be fund-raisers for local charitable organizations.
"We're hoping to see the largest crowd we've ever had in Weyburn," said Stephanson, with hopes of 3,000 or more to be on hand for the day-long activities at the exhibition grounds.
"It sounds good, but it also sounds a bit scary," he said, noting as an example the logistics of having 3,000 cupcakes made, as opposed to several large cakes.
The local activities include a pancake breakfast from 9:30 to 11 a.m., an interdenominational church service at 11 a.m., and a number of events in the afternoon, including children's rides, a flea market, family and children's games, a display of antique vehicles and a multicultural event. Local entertainers will take to the outdoor stage starting at 12:30, the beer gardens will open at noon, and the grand opening of the Weyburn Youth Centre's skateboard park will take place at 2 p.m., complete with a skateboard demo and workshop.
The Weyburn Ag Society will put on a community supper from 4 to 7 p.m., the birthday cake will be served at 7:30 p.m., and a family barn dance will start at 8 in the Ag Society barns. The dance, featuring country artist Aaron Pritchett, will break for the fireworks show, and continue afterwards until 1 a.m.
"We think there'll be lots of reasons for Weyburn and area residents to stay here. With the invitations we've sent out to area towns and RMs, there should easily be more than 3,000 people here," said Stephanson.
The fireworks can go off even it's raining at the time of the show. The only condition that would postpone the fireworks to later in the evening, or to the next day, would be winds over 40 km a hour in the wrong direction, and each localized fireworks crew will make the call as to whether the show can go on or not.
If the show will postponed or moved to the next day, it will be duly announced on the radio and over the sound system to be used for the fireworks display, where organizers anticipate most of the spectators to be.
Hagel noted that by the Labour Day weekend, winds usually die down by that time of the night, and the weather usually has been fairly cooperative.
While the Saskatchewan Act took effect as of Sept. 1, Sept. 4 is being marked as the province's official birth-date, as this is the day Lieutenant-Governor Amedee Forget first took his oath of office in the presence of Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier, and Governor General Earl Grey. The two officials had first visited Edmonton for the founding of Alberta, then travelled by train to Regina.
Forget then asked Walter Scott to form the first government, and Scott formed an interim cabinet of three until the first elections were held in December of 1905. Scott, a Liberal, won that election to form the first government.