Looking for a Mother’s Day activity in Weyburn? For the past five years, Jane’s Walk Weyburn has delivered citizen-led historical conversations, and even COVID cannot derail the event!
“We want to bring the tour to the people of Weyburn this year, instead of the people coming to the tour,” said Lindsay Manko-Bauche, City Organizer. “Because of the current health crisis, we have had to get creative for this year’s event. This year’s tour is called ‘What’s in a Name?’ and we compiled information on where and how different city streets got their names. The information is physically attached to street signs that people can enjoy while out on a walk on their own, like a self-guided trip into Weyburn’s history.”
Jane’s Walk is an annual festival of free, citizen-led walking conversations that encourage people to share stories about their neighbourhoods, discover unseen aspects of their communities, and use walking as a way to connect with their neighbours. Walks take place in hundreds of cities around the world, and Weyburn is one of those locations.
“The neighbourhood we focused on this year was the Burnwey quadrant. Signs will be posted on 10 streets: Dieppe Drive, Warren Avenue, Tom Hart Drive, Eaglesham Avenue, Mertz Bay, Bean Crescent, Montgomery Cresent, Laing Cresent, Onstad Crescent, and Harvey Bay. I chose to focus on this neighbourhood because often people overlook the amazing history that is right in front of them. This is not the oldest or newest neighbourhood in the community, so it really puts in perspective that history can be found wherever you are.” explained Manko-Bauche.
Tracking down historical details about Weyburn’s historical influences has been an adventure. Although these figures are relatively recent, time can prove to be the ultimate eraser for some.
“I think it is important to celebrate Weyburn’s history and this is a way to do that, but I am not a professional historical, and often the stories behind the stories only come from other people in the community,” said Manko-Bauche. “Stan Runne, Gloria Onstad, Gail Minard, and Randy Morrison provided a wealth of historical information for this tour, and I can’t thank them enough. If there is anything to be added or changes in these posters, please feel free to reach out to me on our Facebook page at Jane’s Walk Weyburn. These documents are meant to be ever-evolving.”
Manko-Bauche also thanked the City of Weyburn for helping with this collaboration and for encouraging the project. “The City has been so encouraging of this project. Eventually, I would like to highlight every street in Weyburn, so if anyone had information on the origins or the people tied to another neighbourhood, I would gladly accept it.”
For more information, visit the City of Weyburn website at Jane's Walk Weyburn - Weyburn, Saskatchewanor contact Lindsay Manko-Bauche via the Jane’s Walk Weyburn Facebook page or email her at lmankobauche@gmail.com.
The information will be physically posted on the street signs in the Burnwey subdivison (Dieppe Drive area) from May 7 to June 7.
