The Yorkton Public Library opened Culture Days on Friday with speeches, crafts and community programming, all while marking its 100th anniversary. “The library has been in Yorkton for 100 years servicing the community,” Allison Woolhead, programmer at the Yorkton Public Library, said. “We are doing our speeches. Everybody’s having a good time.” To commemorate the centennial, the library is inviting families to create canvases featuring their family names. “We are hoping to get 100 canvases from the different families in the community that are, and have been a part of the library,” Woolhead said, holding a canvas of her own. The designs will be displayed as a collage above the circulation desk from the end of November. Over the past hundred years, the library has changed along with the world. Despite predictions that libraries would fade with the rise of the internet, they are still around. “We have actually become more important because people come here for help, direction, access to the internet if they don’t have it at home,” Woolhead told CTV News. The Yorkton Library began its story at the city hall. “Then they moved to what used to be a grocery store, and then they moved to this spot and here we stay.” Yorkton is part of the Parkland Region Library system, the largest in Saskatchewan with 52 branches. Materials move freely between locations, allowing patrons to access books from anywhere in the province. In Woolhead’s opinion, the Yorkton library’s biggest challenge is keeping its collection current while preserving classic literature. “That’s part of the thing that’s nice about having a book club,” she explained their solution. “You may end up reading a book that you normally wouldn’t have picked up but you find out, ‘Wow, I liked it for some reason.’” In 2026, however, the library is more than a place to loans books from. It now also provides a variety of craft circles and hosts exhibitions. Woolhead hopes the next century will include a makerspace: a technology‑focused area where children can learn robotics, coding and other digital skills. The birthday celebration also ties into Culture Days, a nationwide event that celebrates the art and cultures that shape Canada. “Unlike the United States, we don’t want a melting pot,” Woolhead shared. “We want people to maintain their culture, but we are all together in this country. A country that can only grow well if we respect all cultures.” One of the first activities of the 2026 Culture Days in Yorkton was an orange‑and‑black bracelet craft featuring feathers, reflecting this year’s focus on reconciliation. The library is also running a book club on The Education of Augie Merasty, with a wrap‑up discussion planned for October 9. Friday’s opening ceremony featured branch manager Karen Crawford, Mayor Aaron Kienle, Indigenous elder Sandy Cojocar, regional director Greg Morgan, and board chair Juanita Brown.
