YORKTON – At its regular meeting Monday Yorkton Council unanimously referred a “request for municipal heritage property designation for Hanger #2 at the Yorkton Airport to the Municipal Heritage Advisory Sub-Committee for review and recommendations; to report back to Council at a later date.”
“Earlier this year Administration received a request from Yorkton Aircraft Service to designate their property, Hangar #2 at the Yorkton Airport, as a municipal heritage property,” explained Taylor Morrison, Director of Recreation & Community Services with the city.
In the application it was noted; this is the last remaining hangar from the site built by the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan in 1940-1941. Yorkton Aircraft has been maintaining this hangar since the applicant's ownership of it in 2016.
“There were many flight schools built by BCATP in the 40’s but there are not many hangars still standing.”
Morrison said the request is one Council can decide on.
“Through The Heritage Property Act, municipalities can designate properties as a tangible way to recognize people, places and events that are significant to the history of the community. In addition to preserving these places and their stories for future generations, designation also supports and promotes economic development and community pride, a ‘sense of place’ and our well-being. Benefits of municipal heritage designation include publicity and formally recognizing a property’s heritage value, it protects the property and encourages good stewardship, and identifies the property as being eligible for potential financial assistance from the Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation,” he said.
However, in Yorkton, City Council has established the Municipal Heritage Advisory Sub-Committee which advises Council on any matter arising out of The Heritage Property Act. The Sub-Committee is responsible for receiving and reviewing application requests, and providing a recommendation back to City Council for consideration as part of a designation bylaw which is required for formally recognizing the property as a municipal heritage property, noted Morrison.
Recommendation from the Municipal Heritage Advisory Sub-Committee would come before Council at a future meeting with their recommendation upon completing their review of the request.
