YORKTON, Sask. — A group of Yorkton Nursery School preschoolers got a firsthand look at how their city operates during a special visit to city hall that combined civic education with a festive holiday scavenger hunt.
Armed with a Christmas-themed mystery book, the young visitors searched the building for a hidden nutcracker while learning about the role city hall plays in the community. Deputy mayor Randy Goulden led the tour, guiding the excited preschoolers through the building and introducing them to local government.
Goulden said welcoming young residents into city hall helps foster a sense of belonging and community from an early age.
"City hall belongs to everyone that lives in our city, and we welcome any and all visitors," she said. "So it's really nice to have our young people, starting at ages four, come through city hall and feel welcome and return as often as they can."
The deputy mayor said the city hosts as many school tours as possible throughout the year, tailoring the experience to different age groups.
"These are the younger children, but we also do other school tours throughout the year," Goulden said. "As the children get a bit older, perhaps we don't do the colouring books with the nutcrackers, but there's always something of interest.
"We can talk more about how our municipality works, the governance of municipalities, being part of a municipality, either by being on council or being in the administration or being on committees of council and how people can participate in our community," Goulden said.
During the tour, Goulden also suggested the preschoolers could one day return to city hall as Yorkton city councillors, perhaps as early as 2050.
For Yorkton Nursery School teacher Katie Thiessen, the annual trip helps bring classroom learning to life. She said the preschool has been making visits to city hall for about four years.
The tour aligned with lessons about community and identity being taught in the classroom.
"Last week we learned about Canada," Thiessen said. "This week we're talking about Yorkton. And so what better place to visit than city hall, where everything gets planned and taken care of in our city."
Thiessen said the experience gives children an early understanding of their community and their place within it.
"It's a really good start for the kids to just understand where they come from and being part of the community," she said.
