With Gratitude is the title of the booklet written and put together in May 1977 by pupils of Grades 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 from the Bellegarde school, in southeastern Saskatchewan. It is an account of their one-day bus trip to visit Yorkton, organized by their teachers with the assistance of the Yorkton Chamber of Commerce. First enjoyable event upon arrival was to have a meal at McDonald's Restaurant, followed by a visit to the Lions Workshop for the Handicap, Yorkton Concrete, St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church, York Beverages, the Parkland Mall, and the Western Development Museum, where they were served a supper of Kentucky Fried Chicken. The group then went on to a singing engagement on "Profile" at the CKOS Television station; the host being Roger McLaughlin. It was then time to board the bus for the trip home.
The booklet is also a brief history of the children's home village of Bellegarde. They describe their school, St. Maurice Catholic Church, the home of the Sisters of the Cross, the Grotto to the Virgin Mary, main street in Bellegarde; Residence of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, the Hall, the Credit Union, the Coop, the Rink, and the Post Office.
Some of the pupils who wrote an account of the trip were: Rolande Wolensky, Evelyn Revet, Lucille George, Cathleen Wolensky, Gilles Wilvers, Lisette Wolensky, Donald Petit, Jeannine Poirier, Brian Frécon, Gisèle Martine and Roger Poirier. Bellegarde pioneers of the 1890s were in majority French-speaking from Manitoba, Belgium and northern France.
Source: The Yorkton Chamber of Commerce Collection, City of Yorkton Archives.
We are always looking for Yorkton historical photos, documents, stories, family histories, etc.
Contact Terri Lefebvre Prince, Heritage Researcher,
City of Yorkton Archives,
Box 400, 37 Third Avenue North
Yorkton, Sask. S3N 2W3
306-786-1722 heritage@yorkton.ca
