Top row: George Gallagher, Jack Shortreed, Jack Goodman; 2nd row: Florence Holland, Hanna Stupak, Donna Munroe, Audrey West, Charita Paulsen, Doreen Smith, Dorothy Wasmuth; 3rd row: John Willms, Tony Pawluck, Bob Radonets, Merv Phillips, Jack Rosenblatt, Bill Western, Cliff McCormick; last row: Harry Elder, Art Mills, Harry McRae, Ernie Crosthwaite.
In 1927 the Winnipeg Grain Exchange established a radio station so that farmers in Saskatchewan and Manitoba could be kept abreast of the latest grain and livestock prices. Yorkton was chosen as the best location. The station was officially opened on August 19, 1927 with the call letters CJGX, the last two letters representing “Grain Exchange. The station first was lodged in the Collacott Block. The Winnipeg Grain Exchange operated the station for seven years. A Manitoba broadcaster by the name of Dawson Richardson became sole owner in 1934, and in 1936 it was sold to James Richardson & Sons of Winnipeg. In 1939, the station came into the hands of the Yorkton Broadcasting Company Limited. The studio occupied several premises over time; the second floor of the Smith and Mackay Block on East Broadway; a temporary place in the Dr. Brass School Auditorium, and the Tower Theatre Building on Second Avenue. In 1966 owners became George Gallagher and Ed Laurence. In 1982, Broadcast Place, a three story building on Smith Street became home to the station.
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
