A new free walking tour will take residents and visitors through the Yorkton City Cemetery this September, bringing the stories of early settlers and notable figures out of the history books and right into the rows of headstones.
The guided Cemetery Walking Tour is scheduled for September 29, 2026 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the cemetery on King Street East at Highway 9. It is part of the Culture Days lineup that runs across the country from September 18 to October 4.
Tourism Yorkton executive director Randy Goulden will lead the walk. Goulden has served on city council for more than 25 years and is the current president of the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association. She will share stories of the people whose lives built Yorkton, including homesteaders who arrived from Whitewood in covered wagons and pioneer families who shaped the community.
The cemetery holds roughly 11,250 interments on 22 acres and dates back to 1896. Among those buried there is Sylvia Fedoruk, Saskatchewan’s first female lieutenant governor, who served from 1988 to 1994. Fedoruk was also a pioneering medical physicist who helped develop the world’s first cobalt-60 cancer treatment unit. She rests alongside her parents.
Yorkton has become a national standout for its Culture Days turnout, ranking fourth across Canada in the Towns and Rural Areas category in 2024. That year, the city hosted more than 50 free events put on by over 35 local artists and organizations. This year’s walking tour is just one of the free heritage-focused events making local arts and culture accessible to families throughout the fall celebration.
Anyone looking for more information can reach Culture Days Yorkton coordinator Angelina Kardynal at 306.621.5180.
