THREE PROVINCIAL HERITAGE PROPERTIES DESIGNATED DURING HERITAGE WEEK

Petite Ville, the Esterhazy Flour Mill and the Imhoff Studio and Farm Site were officially designated as Provincial Heritage Property under Saskatchewan's Heritage Property Act.

Heritage property designation recognizes and protects Saskatchewan's historic places. "These designations speak to the history and development of Saskatchewan," Culture, Youth and Recreation Minister Joan Beatty said. "When we preserve our heritage, we tell the story of people and their efforts in building this province."

Located on the South Saskatchewan River southeast of Rosthern and dating back to the 1870s, Petite Ville was one of the largest Métis hivernant (over wintering) settlements in Saskatchewan. Petite Ville represents a crucial transition in the lifestyle of the Métis people from nomadic buffalo hunters to settled farmers. Its archaeological remains provide insight into the domestic, social, economic, and religious life of the Métis at that time.

The Esterhazy Flour Mill, built in 1906-07 and used until the early 1980s, is the oldest, most complete and only remaining pre-World War I flour mill of wood frame construction in Saskatchewan. Its heritage value also lies in its architecture, specifically the connected, but distinguishable flour mill and elevator. Like grain elevators, flour mills also played a vital role in the agricultural development of the province.

The Imhoff Studio and Farm Site was home to Count Berthold Von Imhoff, an internationally-renowned painter, who settled in Saskatchewan in 1914. Imhoff lived and painted on this site, which deeply influenced his work, until his death in 1939. Imhoff is best known for his religious paintings, many of which appear in churches across Saskatchewan. The Imhoff Studio and Farm Site symbolize the province's artistic and cultural development, and is further valued for its status as a purpose-built artist's studio.

Petite Ville, Esterhazy Flour Mill and the Imhoff Studio are the 38th, 39th, and 40th provincially designated properties. To view all the provincial heritage sites, go to www.cyr.gov.sk.ca and follow the Heritage links. Individuals and organizations are also encouraged to nominate properties they believe have provincial heritage significance.

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For More Information, Contact:

Carlos Germann Culture, Youth and Recreation Regina Phone: (306) 787-5772