Like many others, I mourn the demise of Western People. It embodied so much of what
was worthwhile in Western Canada. They were all there: the artists and artisans, the
entrepreneurs and oddballs who personify the myriad cultures and diverse geographical
locations that make up our world.
It carried some fiction, some poetry, a bit of history, but chiefly it introduced us to living,
fascinating people, people worthy of meeting.
If the country community has a hope of surviving today, much depends on the enterprise of
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these forward-looking and creative individualists.
They are restoring beautiful old homes, running theatres in barns, reviving crafts, generally
proving that the West is full of marvelous ideas.
Because the stories came from all over Western Canada, it conveyed a sense of community
which is badly needed and it took its message into thousands of homes, both rural and
urban. The social implications of its loss will be felt, one more crack in a shaky structure.
One of my favorite stories was about photographer Jack Mah of Eston, Sask., which
appeared in 1994. His young granddaughter was the cover girl for that issue, and she was
so charming she became the girl on the cover once more when Western People put out a
collection of the year’s publications.
I was so impressed by her wonderful childhood optimism and the obvious delight she was
taking in the world that I contacted the photographer and bought a copy of the picture. She
has been a focal point in my living room ever since and she will continue to be there, a
reminder of one of the best magazines Saskatchewan has ever produced…
– Kay Parley
Saskatoon, Sask.
