Has it been a year already?
Last August, the Western Producer began a year-long celebration marking our 100th anniversary. This included a variety of initiatives and events throughout the year, and our writers enthusiastically participated in the festivities.
We featured many articles and columns looking back at our history as well as the history of the Prairies.
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It was my pleasure to join in the celebration by using this column to spend the last year looking back at 100 years of Western Producer issues, starting with Aug. 27, 1923, and then jumping ahead every two years until last week we reached Aug. 17, 2023.
It was a fascinating project made much easier by the decision 100 years ago to preserve old newspapers in what are called bound volumes.
They were stored in the Western Producer’s offices and accessible to the public.
For decades I watched authors, researchers and others settle themselves down at a table in the newsroom and slip back into the past.
This year the bound volumes were moved to the University of Saskatchewan’s Archives and Special Collections in the Murray Library, where they are still available to the public.
Those wanting to read particular volumes can email the library at ua.sc@usask.ca and arrange an appointment.
They can then view the volumes in the library’s reading room. Hours are Tuesday to Friday, 10-12 and 1-4. The volumes must remain in the library and cannot be borrowed.
The Western Producer and U of S library staff are excited about the move, and anyone interested in visiting 100 years of Prairie agricultural history through the pages of our paper are encouraged to do so.
We wrap up our 100th anniversary celebrations this week with a memory piece by Joan Mudryk on page 17 about growing up on the farm with the Producer and two articles by columnist Betty Ann Deobald summarizing the last 100 years on pages 18-20.
