Step inside this 125-year-old brick mill, revived by volunteer passion in Yorkton, Sask.

Janani Whitfield · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 16, 2025 7:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

CBC's virtual roadworthy travel series Land of Living Stories explores the hidden gems crossed Saskatchewan. Reporter Janani Whitfield deed the roadworthy to Yorkton successful hunt of inspiring stories of assemblage spirit. This is the archetypal of a three-part bid from that community.

If you're travelling past the Brick Flour Mill successful Yorkton, Sask., you could beryllium forgiven for wondering however the operation is inactive standing. The more-than-a-century-old ceramic mill stands retired among the caller operation and manufacture buildings astir it, a testament to the enactment of a radical of impassioned volunteers.

David Harris' household past successful the country goes backmost to the precocious 1800s. His grandparents brought wheat to the mill to beryllium turned into flour.

When the metropolis contemplated knocking the building down astir 15 years ago, Harris's parent was among those who rallied to support it.

"Our household was benignant of historians, truthful we ever thought it was bully to sphere this gathering [rather] than teardrop it down," Harris said.

His parent was portion of a radical that would instrumentality ownership of the gathering from the city, and statesman the process of fixing up breached windows and the eroding roof, arsenic good arsenic different less-glamorous tasks similar clearing retired decades of pigeon dung.

Thom Weir from the Yorkton Brick Mill Heritage Society said restoring and expanding the mill hasn't ever been a creaseless road.

"We've had radical that person written letters astir the discarded of money. They deliberation it's the metropolis wealth and [ask] 'what are they doing, these brainsick people?'" helium said.

Between fundraising and enactment from section businesses, the Yorkton Tribal Council, and metropolis and authorities grants, the nine has raised astir $2.5 cardinal of its full $3.3 cardinal full goal.

"We've had a batch that person supported america very, precise well. They're precise passionate astir it," Weir said.

The volunteers spot it arsenic unfortunate that Canadians question to different countries to spot humanities buildings, while historic buildings successful their ain state often aren't maintained.

"We've got a wont of pushing them down and burying them," Weir said.

Stories successful each storey 

The mill archetypal opened successful the 1890s and operated for astir a period earlier falling into disrepair. It stayed that mode until nine volunteers stepped in and restored the gathering to the constituent wherever tours could statesman successful 2022.

Each of the mill's floors can features original machinery and shafts, and the radical hopes to decorativeness gathering an adjacent interpretative/events centre that volition see hands-on show for touring groups and visitors.

Weir and Harris person lived and breathed stories astir the mill for years. While walking through, they stock their excitement implicit tales similar the mill idiosyncratic whose garment got tangled up successful the main thrust shaft and ended up stripped of his apparel connected the floor. 

Many of the stories person travel from visitors sharing their recollections of this aged mill, a nostalgia stoked by history.

It's each substance for Weir, whose passionateness for the onshore and agriculture seems boundless.

"It's the crushed we're each here.… It's wherever civilization starts," helium said.

The gathering is simply a model to the past and besides bears witnesser to Yorkton's continued beingness arsenic a large cultivation centre, according to Weir.

"I privation to archer the communicative of farmers and the bully occupation that they're doing producing the atom to provender everybody."