In 1968 the idea first surfaced of establishing an organization in Yorkton that could assist people in ways that were not possible for individual churches, which were, at that time, the refuge and source of assistance for those facing hardship.

Father Paul St. Pierre of St. Gerard Roman Catholic Church, Rev. Jack Jones of St. Andrew’s United Church, Rev. William Shank of Westview United Church and Rev. Roland Wood of Holy Trinity Anglican Church put their heads together and came up with what was then a novel concept: let’s cooperate among ourselves, and with other organizations and agencies, so we can combine our efforts to look after those in Yorkton who need help.

The result was the Society for the Involvement of Good Neighbours, which opened its doors on May 1, 1969. Most people now know it simply as SIGN.

SIGN’s stated purpose, as set out in its first newsletters that year, was this: “To produce the product called Community Unity - a community in which people care about people.”

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Late in winter of 2026 I spoke with Alvin Law about Yorkton’s Snowarama, a longtime fundraiser for what is now SaskAbilities. Each year the Council would name a Timmy, someone who represented the council at events and was the ambassador on behalf of the so-called “handicapped” community of the province. Alvin was the Timmy in 1976, at the age of 16.

Alvin was born without arms, one of about 125 in Canada whose mother was prescribed thalidomide. He has since become a well-known motivational speaker, who has travelled the world from his home base in Calgary, providing a positive message to audiences while also amazing them by playing the piano and drums.

I knew of his parents, Hilda and Jack Law, but didn’t know them personally. So when I talked to Alvin back in February, I suggested we should do a podcast – not about him, but about the couple who first became his foster parents, then adopted him. At the time they were in their mid-50s. They had raised two sons who had moved out and away to start careers and their own families. They were empty nesters. But they took on a task most would not even consider, let alone do… caring for a newborn baby with no arms.

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In the very earliest years of Yorkton in the 1880s, the pioneer residents in the village and on the farms either had their own cows for milk, or bought it from farmers.

By 1891, a group of residents saw the possibility of establishing a dairy to distribute milk, but that only lasted a couple of years because some of the shareholders did not come up with funds when needed to continue the operation. In 1895, local businessman James Crerar had another go at setting up a creamery, but he went out of business in 1902.

After that, it is said, as many as 14 farmers made their way into the village to sell their milk, butter and whatever other dairy products they produced on the farm.

This is the story of milk processing in Yorkton, which went from farmers selling their milk to -- at one time -- five or more creameries and dairies processing milk locally (and more than 40 dairies in the province), to today, when there is only one plant in Saskatchewan processing milk.

On our website you will find a detailed timeline of dairy production in Yorkton, and a wide range of photos from the earlier days.

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If you want to explore this topic in more depth than what is included in the podcast, go to www.yorktonstories.ca, where you will find links to documents and other sources related to this podcast, as well as photos if available.