THE RURAL HISTORY & CULTURE ASSOCIATION
OF SASKATCHEWAN

The Rural History and Culture Association (RHCA), which was formally established in 2006, will be dissolved on June 30, 2010.  The reason for the dissolution is that Mike Fedyk, the founding President, and most active RHCA member, is moving out of Saskatchewan on June 30, 2010.  Fedyk formed the organization to provide an outlet for his projects such as historical re-enactments, community festivals, Saskatchewan singer songwriter concerts and similar events, and without his presence, the other RHCA members are not willing to maintain the organization.

Between 2006 and 2010, the RHCA initiated 12 historical re-enactments, community festivals and other events in 11 different communities and also published one book.  RHCA events attracted over 10,000 people, major media attention and raised over $30,000 for heritage and community organizations in Saskatchewan.

The RHCA website will continue to be maintained in order that information on past RHCA events and activities will be available but no new information will be posted on the site.

Mike Fedyk is leaving Saskatchewan entirely for personal (romantic) reasons and his departure does not reflect any desire to seek the so-called ‘greener’ pastures that supposedly exist outside of Saskatchewan.  Fedyk expects to continue his interest in promoting history, including involvement in Saskatchewan history, once he is settled in Ontario.

In 2005 Saskatchewan celebrated its provincial Centennial and as part of the festivities the Celebrate Canada Committee for Saskatchewan staged the Celebrate Canada Centennial Jam.  The Jam was a one-day outdoor festival held n July 1, 2005, in Wascana Centre in Regina that attracted over 50,000 people.  As Project Manager for the Celebrate Canada Committee, Mike Fedyk was able to initiate unique Heritage Exhibits that were staged in the flower gardens in front of the Saskatchewan Legislature. There were nine Heritage Exhibits, each consisting of an actor portraying a Saskatchewan historical figure performing a speech on a small stage.  Each stage featured a backdrop of historical pictures from the era when the speech originally took place.  Among the figures portrayed were John Diefenbaker, Tommy Douglas, Big Bear, Gabriel Dumont and Violet McNaughton.  Until recently pictures of these unique presentations of Saskatchewan history were featured on the Celebrate Canada Committee for Saskatchewan website but the Committee is in the process of being phased out by the federal government and their website has been taken off the internet.

The Rural History and Culture Association has posted the pictures, formally on the Celebrate Canada site on its Flickr website in order to make sure that the pictures and information about the Heritage Exhibits are still available to the public.  The picture to the right is of the Heritage Exhibit featuring Regina actress Karin Von Staden portraying Saskatchewan pioneer and women’s advocate Georgina Binnie Clark.