The Gavel of the Yorkton Chamber

At the 63rd Annual Banquet of the Yorkton Chamber of Commerce in 1961, Norman Roebuck – Yorkton businessman and President of the Chamber in 1953 – presented this gavel to the Chamber. This is his speech prior to the presentation:

“In presenting this gavel, I wish to give you a little history of the wood in its component parts.

The handle of the gavel is made from a portion of the flag pole taken from the old waterworks building built in 1906 and on which the old power plant was later built in 1910, and is presently used by the City Works Department. The head of this gavel is of Manitoba Maple and comes from one of the oldest trees in Yorkton. This tree was cut down on the grounds of the old City Hall and had been planted on the portion of that property which had at one time been owned by Ben Patrick, brother of Dr. T. A. Patrick who actually planted the trees now on the grounds in the year 1900. The wood in this gavel represents over 670 years of life in this community. They say that wood burning in an open fire will portray to the watcher the history of what the wood has seen.

Truly this piece of wood could unfold over 60 years of progress.”

President Mike Stackhouse (2019 & 2020) holds the gavel made and presented by Norman Roebuck (Chamber President in 1953) at the 63rd Annual Chamber Banquet on March 15, 1961.