"The government is pleased to provide additional funding to the Western Development Museum," Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Laura Ross said in a recent release. "This investment will allow the museum to acquire the technology, equipment and internet bandwidth necessary to improve services and interact with communities throughout Saskatchewan."
The WDM will receive an additional $60,000 for the 2021-22 fiscal year for the following upgrades:
- improvements to Wi-Fi access points;
- enhancements to live streaming equipment and interactive video conferencing ability; and
- purchasing interactive white boards, portable stands, and other associated equipment upgrades.
"This funding will go a long way to address a significant technological gap at the WDM Moose Jaw and WDM Saskatoon," Western Development Museum CEO Joan Kanigan said. "The improvements to our Wi-Fi connectivity and ability to live stream tours and programs will benefit visitors, students and educators across the province. We are very grateful for the support we receive from the Government of Saskatchewan through the Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport."
Kanigan told Yorkton This Week while the recent announcement pertains to upgrades at Saskatoon and Moose Jaw it is also laying the foundation for upgrades at the WDM’s other locations including Yorkton.
The current work will help to develop “best practices” that will be implemented at the other location “a little bit further down the road.” Kanigan said that work is likely a year, or more away though.
The WDM continues to deliver online programs and exhibits. Improvements to connectivity, technology and other associated equipment in Saskatoon and Moose Jaw will be used to improve the way the Western Development Museum plans exhibitions and programming.
In terms of online programming, that area may come more quickly to sites such as Yorkton.
“One of the things we really want to be able to do ... at all four of our locations. . . is to increase our ability to do livestreaming,” said Kanigan.
That process will include installing equipment at each site to facilitate livestreaming program in order to allow interaction between those watching online and the presenter on location.
Kanigan said they see that as an area of growth allowing a broader audience to take in presentations. She said as they moved to online programming through the pandemic they have noted an audience that because of distance would not otherwise have easy access to a WDM or its programming.
The ability to have more interactive livestreaming could be in place in Yorkton sometime in 2022, said Kanigan.
