Everett Baker Award for Saskatchewan Heritage
Everett Baker. Photo courtesy of the Grand Coteau Heritage & Cultural Centre in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan.
This award is named for the SHFS’ first president, Everett Baker. Throughout his life, Everett Baker was a strong believer in the importance of understanding the past to build a better future, and as such, he worked tirelessly to preserve local history.
In that spirit, the Everett Baker Award for Saskatchewan Heritage recognizes individuals, groups or organizations who have gone “above and beyond” to preserve and promote heritage in Saskatchewan. The award also recognizes efforts to call public attention to aspects of little-known Saskatchewan history.
Do you know a person or organization who has gone "above and beyond" for Saskatchewan's heritage?
Nominations for the Everett Baker Award for Saskatchewan Heritage are open year-round. Any person, group or organization who has worked towards promoting and sharing heritage in Saskatchewan is eligible.
Yearly deadline: April 30
2025 Winners: John and Margaret Irving
Scale model of All Saints Anglican Church by John Irving.
We are delighted to announce that Margaret and John Irving, a husband-and-wife team of historians from La Ronge, are the winners of the 2025 Everett Baker Award for Saskatchewan Heritage.
For many years, Margaret and John have worked tirelessly to research and document the history of La Ronge and the surrounding area. They have dedicated significant effort to educating the residents of Northern Saskatchewan, specifically the La Ronge area, about their heritage. This includes genealogical inquiries, local First Nation histories, family connections related to the Fur Trade and the Hudson's Bay Company in the North, and notably, information concerning the Lac La Ronge All Saints Anglican Indian Residential School.
Their contributions are invaluable to the community, providing education on First Nations Treaty 6 history and the accounts of Residential School students. They have assisted individuals in tracing their ancestry through detailed genealogical reports.
Margaret and John’s research topics also include churches, medical care and the old hospital; outfitting, and northern bush flying. They have researched historic local personalities, including clergymen, principals, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. To everyone's benefit, they post many of their findings and photographs on the Lac la Ronge Facebook page.
John is a talented artist and model-maker of historic subjects, such as the La Ronge residential school and Holy Trinity Church at Stanley Mission. He accompanies his models with names and descriptions in Cree, which greatly add to the displays at the Northern Saskatchewan Archives.
John and Margaret were both born in La Ronge and have lived there their whole lives. John is the grandson of Norman Irving, a former HBC Manager; Margaret, a member of the long-time La Ronge Finlayson family. Both have generously contributed valuable collections of photographs, research, and genealogy to the Archives over many years.
As their letters of support for this nomination and the tremendous response to the news of their nomination online attest, Margaret and John's work is greatly appreciated by their local community.
Congratulations, John and Margaret, for going above and beyond to preserve and share the history of Northern Saskatchewan.