A. J. Logan

Logan Drugs, located on Broadway in premises now occupied by K. W. Men's Wear, was familiar to residents of Yorkton as a drug store, gift shop and music store.

The drug store was formerly owned by Drs. Henry and Irvin, and was known as the Red Cross drug store until purchased by Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Logan in 1911.

Mr. Logan was born in Kent County, Ontario and received his early education at Upper Canada College. He graduated in pharmacy from the University of Toronto. For a number of years he worked as a druggist in Kingston and Oshawa.

Mr. and Mrs. Logan came to Yorkton in 1911 and bought the Red Cross drug store, renaming it Logan Drugs. In 1919 he opened an optometry business, operating from the same store.

Mr. Logan served on the board of the Yorkton Collegiate for several years. He was a member of the board of St. Andrew's United Church, the IOOF lodge, a charter member and past president of the Yorkton Lions Club, a member of the Yorkton Board of Trade, the Red Cross and a past president of the Saskatchewan section of the Retail Merchants Association.

Mr. Logan died in 1949 at the age of 72. Logan Drugs was later owned and managed for many years by Stan and Louise Hunter.

R. H. Lock

R. H. Lock, Yorkton's first town clerk, first fire chief and first chief of police, died at Mission City, B.C. in April of 1953 and is buried in Yorkton where he lived from 1898 until 1935.

Mr. Lock was born in England in 1867 and came to farm 40 miles north of Regina in 1888.

He joined the North West Mounted Police in 1894 and after two years in Regina was transferred to Saltcoats. He moved to Fort Pelly in 1897 to take charge of that detachment. In 1898 he was transferred to Yorkton.

In 1900 he was granted his discharge from the police force and was appointed secretary -treasurer of the town of Yorkton. In 1910 he opened his own implement business and continued in that business until he retired to live with his son in Dunleath in 1935.

In addition to his other duties with the town of Yorkton, he was the first works foreman, tax collector, license inspector, pound keeper and in charge of the cemetery.

During his career in the police force, Mr. Lock maintained law and order among the Indians, traders and first settlers of the area.

While in Regina, Mr. Lock won the middleweight boxing championship and in 1898 he was the champion rifle and revolver shot.

More recent names

Had a visit from Eileen (Young) Keck. Eileen and Tony were on their way to Saskatoon to a Keck reunion and stayed overnight in Yorkton at Patrick Place. Eileen and Tony live in Winnipeg where Tony has retired from Environment Canada. Eileen and her sister Audrey, daughters of Walter and Elsie Young, grew up in Yorkton. Audrey and her husband John Fenner now live in Greensboro, N.C.

Had a phone call from Colin Brown. He, his sister Joyce from Regina and his brother Les of Toronto were in Yorkton to play golf at Deer Park. It has become a family tradition for the three of them to come to Yorkton in June of each year to play at the Deer Park Golf Club. It was at Deer Park that they learned to play golf when they were young.

They were born in Yorkton where their father was with the customs office. Colin left Yorkton in 1939 to attend school in Toronto, later joining the navy. He is now retired at White Rock, B.C.

Had an e-mail from Leonard Jenks. Col. Jenks was a former commanding officer at the White Spruce radar base and is now retired in Victoria. He is also Yorkton Hononary Citizen #17.

Through Dick DeRyk's web site, YorkonOnline, have renewed correspondence with Merle (Currie) Vincett of Galahad, Alberta. Merle lived with her family on Fifth Avenue North in Yorkton. She has retired from teaching and she and her husband enjoy working with their horses.

Duve and Pam Lang of Calgary spent a few days in Yorkton this summer visiting with Duve's mother, Meta Lang. Duve is managing director of Crest Theatre in Calgary.