Everett Baker Award for Saskatchewan Heritage

2023 Winner: Dorell Taylor

We want to honour Dorell Taylor with an Everett Baker Award for bringing together hundreds of memories of people who have visited Prince Albert National Park, specifically Waskesiu Lake.

Twenty-five years ago, as a self-described "labour of love," Dorell set out to start a Waskesiu Heritage Society and record the memories of many who loved "the lake." Through endless correspondence, Dorell solicited and collected the memories and photos people shared about the community's early days. The first "Waskesiu Memories" book was 118 pages long and published in 1998.

After the first book's publication, memories and photographs came pouring in. At a time when collecting and editing stories and photos was not aided extensively by computers like today, Dorell managed to collect volumes of material on the history of Waskesiu. A further complication was that Waskesiu is a seasonal community in Prince Albert National Park. Therefore, the visitors and residents she needed to communicate with were scattered across Canada in their year-round homes. Dorell managed to juggle all the correspondence and photograph reproduction. Dorell's dedication to building community and serving people found her eventually compiling not one but three volumes of stories.

Dorell has created a legacy for the lake with these books and has been an invaluable resource for other researchers.

Dorell Taylor is honoured at the Waskesiu Heritage Museum on August 12, 2023, on the 25th anniversary of the publication of Waskesiu Memories Volume 1. Image courtesy of “25 Years of Waskesiu Memories with Dorell Taylor” by Carolyne Taylor.

We will close by quoting some of the letters which came in supporting Dorell's nomination:

"I cannot think of anyone more deserving of receiving the Everett Baker Award than Dorell Taylor. Her contributions – publishing three books, founding the Museum, being part of Friends of the Park, serving thousands of volunteer hours over many decades – are unquestionably "above and beyond"! If it weren't for her total body of work much of the history of Waskesiu would be lost. Her enthusiasm, curiosity, commitment, and passion for Prince Albert National Park are unparalleled!"

"Dorell literally grew up in the park [and] came to appreciate its rhythms and uniqueness…Dorell communicated that knowledge in a series of books about the heritage of the park, while at the same time calling on others to get involved in remembering and celebrating its history. She's done this work graciously and selflessly. Indeed, her work is reminiscent of Everett Baker and what he sought to do."

Congratulations, Dorell, for going above and beyond for your community and Saskatchewan's heritage.