Everett Baker Award for Saskatchewan Heritage

2019 Winner: Jonathan J. Kalmakoff

The 2019 Everett Baker Award winner is Jonathan J. Kalmakoff. Jonathan’s immeasurable volunteer hours, dedicated to the cause of preserving and promoting heritage in Saskatchewan through both academic and on-the-ground pursuits, are what inspired our Board select him for this award. Regarding academia and research, Jon has a prolific portfolio that includes giving public presentations as well as publishing numerous books and articles about the history of the Doukhobor community and the municipality of Canora. While the extreme volume of his work and the careful manner of his research demonstrate a unique character, it is Jon's willingness to act in the field that truly exemplifies his commitment to this great province and the preservation of its heritage. He has undertaken extensive field work to locate and identify unregistered Doukhobor cemeteries. This work resulted in identifying five official sites that were added to the map of Saskatchewan. The effort required difficult research on a little-known topic, a noticeable amount of travel as well as submissions to the Saskatchewan Geographic Naming Committee. Jon also took it upon himself to implement and manage a Doukhobor Genealogy website. In sum, Jonathan’s contributions to preserving and promoting Saskatchewan heritage are significant and wide-spread. Congratulations, Jon, for these outstanding contributions. You have truly gone “above and beyond.”