A new summer campaign is encouraging residents across the province to get outside, explore local heritage sites, and share their own Saskatchewan stories — using nothing more than a QR code, a smartphone, and their memories.
The Key to Cultural Heritage initiative, launched this month by the Museums Association of Saskatchewan (MAS) in partnership with Heritage Saskatchewan and Moose Jaw-based MemoryKPR, aims to spotlight cultural heritage in all its forms: architecture, museums, landscapes, language, festivals, and foodways.
The theme for the summer is simple: “Get up! Get out! Explore Saskatchewan!”
“We know there’s a huge amount of really unique, exciting spaces of cultural heritage throughout the province, but we don’t always do a really great job of highlighting those,” said Emma Morris, communications coordinator with MAS.
“We’re inviting the public to let us know what’s in their own backyard.”
Participants can order vintage-inspired keychains and QR code stickers (available by donation through the MAS website), then place QR codes at sites that hold personal or community significance. Scanning a code links directly to MemoryKPR’s platform, where users can upload stories, images, audio, or video about that place — and add it to a digital map of Saskatchewan’s living heritage that can help guide others to appreciate the culture and heritage moments shared.
The initiative blends nostalgia with modern storytelling, turning participants into guides for others.
“MemoryKPR even lets you narrate over images, so if you don’t want to show your face or record yourself talking, you can still tell your story,” Morris explained.
While stickers and keychains are available for a suggested donation, anyone can participate and contribute content, and all participants are automatically entered in regular prize draws throughout the summer. Prizes include family passes to Wanuskewin Heritage Park, treats from Regina’s Dessart Sweets, items from Nutrien Wonderhub, and other Saskatchewan-made goods.
Morris emphasized that this isn’t just about museums.
“There’s a little bit of that education component too,” she said. “Cultural heritage is so much more than museums and architecture. It’s about language, it’s about tradition, it’s about place.”
The initiative also serves as a data-gathering project, helping MAS and Heritage Saskatchewan better understand what cultural spaces and practices residents value — useful insight as museums and cultural institutions adapt to new audiences and expectations.
The Key to Cultural Heritage campaign runs all summer, with new prize draws approximately every two weeks and fresh stories being added online in real time.
“It’s about seeing Saskatchewan through the eyes of the people who live here,” Morris said.
More information and links to order materials or contribute content can be found at saskmuseums.org.