Personal safety the focus of SaskAbilities conference in Yorkton

Over 100 people gathered in Yorkton today as SaskAbilities hosted Together We Shine, teaching safety, internet awareness and anti-bullying.

The SaskAbilities Yorkton Branch hosted its third annual Together We Shine Conference on Thursday.

“This is a conference that we started three years ago, and it is geared towards individuals who are experiencing disability,” explained Sheila Reynolds, day program senior supervisor of Yorkton SaskAbilities Branch. “It’s a time for people to get together, make friendships, do some networking, and learn a lot of great information from our presenters.”

About 125 guests filled the hall at Yorkton’s St. Mary’s Cultural Centre as dignitaries and other guests, including local celebrity Grandma Sherry who took the stage to welcome the audience.

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“In the first year we did the conference, we held it just for SaskAbilities clients in Yorkton. The second year, we opened it up to the local community and the southeast,” Reynolds told CTV News.

In 2026, the event saw visitors from Wadena, Melville, Ituna, and Langenburg.

“This year our theme is personal safety. Our speakers are all basing their presentations on that,” Reynolds said.

Among the presenters was the Kids on the Block Puppet Show.

“They have life-sized puppets and they talk about abuse prevention and bullying and then we’re going to be wrapping our day up with Laughing Lion Wellness Therapy,” Reynolds said.

“We work with a very vulnerable community, and I think it’s not even just our vulnerable community. Having that knowledge on how to keep yourself safe in this day and age is very important for everybody.”