The Town of Eston is looking to make a comeback for the iconic gopher that has been a symbol for the community for decades.

Eston was one of the first communities to be apart of ThriveSask, a program which aims to create and strengthen, social, economic, physical and cultural aspects of individual communities. Within the program is a branch that focuses on promotion and through votes and community engagement, it has been decided to breath life back into the Eston gopher, as a way to celebrate the unique culture and history of the town.

Jody Schmidt, Chief Administrative Officer for the Town of Eston, said they are now looking for fun and prominent ways to incorporate the gopher throughout the town. Some ideas that have gained traction are adding an image of a gopher to signage around the town, as well as, a gopher mascot which will be present to cheer on local athletes at games as well as other events throughout the year.

Schmidt added that the iconic gopher derby is something they are considering bringing back as it was a tradition that some would say, put Eston on the map. The derby reportedly is what inspired the giant gopher sculpture that was built at the end of Main Street by the Mayor’s relatives. Schmidt said one of the ideas is to add festive accessories to the sculpture for each of the holidays.

Currently, Schmidt said they are on the hunt for the perfect gopher image and have opened up entries to local artists in the area.

In the future, Schmidt added, they hope to incorporate the gopher into different cultural aspects of the community as well, including a culture walk, highlighting what makes Eston unique.