HOW SAGE HILL HAPPENED
W.O. Mitchell, in 1951, led Saskatchewan's first residential creative writing course housed in several war-time buildings at Fort Qu'Appelle. After a hiatus of several years, the course reappeared in 1966 as part of the new Saskatchewan Summer School of the Arts, which included band and choral music, drama and visual arts, at the Briercrest Bible School near Moose Jaw. In 1967, that program moved to Echo Valley Centre, a renovated TB sanitarium, and went from 350 to 1212 students attending 28 classes over a seven week period.
In 1974, to meet growing demands, fall and winter sessions were added in some areas and the summer program was expanded to twelve weeks. By 1976 the faculty numbered 122.
For over twenty summers, the Echo Valley Centre (a.k.a. Fort San or The Fort) filled with thousands of writers, musicians, visual artists, dancers, potters, vocalists, photographers, and dramatists. Besides Saskatchewan, students came from across Canada and throughout the United States. Instructors hailed from the United Kingdom, the USA and the Soviet Union as well as Canada. These artists mingled in a collegial atmosphere of mutual interest and support, leading to many interdisciplinary projects. Under the direction of the Saskatchewan Arts Board, the School contributed to the development of numerous artists who went on to attain professional standing.
In late 1989 after cutbacks in funding, the Board announced that the School would close. In spite of a campaign to save the school, the closure took place. The Sage Hill Writing Experience is the only ongoing professional level residential program to have survived the collapse of the Saskatchewan School of the Arts. Sage Hill was initiated by the Saskatchewan writers Guild which called a meeting of concerned writers on Dec. 22, 1989. That meeting of ten people considered several options and set up a steering committee to ascertain if a summer program could be offered and to determine a structure to operate a writing school. This original Steering Committee was Susan Andrews Grace, Ven Begamudré, Pam Bjornson (executive director SWG), Regine Haensel (chair), Gary Hyland, Dolores Reimer and Anne Szumigalski.
They hired a part-time director and concentrated on mounting a viable summer program of three courses. With a loan from the Saskatchewan Writers Guild and a Saskatchewan Arts Board Grant, the courses were successfully delivered at Sage Hill. In August of 1990, the Steering Committee, decided to continue as a body independent of the Saskatchewan Writers Guild. The Sage Hill board of directors now consists of nine volunteer members dedicated to presenting the best possible programs in creative writing.
Some developments of note:
| Jan. 1990 | First Steering Committee meeting |
| Feb. 1990 | Steven Ross Smith hired as part-time administrator |
| Mar. 1990 | Sage Hill (ex-radar base) site near Saskatoon selected, used until 1993 inclusive; name Sage Hill Writing Experience adopted |
| Aug. 1990 | Three 5-day courses conducted |
| Aug. 1991 | Four 7-day courses, plus Saskatoon Youth Writing Camp |
| Feb. 1992 | Jerry Rush estate donates books; our library's inception |
| Mar. 1992 | Revenue Canada grants Sage Hill charitable status |
| Aug. 1992 | Five 7-day courses plus Saskatoon Youth Writing Camp |
| Dec. 1992 | Incorporation as Sage Hill Writing Experience Inc. |
| Aug. 1993 | Six 10-day courses, plus Saskatoon Youth Writing Camp |
| Aug. 1994 | Five 10-day adult courses, the first at St. Michael's Retreat Centre, Lumsden Addition of Regina Youth Writing Camp, along with Saskatoon Youth Camp |
| Oct. 1995 | First 3 week credit Fall Poetry Colloquium at St. Peter's College Tim Lilburn, leader |
| Aug. 1997 | Youth Writing Camp at Moose Jaw initiated |
| 1998 | Youth program names changed to Teen Writing Experience |
| 1999 | 10th Anniversary summer program |
| Aug. 2000 | Teen Writing Experience La Ronge initiated. Runs for two years |
| 2002 | Lucky 13th year |
| 2003 | Fall Poetry Colloquium moves to St. Michael’s Retreat |
| 2004 | Fifteenth year. President’s Council Initiative |
| 2005 | Sixteenth year. Professional development for E.D. initiated in Fundraising Program Assistant (part-time) Sue Stewart hired |
| 2006 | Seventeenth year |
Instructors have included: David Arnason, Sandra Birdsell, Marilyn Bowering, Di Brandt, Nicole Brossard, Warren Cariou, George Elliott Clarke, Dennis Cooley, Lorna Crozier, Marilyn Dumont, Mark Anthonly Jarman, Myrna Kostash, Robert Kroetsch, Patrick Lane, Tim Lilburn, Kevin Major, Dave Margoshes, Daphne Marlatt, Don McKay, Frank Moher, John Murrell, Kit Pearson, Elizabeth Philips, Sharon Pollock, Rosemary Sullivan, Merna Summers, Anne Szumigalski, Sharon Thesen, Jane Urquhart, Guy Vanderhaeghe, Fred Wah, Betsy Warland, Dianne Warren, and more.