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The demolition of the addition to the courthouse transformed the building, allowing its use for live theatre productions. In the summer of 1989, a drama troupe staged "Nistitium" by Saskatchewan playwright Archie Crail, a play based on the events leading up to the arrest of Moise Racette and James Gaddy. The play has historical connections to the judicial system in Wolseley being a dramatization of one of the town's most famous stories. The play's run, however, was only temporary, as the result of a grant application made by the Wolseley and District Chamber of Commerce. Nistitium was deemed an "overwhelming success", employing local high school students with meaningful summer employment, and involving notable theatre technicians from Regina.

By staging "Nistitium" in the court house, the people involved paid tribute to the institutions upon which the country was built. The play's connection to the judicial system brought the building back full circle to the judicial foundation laid by the Champions of Justice Chief Justice Edward Wetmore, Sir Frederick Haultain, and Levi Thomson.

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Woman doing laundry in the basement of the courthouse
1955
Wolseley, Saskatchewan


Credits:
SAB. R-A11412-2.