ST. PAUL – This year's St. Paul Museum open house not only kicked off the 2024 season but also marked milestones for the two museums that came together 20 years ago.
The idea to create an agricultural museum came about years before the two came together in 2004, with the St. Paul Ag Society being a strong supporter of the idea to create the People's Museum, explains Clem Fontaine, president of the People's Museum. The ag society helped provide seed money for the People's Museum and donated land over the years.
But, the community as a whole has also been supportive of the museums over the years, says Fontaine.
The Musée Historique St. Paul Historical Museum is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Originally founded as a subcommittee of the ACFA Régionale de Saint-Paul, the goal was to record the heritage of the St. Paul region and interpret it for school-aged children, says Lise Belliveau.
One upcoming project that will pay homage to a group of ladies who committed countless hours to the museum will be the creation of a stained glass pannel to be hung in a window - the ladies honoured will include Germaine Champagne, Cecile Bielech, Marie Marchand, Jeanette Letourneau and Lorraine Hetu. The group dedicated over 30 years of active service to the museum, says Belliveau.
The day also served to highlight some of the new additions that members of the community can visit throughout the summer season.
Among the additions is a travelling exhibit brought to the museum by the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS) at the University of Alberta.
The exhibit is the result of a project, where CIUS gathered stories from people, on what it was like to grow up in the Canadian Prairies back in the 1930s, according to Alice Bourget, coordinator at the museum. The exhibit will be available for viewing until the end of July.
“The stories themselves are being told by the people who submitted them,” says Bourget. People can hear the stories when they scan a QR code attached to the exhibits. They will be directed to an audio file that they can listen to.
Wall of Remembrance
The museum also added new photos and stories to include on its Wall of Remembrance. The wall depicts veterans from the St. Paul region who fought in wars across the world, including the two world wars.
“One of our members started this collection. He took on the responsibility of keeping it up,” said Bourget, adding that as they get new photos and stories, they add to the Wall of Remembrance.
Ukrainian Exhibit
New collections and pieces were also added to the museum’s Ukrainian exhibit, thanks to Amil Shapka, a member of the local Ukrainian community. These new collections include religious items retrieved from the Shandro Historical Villager and Pioneer Museum.
The other new items include things that “just shows the ingenuity” of people back in the old days, says Bourget. Items such as an old hammer handle that could become a cabbage pounder by putting a piece of log on it are included.
A barn wall was also brought in to demonstrate what a barn or a house may have looked like.
Open everyday
Following the open house, the museum will be open every day throughout the summer season, says Bourget.
Every Thursday, there will also be activities geared toward youth, such as a scavenger hunt, where kids have to find a certain artifact and can win a prize.
CPR Station Update
The museum is also working to restore the Willingdon train station. The station was moved from the Shandro Historical Villager and Pioneer Museum to the St. Paul Museum in December.
Members of the community could see the outside of the building's restoration progress during the open house. The museum hopes to plan an unveiling around the end of August or early September and have the train station open to the public by summer of 2025.
Fontaine says the Society is running a fundraiser for the train station to help get it ready for the public. People who donate $500 for example, can have their name etched on a single seat at the train station, or $1,000 for the berth or cabins.
A metal train is displayed on the side of the museum, listing the donors who have helped so far, with space to add more.
"We still have a lot to do, but it's coming along," says Fontaine.
Speaking about the future, Fontaine points out that there are several young people interested in helping out with the museum, which is promising.
