A special year end THANK YOU to our volunteers and generous benefactors this past year!

As this year concludes, staff at the Museum would like to express heartfelt thanks to the volunteers on our Museum Advisory Board (Verne MacRoberts, Terry Sawchuk, Carol Ridsdale, Liliane Maisonneuve Lavoie, Donna Welligan, Jerrold Lundgard, Klaas Sipma), our Heritage Places Committee (Karen Rumball, Audrey Randall, Geoff Milligan, Jeannette Rolling, Bev Henderson, Kate Churchill, Alisha Mody), Lois Stranaghan, Jim Umbach and all the Dance Through the Decades volunteers for help in making the Museum a community gathering place for new knowledge and fun. Thank you also for generous donations from the Peace River Running Club, Sir Alexander Mackenzie Historical Society, Eric and Leslie Ayre-Jaschke, Joan Wahl, Adele Boucher,Charles and Jacqueline Liebe, Valley Peacemakers' Quilt Guild, David and Sally Brule, MJ & Terry Kristoff, Paul Martel,Lesser Slave Lake Forest Education Society, Richard Rhodes  and Carol and Dave VanSlyke.

The Museum would not be as much a part of the community as it is without support like this, nor
without patrons and visitors dropping by to see the latest exhibit, author or speaker.
Thank you for a fine year and we look forward to celebrating more of our community's heritage in 2015!

Ready, set, go - into the New Year!

May the year 2015 be filled with peace and good health for you all!

From Laura, Stephanie, Beth and Megan

Centre Street School Track and Field races 1958

 

Gift Shop Sales, Donations and Fun with Toys

‘Tis the season to shop for others and the Peace River Museum and Archives Gift Shop is ready to help out. We have a wide variety of unique, locally crafted gifts on hand, as well as a selection of local history books. Perhaps a local outing is more to your liking? Bring the kids along and come visit our new exhibit, Toy Stories, featuring toys owned and loved by local residents. This exhibit is

Special thanks goes out to Paul Martel of St. Isadore. Mr. Martel  kindly donated three beautiful works of art to our gift shop. These unique paintings are on sale now. Hurry in – they won’t last long!

Toy Stories Exhibit Opening

While we were sorry to see our last exhibit, "A Sense of the Land and It's People" come down, we were certainly excited to see our new exhibit, "Toy Stories: You've Got a Playdate with the Peace River Museum" go up.

This new exhibit shows you a selection of toys and games from various eras and how they influenced children's roles in family life and in society. When you stroll through this gallery and play with all of the interactive components (a whole third of the gallery is dedicated to these interactive components), you get a sense of the toys and games popular throughout the decades.

Join us this Friday evening, December 5th, 2014, from 4:30 - 6:30 pm as we officially open this exhibit. Drop by to discover these toys, have a cookie, and play with us to celebrate the opening of this fun-filled exhibit.

If you choose, there will be a hamper for the Toys for Tots Drive accepting donations of new, unwrapped toys for local children.

Thank you to our speakers!

Inspiring Aboriginal Women

Our inspiring speakers panel shared their personal insights and memories as women who have and continue to contribute to their communities as mentors, leaders, mothers and grandmothers with an appreciative audience on the evening of November 20th, 2014. It was also an intimate salutation to the historical women who's artistry and work has been on exhibit these past months in A Sense of the Land and its People: an exhibition featuring the loaned artifacts from Dr. David Welch.

Featured left to right are Dianne Arcand Lavoie, Margaret Cardinal, Dianne Ireland and Tanys Oxman.

It's the last week to see the current exhibit "A Sense of the Land and its People" ...

We've been honoured to feature a personal collection of artifacts for the last year in our main gallery, those of Dr. Dave Welch. He began collecting First Nations artifacts and stone tools when he was 7 years old and it has been a lifetime passion for him ever since.

"A Sense of the Land and its People: A Personal Collection" features Northwest Coast and Plains First Nations artifacts, the majority of which feature the work and artistry of women. As a conclusion to this exhibit, we have invited a panel of women from the local region to speak about the influences their Aboriginal culture and heritage has on their work, community and family lives. Dianne Lavoie, Maxine Elter, Tanys Oxam, Dianne Ireland and Margaret Cardinal are mentors, leaders and artists in  unique ways.

Please join us on Thursday, November 20th, 2014 at 7 pm for the "Inspiring Women" panel discussion. This will also be the last chance to view the objects from Dr. Welch's collection. Check back on our blog next week for information on our upcoming exhibit, "Toy Stories: You've got a playdate with the Peace River Museum"

Lest We Forget

As we approach Remembrance Day, with many disturbing misadventures in real time, it is appropriate to reflect on those who gave their efforts and their lives in each of the wars in which Canada has been involved, to ensure the freedom of democracy in Canada.



Nurses and Soldiers from WWI.
A. E. 'Hoppy' Hopkins is in the back row, second from the left
84.1377.2, gift of Barbara Crawford

During the Second World War, men and women from Peace River defended our country. It was well on its way by September 1940, when John Hopkins joined up with the Calgary Highlanders and leaving the next morning. “Of course, we knew it was inevitable and not long after, Michael enlisted in the Edmonton Fusiliers,” says their mother, Mary. Michael and Dudley Stranaghan enlisted at the “old” Legion Hall. John and Michael were following in the footsteps of their father, Hoppy, who had served in the First World War.

Four years after enlisting, Michael arrived in Europe. In the meantime, he truly was on guard for thee, O Canada, as he patrolled the West Coast after the Japanese might became evident at Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941, and protected the Niagara Escarpment and the Welland Canal – a reminder – Canada’s Armed Forces protected from within, as well as without.

All Hopkins men returned home, safe. Many did not.

You are invited to view Museum Remembrance Day displays in the window of the Main Street entrance of Riverdrive Mall and at the Museum (open Tuesday, Nov. 11, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.).

This weekend at the Museum!

This weekend, the Museum brings you two events to take part in. We will start off on Saturday at 1:30 pm with the Jane's Walk. Following the walk, at 3:00 pm, the Museum is hosting a coffee session to gather information and stories about Heritage Buildings and Places in the Town of Peace River.


According to the Jane's Walk website, "Jane's Walk is a movement of free, locally led walking tours inspired by Jane Jacobs. The walks get people to explore their cities and connect with neighbours." Unlike traditional walking tours, the Jane's Walk is build on a premise of discovery and conversation, with participants being encouraged to share their thoughts and ideas. It isn't just about listening to the leaders talk!


Our Jane's Walk will be led by Laura Gloor, Museum Coordinator, Kate Churchill, Planner with Mackenzie Municipal Planning Service, Robin Barnes, Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, and Kate Morrison, Community Development Enthusiast. Join us at the Museum at 1;30 pm to take a stroll down 99th Street and share your thoughts about planning, environment and history in our community.


After the walk, join us at the Museum to have some coffee or hot chocolate, and bring your knowledge about heritage buildings and places in our town. The Heritage Places Committee is currently working on an interactive map of the Town of Peace River, circa 1924. Once finished, this map will be accessible for all on the Town's website.


This Saturday, we hope to add to the information we have the 1924 map but we are also looking to collect information, stories and photographs from other decades as well, in particular the 1960s and 1970s. Join us from 3 - 4:30 pm.

Fibre Artwork on Display and For Sale Until Christmas

The Peace River Museum, Archives and Mackenzie Centre is pleased to feature fibre arts by well known Peace River artists Margaret Stewart, Carol Scobey and Rhonda Warren.

One of the artists, Margaret Stewart, says, “I believe that I was born a fibre artist, and have continued to pursue that passion all my life.”

She goes on to explain it was in her early 20s she learned to quilt and discover her true passion. To emphasize, she says she has made hundreds of quilts and quilted items over the last 30 years. “I love to give quilts and quilted/sewn items as gifts to friends and family. I think every niece and nephew, as well as greats and many co-workers over the years have received a quilt to celebrate a birth.”

Margaret did not keep the quilting secret to herself. No, indeed. She shared it with others when Seam’s easy Quilt Shop opened in Peace River in 2005 where, for eight years, she taught many local women to quilt.

“I enjoy a wide variety of creative pursuits and find I am often drawn to one for a period of time at the exclusion of all the rest ... I have to say, I am never without multiple projects on the go at a time, but I love the freedom to move back and forth amongst  them as the muse leads me.”

Margaret's, Carol's and Rhonda's works will be available for sale from now to Christmas

Creepy Alberta! at the Peace River Museum

Every year, Archives Week takes place the first week of October, always with a different theme.

This year's chosen theme: Creepy Alberta! In the ‘spirit’ of Archives Week (no pun intended), we are inviting local residents to loan us their favourite ‘creepy’ artwork for inclusion in a temporary display. We want to see your wickedest homemade Halloween costumes, a ghostly landscape photo, or your very best paper mache cat. Both child and adult creations are welcome. During the month of October our visitors will vote for their favourites and the winner will receive a prize.
Artwork can be dropped off in person at the museum anytime before October 11.

A creepy photograph of unknown events at Vermilion Chutes
87.1492.48, gift of Jack O'Sullivan

Alberta Culture Days -- showcasing Peace River's arts, culture and heritage!

Alberta Culture Days is an annual celebration of the arts, culture and heritage found through out our province. The Peace Country has its own eclectic array of creative events and opportunites to view, participate or contribute to! From a concert at McKinney Hall on September 26th in Northern Sunrise County to two full days of the Dixonville Harvest Days September 26th & 27th to September 27th in Peace River, there is much to see and do.

PRMA 2009.014.361 Clara O'Neill, Betty Moore and Allie Holt dressed for Mackenzie Daze, circa 1960s.  

Peace River's activities begin on International Peace Day September 21st at Riverfront Park. The unveiling ceremony of a recently installed Peace Pole will be held at 2pm Sunday with a message of peace for the world and in acknowledgement of the historical and contemporary cultures of the people in our region. Local visual artists and quilters will be featured the week of September 22-29th in many participating downtown businesses. Next, the Town of Peace River will offer a FREE concert September 27th with Fairview musician Sarah Richards opening for country singer Duane Steele at the historic Athabasca Hall from 4pm to 6pm. Free tickets can picked up at the Museum and at Community Services. At the Museum our heritage and landscapes are currently expressed in the works of photographer Amanda Monette and in the Aboriginal women's artistry in the exhibit "A Sense of the Land and Its People: A Private Collection".

The Library and Art Gallery is featuring an exhibit of children's art from the summer workshops as well as hosting a book talk at 1pm on the 27th. The day concludes with the first of the season's 'underground Music Society' dances at the Senior's Drop-In Centre from 8:30pm-1am ($25 advanced tickets/ $30 at the door) presenting the blues band "NightKeepers".

The Peace Country has a history of creative expression and innovation and the contemporary scene expressed this week continues the tradition! Carve out the time to celebrate living in the Peace!

PRMA 83.1308.008 Street Bingo was a mainstay of Peace River's Community Culture. circa 1960s.

Artifact of the Week - hog rings and pliers

This week’s featured artifact is a nice box of 100 copper hog rings and hog ring pliers donated by St. Isidore’s Madeleine Martel. For those who did not grow up on a farm, or who are unfamiliar with pigs, these animals have a very strong sense of smell which they use to find food underneath the ground. They then use their snout to dig up their find; this is called rooting. The rings are used to prevent this behaviour in the pigs as rooting can be quite destructive. A ring or sometimes two or three are clipped to the rim of the nose of the pig which makes rooting uncomfortable yet allows the pig to rummage freely for food that is located above the soil.

The set of adjustable pliers would be used to clip the rings onto the nose of the pig. Although this may seem like somewhat of a cruel way of dealing with the natural behaviour of the pig, this does very minimal damage to the pig in a very cheap manner. A drift of pigs would do a lot of damage to a field or pasture if they were not rung which is why in some cases the rings were a necessity. 

PRMA 97.23.11 and 97.23.12

Artist of the Month - Amanda Monette

For the month of September, the Museum's art wall features the work of Amanda Monette. Amanda has only been publicly displaying her work for about a year.

Born and raised in the Peace River valley, Amanda has a deep appreciation and love for the Peace country and nature in general. She and her husband are raising their two children in this area.

While her artistic interests range from piano and dance to acrylic painting and photography, Amanda's true passion is photography. She turns her lens towards family members, events, landscapes and nature, but people are by far her favourite subject. In her own words ... "I absolutely love to photograph people, to try and get as much story, emotion and life to show through as possible, as well as nature, there is so much beauty people tend to just pass by."

Dance Through the Decades in photographs!

Well, it's been just over three weeks since we danced through the decades and we, at the Museum, are still talking about it!

It was a wonderfully successful and fun for all event, and we were so happy that so many of you came out to celebrate the centennial year of the Village of Peace River Crossing with us.

We must extend a massive thank-you to everyone who helped out, including

Ivan Schell	Ronda Cann	Beverly and Dale Shewchuk Family
Judi McMartin	Emmilee Miller	Peace Players
Jill Cairns	Jeremiah Gloor	Audrey Dewit
Anna Aleksov	Freson Bros.	Randy Hodgkinson
Marty O'Byrne	Bill Ruston	Dave Allan
Walter Mycek	No Limitz	Jeff McCann
GN Carriers	Pond Hockey	Peacefest
Rentco	Peace River Broadcasting	Record-Gazette
Peace Valley Inns	Peace country Coop	Holy Family Catholic Conference Centre
Mighty Peace Tourism	Alberta Culture, Community Initiative Program	Travel Alberta

Here are some photographs of the dance.

Artifact of the week - Studio Portrait of Cpl. George Clarke

79.1029.2, gift of Mrs. G. Umbach

This photograph, donated by Mrs. G. Umbach, is one of several that will be featured on the blog in the upcoming months to commemorate the First World War. Also known as The Great War, this massive conflict erupted on July 28^th, 1914. Britain, and by default, Canada, declared war on August 4^th, 1914.

Peace River resident Corporal George Clarke enlisted in Edmonton mere days after marrying Annie Southcott, who had come over from England to be his wife. Originally assigned to the 202^nd Infantry Battalion, Clarke was transferred to the 31^st Battalion and saw action in France and Belgium. His unit was part of the Occupation Forces in Germany towards the end of the war. He returned to Peace River and was integral to the construction of several key buildings in town. A copy of this photograph, accompanied by George Clarke’s military tunic (jacket) are currently on display in the Peace River Gallery at the Peace River Museum, Archives and Mackenzie Centre.

Although this portrait of Cpl. Clarke appears to depict him posing in a military camp, it was actually taken in a studio. The backdrop, complete with tents and a flag, is painted on canvas and Cpl. Clarke is standing on a drop-cloth.

Artifact of the Week - School Strap

If you recognize this artifact it is possible that you were a naughty student during your school days! This is a school strap that was donated to the museum by Pete Gardner who found the strap at Springfield Elementary during some summer cleaning. This would have been used to give bad students a slap on the back of the hand to smarten them up!

Although the strap has generally been out of use in Canada since around the 1970s, corporal punishment in schools was allowed until January 30^th, 2004 when it became outlawed under section 43 of the Criminal Code. Every province in the country had banned corporal punishment in their schools prior to the 2004 law except for one, Alberta. The Peace Wapiti School Division in Grande Prairie was the last division to allow the strap and other corporal punishment in Canada leading up to the 2004 law.

Although it is likely that this strap has been out of commission for well over 40 years, it remains a frightening artifact that may bring back some less than positive memories for a few of us. Come to the Peace River Museum, Archives and Mackenzie Centre to see this artifact in our new school display and be sure to stroll by the mall on your way over to see our second school display. We’re showing some artifacts that are sure to bring back some more positive memories of your school days and are helping our younger visitors get excited about their return to school at the end of the month!   

M91.21.1 School Strap 

Historic Tours Available in August

Have you ever been curious about the St. Augustine Mission, the Mackenzie Cairn or Twelve Foot Davis? We have a number of Historic Tours coming up in August that will satisfy your curiousity.

Tours are offered free of charge on the following dates - just show up anytime during the allotted hours:

St. Augustine Mission
Provincial Historic Site, Shaftesbury Trail, River Lot 22, Highway 685

Sunday August 10th: 2:30-4:30 pm
Sunday August 24th: 1:00-4:00 pm

Mackenzie Cairn
National Historic Site, Shaftesbury Trail, River Lot 19, Highway 684

Sunday August 10th: 11:00-1:30 pm

Twelve Foot Davis
Fairgrounds Road off Highway #2 South

Sunday August 17th: 2:00-4:00 pm
Friday August 22nd: 6:30-8:00 pm



75.624.5, St. Augustine Mission Church, c. 1930 

Our partners for this project include the Municipal District of Peace, Mighty Peace Tourism, Northern Sunrise County, Town of Peace River, Alberta Infrastructure, Peace River Correctional Centre and Young Canada Works. For more information, please feel free to contact the Museum.

Artist of the Month - Judy Woods

This month, the Art Wall at the Peace River Museum, Archives and Mackenzie Centre displays the vibrant work of local artist Judy Woods.

Born and raised near Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, Judy moved to Peace River Country when she was sixteen. Judy's work reflects her love of horses and wildlife, although more recently she has been inspired to depict people in her art. While charcoal is her medium of choice, Judy also creates pieces using chalk pastels, coloured pencils, acrylic paints and photography.

As an E.A. with the Dixonville School, Judy has had the chance to share her love and talent for art with students. She inspires them to explore their own talents and organizes a local art show on their behalf entitled The Community of Artists.

We invite you to come and enjoy Judy's highly detailed and life-like work throughout the month of August.

Artifact of the Week- Clovis Point

This projectile point was found, along with several others, in the Nampa area by early homesteader, Logan Sherris. The point was likely hafted or attached to a short spear called a dart, which was mid-sized: between the length of an arrow and a spear. It is crafted from Peace River Chert which is a high quality stone material with outcrops along the Peace River. The craftsman made the piece by removing small flakes of stone from a core or nucleus using another rock or a softer material such as antler or bone until the desired shape was attained. What is of particular interest is the age of the piece. Considering the shape of the dart point, we can tell that it comes from the Clovis Culture meaning that it is likely around 11,000 years old. Near the base of the point, the craftsman removed a few extra flakes to thin it out towards the middle of the piece. This is known as fluting which may have aided in hafting the point and is the most telling characteristic of a Clovis Point.

Although some argue that the Clovis Culture may be older than 11,000 years, at around 13,200 years, it is the earliest known stone tool culture to have appeared in the Americas. The fact that this early Paleo-Indian artifact was found in the Peace Region suggests that the area may have been inhabited for many thousands of years! Be sure to stop by the Peace River Museum, Archives and Mackenzie Centre to see this ancient piece of history and the oldest man-made artifact in our collection!

Clovis Point- 89.35.4

Alberta Heritage Days!

This weekend across Alberta, people will be experiencing, tasting, listening and viewing the roots of Alberta's history. The Peace Country is hosting fairs, rodeos, art and museum exhibits and tours as ways to entice us to explore our heritage and our natural environment. With this in mind, our Museum is offering tours of the St. Augustine Mission Church and Cemetery between 1 and 4pm on August 3rd. Pack a picnic lunch, take a drive along the historic Shaftesbury Trail (Highway 684) and stop at the little church to learn about the early agricultural and spiritual life at the mission. Then on August 4th meet us at the Mount Pleasant Cemetery at 10:30am for a tour that will remind you of veterans from World War I, Councillors and newspaper editors of the past and firefighters who once protected our community, all in commemoration of 100 years as Peace River Crossing. Later the same afternoon, a walking tour of the downtown area, starting at the Museum at 1pm, will highlight some milestones in our 100 year history. these tours will go, rain or shine, so do come prepared. As we celebrate our 100 years as a community, we are reminded of our own role today in making Peace River a fine community to live in!

An Artifact of the Week to Dance in!

During the jive days of the 1950s, when cultural icons Elvis and James Dean influenced the fashion of the youth, saddle shoes like these donated by Alice Reed, were all the craze. These shoes could be worn with a lady’s poodle skirt and bobby-socks or a man’s trouser and looked good with nearly everything in between which might be why they became so popular. The versatility and comfort of the shoes led to them being worn for nearly every occasion, especially dances!

The museum invites you to a family-friendly, free event this Saturday, the 26^th of July from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. In celebration of the centenaries of the Village of Peace River Crossing, the Fire Department and the Record Gazette, the Town of Peace River is hosting a historic street dance in front of the museum with food donated by Freson Bros. and live music by local talent as well as The Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, joining us from Edmonton. We invite you to dress in dance attire from the decade of your choice within the last 100 years. So get out your poodle skirts, shine up your saddle shoes, and come dance with us to celebrate!

PRMA 99.58.1 A-B: Saddle shoes

This weekend with the Museum!

Join the Peace River Museum staff this weekend for two fun events. On Saturday, we will be at the 12' Davis Gravesite for Parks Day, along with Alberta Parks and Northern Sunrise County. Bear Smart, Park Awareness and Fire Smart will all be featured, along with on site interpretation about 12 Foot Davis, family crafts, musicians and of course, cake! 

Celebrating Alberta Parks Day at this historic landscape will create greater awareness about our environment and our social history. 

On Sunday July 20th, our Heritage Interpreter Christina will be on site at the St. Augustine Mission Church, along Shaftesbury Trail, from 1 - 4 pm. Tour the church and the cemetery to learn more about the Roman Catholic Mission from 1888 to 1952.

All of these events are free and we hope to see you there!

PRMA 75.657.060  St. Augustine Mission Church 

Artist of the Month - Rhonda Warren

Our Art Wall this month features the works of Rhonda G. Warren: a visual artist of many mediums. She paints with watercolours and acrylics, fabric paints on silk, and works in the arts of mask making, papermaking, wet felting, and photography.

Rhonda's northern Alberta roots have instilled in her a strong appreciation for the natural environment and all that it has to offer. She often incorporates natural materials into her works of art.

Rhonda's love of art expands beyond her own work: she works with a kids' art club and organizes various art events. She also makes sure to visit as many art events as she possibly can.

Visit the Museum to see a sample of Rhonda's work and make a stop in the Gift Shop where she has a few pieces for sale.

Rhonda G. Warren standing by her art work

Artifact of the Week and a Street Dance

This week's featured artifact is a record by Patti Page. This artifact is a particularly fitting choice as we come ever closer to our 100th celebration dance.

This Patti Page record was donated to the museum by CKYL. Well known for being one of the most illustrious artists of the 1950s and '60s, Page sold over 100 million records throughout her career. 

This record, entitled Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte, was released in 1965 and features the hit single of the same title, released a year earlier. The song Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte was featured in a 1964 film, also of the same name, starring Betty Davis. The single was nominated for an academy award in ’64 and went on to become one of Page’s best known songs.

The countdown is on: we're only 18 days away from the dance! On Saturday, July 26th, 2014, join us on the street in front of the Museum, from 4 - 10 pm, for an historic street dance. Enjoy the musical talents of local musicians as well as the Dirty Rotten Scoundrels of Edmonton as we dance our way through the decades. 

Come dressed in attire from your favourite decade of the last hundred years to celebrate the centenaries of the Village of Peace River Crossing, the Fire Department and the Record-Gazette. 

PRMA 98.1.8

Historic Tours start tonight!

Hi, my name is Christina Sasseville. I am a heritage interpreter here at the Peace River Museum, Archives and Mackenzie Centre. As a summer student employed through Young Canada Works, so far I have been involved with school programming, tours, and the museum gift shop. In July and August I will be offering heritage interpretation at three heritage sites: St. Augustine, Mackenzie Cairn, and Twelve Foot Davis. Tours begin on July 4, continuing until August 24. These tours will be a great opportunity for teachers, locals, or visitors to learn more about the Peace Country and the significance of each heritage site.

In total, there will be six St. Augustine tours, four Twelve Foot Davis tours, and two Mackenzie Cairn tour opportunities. I hope you to see you at one of the sites. Have a great summer!

Drop by at any time during the scheduled times below. 

St. Augustine: Provincial Historic Site, Shaftesbury Trail, River Lot 22, Highway 684. 

• Friday, July 4, 6:30 - 8 pm
• Sunday, July 13, 2:30 - 4:30 pm 
• Sunday, July 20, 1 - 4 pm 
• Sunday, August 3, 1 - 4 pm 
• Sunday, August 10, 2:30 - 4:30 pm 
• Sunday, August 24, 1 - 4 pm 

 Twelve Foot Davis: Fairgrounds Road off Highway #2 South.

• Saturday, July 5, 2 - 4 pm
• Saturday, July 19, 2 - 4 pm
• Friday, August 17, 2 - 4 pm
• Sunday, August 22, 6:30 - 8 pm 

Mackenzie Cairn: National Historic Site, Shaftesbury Trail, River Lot 19, Highway 684.

• Sunday, July 13, 11 - 1:30 pm
• Sunday, August 10, 11 - 1:30 pm

Tonight's tour takes place at St. Augustine Mission site from 6:30 - 8 pm. 

Please Complete our Survey

The Peace River Museum is creating a Five Year Strategic Plan and we would appreciate your help. Your response to the following survey will help ensure that our goals and objectives are centered on creating a dynamic community museum that is responsive to the surrounding community and the visiting public. The survey is open from July 2nd to August 31, 2014.

To take the survey, please click here.

We are a community resource that preserves and celebrates local heritage through exhibits, programs, research and collections. Our current plan has guided us in our exhibits, programs, and research for the last 6 years, and this new plan, when completed, will guide us for 2014 - 2019.

This survey follows a community consultation session that was held in May and a discussion session held by the Advisory Board of the Museum and Museum Employees in June. The information from both of these sessions, along with responses from the above survey, will be integral to the creation of an effective and community-centered Five Year Strategic Plan.

Once completed, the Five Year Strategic Plan will be available to the public in October of 2014. It will be accessible via this blog and through the Museum's website.

Celebrating Canada Day in the Town of Peace River!

JULY 1st, 2014 - The Town of Peace River Canada Day Ceremonies will begin at the Peace River Museum, Archives and Mackenzie Centre at the new time of 1:30pm this year. The flag raising ceremonies will be graced by the tones of local piper Nancy Westad, as she pipes in members from the RCMP Local Detachment and the Squadron #124 Air Cadets, followed by Mayor Tom Tarpey and Métis 6 President Sylvia Johnson, who will be welcoming everyone to the afternoon's event.
We look forward to seeing many decorated bicycles this year for the walking parade over to the activities in Riverfront Park.
Thanks to Norman Brownlee of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, there are two 'ready to plant' Silver Maple Trees at the Museum for lucky winners who participate in the Canada Day Trivia Contest.
The Museum will be open from 10am to 5pm with FREE ADMISSION. Thank you to Town Council!
See you there!

Artist of the Month - Katy Gill

The featured artist for the month of June is Katy Gill. Katy has recently arrived in Peace River, from Toronto. Her acrylic paintings evoke a sense of interconnectedness she feels with nature and the contemporary world around her. Her introspective journeys into the relationships between the earth's flora and fauna and human-animal awareness are reflected in works like "Too fast, too young" which speaks to the power and the demise of the bison. Another piece depicts Angelique LePretre, a Beaver woman, who was a historical figure in the Town of Peace River. 

Katy is also an accomplished poet and creative writer. You will be able to read some of her compositions on this same art wall. 

The art wall is sponsored by the Peace of Art club and the Museum is thankful for their contributions to our exhibits. 

A close-up of one portion of Katy Gill's piece "Too fast, too young".

Heritage on the Run – perpetuation of the past into the future

The year 2014 is significant in the annals of Peace River history. It is the 100^th anniversary of Peace River Crossing becoming a village; the 47^th year for the Museum; and the 18^th year of the Heritage Run, organized by the Peace River Running Club and proudly hosted by the Peace River Museum, Archives and Mackenzie Centre.

What a Heritage Run year it was. People from the region and beyond – runners, walkers, teams of adults and students combined to burgeon the numbers to 180. Add to that, the number of children, who showed their unbridled enthusiasm in the Kids Race and the large number of spectators that swarmed the Museum grounds and along the heritage-laden dike race route – the turnout was huge.

Participants said it was an excellent day to run/walk. Spectators managed to find their place in the sun. All was well.

There were, as always, many beneficiaries of this annual event – the Museum the monetary one, as proceeds from the Run are donated to the Museum.

The Peace River Running Club Committee and Museum staff thank all participants, spectators, as well as Tim Horton’s and the many other sponsors for their support without whom the event would not continue to be a success.

Anticipation
Runners, walkers and spectators gather 'round in anticipation to listen to route instructions prior to 2014 Heritage Run. 

The Peace River Museum, Archives and Mackenzie Centre staff thank the Peace River Running Club Organizing Committee for its generosity over the years.

Heritage Run - this Sunday, June 8, 2014

This Sunday, June 8, 2014, the Museum is proud to be the start and end point for the annual Peace River Heritage Run.

Throughout the years, this has been a popular event. It is fun for all who get involved, whether by running, walking, or volunteering.

The Heritage Run features three events, the 5K run/walk, the 10K run team and the half marathon. All events will start and end at the Museum. For more information on start times, please check the Running Room event site. Registration forms can be dropped off at the Museum or filled out online.

All race proceeds are donated to the Peace River Museum, Archives and Mackenzie Centre, a donation that we are very grateful for each year. In the past, these funds have been used towards exhibit cases, furniture for our Archives reading room, the Built Heritage Project, and so much more.

Heritage Run 2013: So many expressions of achievement - whatever the age! 

The Museum wishes all of our runners, walkers and volunteers a great day this Sunday. Have Fun!

Dr. David Welch speaking at the Museum on Wednesday, June 4th

This Wednesday, June 4, 2014, Dr. David Welch will be joining us in the Museum to speak about his stone and bone tool collection. Since finding his first arrowhead at the age of seven, Dr. Welch has spent a lifetime collecting worked stones and bones.

A large part of Dr. Welch's collection of Plains and Northwest Coast First Nations objects are currently on display in the exhibit "A Sense of the Land and its People: A Personal Collection". This exhibit includes a selection of stone and bone tools, including the first arrowhead Dr. Welch ever found.

For this Wednesday's presentation, Dr. Welch will be bringing in even more of his stone and bone tools. These items will be going on exhibit in July along with those already on display.

Join us tomorrow, June 4th, at 7 pm to hear Dr. Welch's stories and see a large selection of his stone and bone tool collection.

This event is free. All are welcome.

Label R (bottom middle) corresponds to the first arrowhead collected by Dr. Welch. 

 

Artifact of the Week - Bone Flesher

This week's featured artifact is a flesher, donated by Tom Rumball in 1973. This artifact
would have been used to de-flesh animal skins when preparing hides.

As people who utilized and lived with the environment around them, First Nations Peoples fashioned their tools out of bones and rocks.  In this case, a leg bone from a deer was fashioned into a tool used to scrape flesh from hides. The First Nations people would also eat deer meat, tan and use the hide for clothing and shelter, and use deer sinew for sewing. The First Nations people used every part of an animal, wasting nothing.

While bone tools were used for working meat and hide, rocks were fashioned into arrowheads and spear points to hunt animals.

Our featured artifact this week coincides with next week's presentation by Dr. David Welch. Dr. Welch will be speaking about his collection of stone and bone tools and the fascinating stories associated with them.

Dr. Welch will be speaking at the Museum on Wednesday, June 4, 2014 at 7 pm. Everyone is invited to this free presentation.

PRMA 73.540 Bone Flesher. 

Stone tools presentation by Dr. David Welch - June 4th at 7 pm

On Wednesday, June 4, 2014, at 7 pm, Dr. David Welch will be joining us at the Peace River Museum, Archives and Mackenzie Centre, to talk about his pre-historic stone and bone tools. After a lifetime's worth of collecting, researching and examining stone tools, he is a great source of information and stories.

This presentation complements our current exhibit "A Sense of the Land and its People: A Personal Collection" which showcases a variety of Northwest Coast and Plains First Nations Artifacts from Dr. Welch's collection.

The artifacts in the exhibit are representative of the environments that the Northwest Coast and Plains First Nations lived within and how those environments influenced their food, clothing, lodgings, hunting practices, artistic expression and ceremonies.

Please join us for this free event as we learn more about stone and bone tools, as well as hear Dr. Welch's stories and experiences collecting them.

For more information, please contact the Museum.

Artifact of the Week - Dr. Sutherland's coffee pot

This coffeepot belonged to Dr. Frederick Henry Sutherland who worked as a physician in Peace River for many years. He was also mayor of the town for 16 years and served with the Canadian Medical Corps in World War I. Dr. Sutherland is the namesake of Sutherland Nursing Home/Continuing Care Centre and most recently Sutherland Place. He was considered by many to be a great man.

This aluminum coffeepot was donated by his daughter Alma Richardson. According to Alma, Dr. Sutherland enjoyed his coffee immensely and this pot was his pride and joy. At the time, the 1950s-1960s, aluminum was thought to cause Alzheimer’s disease, an idea that Dr. Sutherland rejected, so much so that he used this aluminum coffeepot every morning for many years.

PRMA 2013.009.002 - The coffee pot that Dr. Sutherland used every day. 

Artists of the Month - Holy Family School in Grimshaw

The Museum art wall is pleased to host its annual May Student Art Feature. This year we welcome the amazing and impressive work of Holy Family School's First Nations, Metis and Inuit (FNMI) option class from Grimshaw.

First, each student chose a First Nations, Metis or Inuit artist they wanted to learn more about. From there, the students created a painting that was inspired by the artist that they had chosen. Each student thoughtfully created their piece, bearing in mind the spirituality and emotion that goes into the creation of a piece of artwork.

The student artists, Holy Family School, and especially the FNMI coordinator, Tanys Oxman, are very proud of what has been created. We at the Peace River Museum, Archives and Mackenzie Centre are certainly impressed.

Thank you to the Peace of Art Art Club for sponsoring the Art Wall. Please come out and support the creativity of our local students.

Holy Family School FNMI Coordinator Tanys Oxman, after installing the students work at the Museum. 

1937 Peace River Fire Department



PRMA AR89.29.1, Gift of Charlie Briscoe

The 1937 Peace River Fire Department is seen here, posed with new equipment. Charles Briscoe, Ray Lahey, and Earl Lahey are the last three men in the back row (from centre to right). Earl Boyd is third on the left in the bottom row. The identity of the remaining men is unknown.

One of the inaugural steps taken by the newly minted Council for Peace River Crossing in October of 1914 was to establish a volunteer Fire Department. Armed with lanterns, buckets, ropes, axes, ladders and two chemical cylinders, the twenty-five volunteers who stepped forward to fill firemen’s boots defended the town from the very real threat of flames. Fires have ravaged Peace River several times over the years, including large blazes in 1915, 1932 and most significantly in 1962.

This year, the Peace River Fire Department celebrates their Centennial Year (1914-2014). Come learn more about the Fire Department and other historic centenaries in the Peace River History Gallery at the Peace River Museum, Archives and Mackenzie Centre.

The Waters Rise Again

Since Peace River Crossing was given village status in 1914, floods have been a frequent visitor. Coincidentally, Tuesday night’s flood occurred exactly one hundred years after Pat’s Creek flooded in 1914, killing a team of bay horses in the process. In addition to the floods of the 2000s, Peace River also flooded several times throughout the 20th Century. The following photos, from the archives, illustrate some of those occasions when Peace River has found itself under the rising waters.

1914

A Bay Team
 Pat's Creek Flood

x87.1521.35 : Gift of the Alexander [Mackenzie?] Historical Society

 

1923

Eric Piggott's Family
Possible Heart River Flood 

79.1075.19 : Gift of Barbara Crawford

1935

The Filling Station, Near Current CKYL Building
Pat's Creek Flood

77.801.56 : Gift of William Plaizier

1958

Building a Sandbag Barrier on Main Street
Pat's Creek Flood

87.1536.6 : Gift of the Peace River Record Gazette

1972

West Peace River Home in Flood Waters
Peace River Flood

72.482.f : Gift of Mrs. J. Mitchell

Artifact of the Week - HBC Fur Press

Our featured artifact this week is the Hudson's Bay Company fur press, used in Peace River until 1955. After that, Leonard McArthur, a former fur buyer for the Hudson's Bay Company, kept it on his farm. When Bruce McPhail bought the McArthur farm, he decided to donate the press to the Peace River Museum and Archives.

This fur press was made in the 1880s in England and sent to Canada for use in the Peace River Hudson's Bay Company Store. It was used to press fur from various animals into bundles (sometimes called 'packs') that were sent out of the Peace Country and all the way to England. Someone would have to climb up on top of the press and turn the top bar of the screw mechanism. Turning that top bar pushed a plate down on top of the furs, compressing them into 90 pound bails. 

In the 80 years that the furs were transported out of this area, 47 million pelts made their way from the Peace Country to England. Beaver was the most desirable of the pelts, though fox and marten were also trapped. Beaver pelts were made into fashionable hats in England, while fox and marten furs were made into fashion accessories. 

PRMA 68.11 - The fur press set up with furs in the Mackenzie Gallery.  

The fur press is on display in the Mackenzie Gallery at the Peace River Museum and Archives. Near the fur press lurk several animals that trappers would have been keen to capture during the days of the fur trade.

Artist of the Month - Rhonda-Lynne Lanctot

Featured this month on our art wall is Rhonda-Lynne Lanctot. She has installed a photography exhibition, specifically featuring close-ups and macro shots of flowers.

While Rhonda-Lynne's favourite subject for photography is flowers, she also enjoys photographing her children, her dog and horses, wildlife and landscapes. Photography was always an interest of Rhonda-Lynne's but it became a serious love in 2009 when she received her first DSLR camera for Christmas. Since then she has completed 3 years worth of 365 day photo challenges on the internet and is currently embarking on a professional course offered through The New York Institute of Photography.

Before getting into photography, Rhonda-Lynne was known for the teddy bears she designed under the name "Lanctot's Loveables Teddy Bears". Those bears can now be found in many magazines, books, homes and museums, world-wide.

Although Rhonda-Lynne was born and raised in Calgary, she and her husband Rob decided to settle in Peace River to raise their family.

This exhibit sets us up perfectly to welcome Spring and the flowers it will bring.

Rhonda-Lynne's work will be on display until April 30th and is free to view.

Thank you to our speakers!

The Museum hosted three stimulating local speakers in March, who presented on topics relevant to our current exhibit, "A Sense of the Land and its People: A Personal Collection".

Archbishop John Clarke spoke of growing up in Moose Factory, James Bay, Ontario and the 18 years he spent as a clergyman in the diocese of Moosonee. He worked with the community to develop education and training  opportunities for residents in this northern region. He brought cultural objects from these early years and fondly spoke of the people who created them. Some were given as gifts or, like the pair of Inuit dolls, gifted to his father in much earlier times.

Archbishop Clarke shows the audience some of the First Nations artifacts he has from his years in Ontario. 

Lyle Fullerton, of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, began with an historical overview of the buffalo in northern Alberta. He then described the current status of the population in and around Wood Buffalo National Park. His work monitoring the health and the habitat of these herds over the past 22 years makes him a most informative and engaging speaker. He even brought a leg bone from a buffalo recently killed by a wolf to demonstrate the shear size of these animals. Lyle has been asked to return for an update presentation this fall.

Lyle Fullerton speaks about buffalo herds with YL, the Museum's buffalo head, in the background. 

Roger spoke to an appreciative crowd, mainly artists themselves, about how his Cree culture influences the imagery he uses in his paintings. His years of work includes designing the current Northern Lakes College logo, 12 murals in the town of McLennan and works regularly featured in Alberta Native News. You can still see a selection of Roger's paintings at the Museum until April 17th, 2014. He calls the exhibit "My Cree People - the Sacred Circle". These works are for sale.

Roger Noskiye speaking about his art. Photo courtesy of Sharon Krushel. 

The Museum extends a very big thank you to all of our speakers and all those who attended the presentations.

Please stay tuned to our blog for information about our upcoming Speakers Series in May. We are in the process of firming up plans now and will bring that information to you soon!