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.

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 

Museum Summer Events

June Artist                     The artists for the month of June are carver and painter Dave Matilpi and metal sculptor David Wilson. Both artists derive inspiration from the natural world with bold imagery. This is an exceptional exhibit!

June – October              Roots of the Peace – a bountiful harvest, is the latest exhibit at the Museum depicting the early story of mixed farming in the Peace as well as featuring a contemporary look at local organic producers and gardeners. Watch for announcements of speakers during the summer – bee keepers, gardeners, organic farmers.

July 1st                          The Museum is open on Canada Day and we have free admission!

July 12th-13th             The Heritage Places Committee and the Peace River Museum will be hosting an Open House during PeaceFest to inform the public about Peace River's Municipal Heritage Buildings Program. Learn about what buildings qualify for designation, the benefits to designating your home as a Municipal Heritage home and the process for designation. We will also have information on the heritage buildings in our town.

July – August                 Our Artists of the Month are Sherri Beaton for July and May Brown for August. Come enjoy the great talent of local artists at our monthly exhibit!

                                        Keep an eye out for Heritage days coming up August 3-5th. The Museum will be doing historic walking tours. More details to come.

                                        The Museum will be offering heritage interpretive tours this July and August at the NAR Station, Twelve Foot Davis Gravesite, Mackenzie Cairn and St. Augustine Mission Church. Our partners in this new heritage tourism project include the Municipal District of Peace, Northern Sunrise County, Alberta Infrastructure, Peace River Correction Centre and Young Canada Works. The tours begin July 4th and run until August 22rd - please see schedule below:

 

 

From left to right: Mackenzie Cairn, St. Augustine Mission Church, NAR Station, Davis Gravesite

 

St. Augustine Mission (Shaftesbury Trail, River Lot 22, Highway 684): Sundays 11am - 3pm and Thursdays 10 am - 1 pm

 

Northern Alberta Railways Station (9409 - 100 St Peace River): Mondays 1pm - 4pm

 

Mackenzie Cairn (Shaftesbury Trail, River Lot 19, Highway 684): Thursdays 2pm - 4pm

 

Twelve Foot Davis Gravesite (Fairgrounds Road off Highway 2 south) Fridays 1pm - 4pm

 

Reminder: Twelve Foot Davis Gravesite GRAND RE-OPENING

The Peace River Museum would like to remind everyone to come out on Thursday, Sept. 1 between 5pm and 8:30 pm for the grand re-opening of the Twelve Foot Davis Gravesite.

Updates include the return of the refurbished original headstone, landscaping with wild plants and interpretive panels.

The program will include a live performance from local band, "No Limitz" at 6pm.

We hope everyone is able to come out to the opening!

Twelve Foot Davis Gravesite

The Peace River Museum, Archives and Mackenzie Centre’s role in the revitalization of Twelve Foot Davis Gravesite in Greene Valley Provincial Park is many-fold. Primarily, it is to provide historical information, from several sources, including Museum files, for the text and photographs used on the signs gracing the Park.

The snippets of information reveal, not only the man, but also the era, environment and culture in which Henry Fuller Davis lived, worked and died.

In addition, the Museum on whose grounds Davis’ headstone rested for a number of years, was charged with the task of seeking an artist – stonemason to bring it back to as close to its original lustre as possible. Rénald Lavoie, from Northern Sunrise Country was that artist.

The Twelve Foot Davis Gravesite is the co-operative effort of Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation; Northern Sunrise County; Town of Peace River and GeoTourism Canada.

BE ON TOP OF IT! Come join neighbours, visitors, entertainers and dignitaries at the newly refurbished Twelve Foot Davis Gravesite in Greene Valley Provincial Park, Thursday September 1, 5-8:30 p.m. for a party. There will be a special “hilltop” Concert in the Park performance at 6 p.m. This concludes the Concert in the Park series for this year – Featuring No Limitz.

Public Input for Updated 12 Foot Davis Grave Site Invited

The Government of Alberta, Northern Sunrise County and the Town of Peace River have partnered together to update the site around the 12 Foot Davis grave site including also the Dr. Greene Cairn and the Peace River Provincial Recreation Area. Tonight (January 27, 2010) there will be an Open House inviting the public to give their input on the proposed upgrades to the site. The Museum will also be on hand to pass along historical information about 12 Foot Davis, the grave site (see photograph below for original headstone) and of Dr. Greene as well.

The Open House will run for 4-8 pm at the Belle Petroleum Centre (www.bpcentre.ca/Contact.html).

Alternatively, you can go online to www.tpr.alberta.ca/parks/consult/. The link for the 12 Foot Davis park is near the bottom. Here you can view the different concepts and a map of the sites to be upgraded. There is also a online survey form where you can give your input. The deadline for giving input is set at March 26, 2010.

EDIT (January 27): Please accept my apologies for the error in this blog. The Open House was at the Provincial Building in Peace River and not the Belle Petroleum Centre.