It's a Mad Hatters Party!

It's a Mad Hatters Party when the Museum and the Toy Library join together for a morning of fun and play! Next Friday, March 27th, 2015, the Museum and the Toy Library (now Peace Playland) are hosting a Mad Hatters Party for children ages 1 - 5, where everyone is invited to wear their favourite hat.

From 10 - 11:30 am, children and their parents or grandparents will be able to play with toys that the Toy Library will bring with them as well as the toys that the Museum has out in our Toy Stories exhibit.

We even have a dress-up station in this exhibit! Of course, once you're wearing your finest dress-up attire, you'll want to strike a pose at the picture station!

We invite you to join us that morning, wearing your favourite hat, for only $2 per child, with $1 each going to the Toy Library and the Museum.

Family and great communities!

Family Day in Alberta is weekend filled with cultural, historical and recreational opportunities. The Museum offers something to add to this compliment of activities.


SS DA Thomas Steamboat was built in the
West Peace River Shipyards in 1916

The Historic Places Committee is holding a second Jane Jacobs Walk on February 16th, 2015 in Lower West Peace River.  This area was once a community in its own right, distinct from Peace River Crossing. It boasted banks, stores, blacksmiths and a hotel until the railway bridge was completed in 1918. That precipitated a relocation of its business community to the Crossing where greater traffic developed. Now a residential neighborhood, it is a unique place to live. Our walk will look at the special places found here and talk about the historical profile of this location.
Meet us at the Lower West Peace Playground on 91st Street at 1pm. Be prepared to walk for about 1.5 hours and we urge everyone to dress for the weather.

Beaded moccasin tongues or vamps

Staying with families and the value of creating memories together, we are pleased to host FNMI Coordinator Tanys Oxman on February 21st and 28th, 2015 for Aboriginal Art and the Child. This two part series is open to youth ages 7 to 12 years. They will create modern day wampum belts and par fleche bags while learning the cultural and historical significance associated with each object.  The sessions are free with the price of admission $2  and we ask you to pre-register as only 12 places are available.


For more information about either of these events, please call us at 780-624-4261 or email at lgloor@peaceriver.ca   Our public hours are 10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday.

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.

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"

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.

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.

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.

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 

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

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!

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!

March Museum Speaker Series: Lyle Fullerton talks about buffalo this Saturday

Continuing on with our March speaker series, we bring you Lyle Fullerton this Saturday (March 15, 2014) at 2 pm. Lyle is the Special Projects Coordinator, Fish and Wildlife, with Environment and Sustainable Resource Development.

Lyle will be talking to us about buffalo: their history, herd management, herd health, and Wood Buffalo National Park. This park was classified in 1983 as a UNESCO world heritage site and further classified as a Dark Sky Preserve in 2013. This promises to be an engaging and interesting presentation from a speaker who is both passionate and knowledgeable about his subject.

The second of three talks in our March speaker series, Lyle's subject relates to our current exhibit "A Sense of the Land and its People - A Personal Collection". This collection, composed entirely of Plains and Northwest Coast First Nations objects from Dr. David Welch, tells the story of the environments that helped and hindered the lives of First Nations peoples. The buffalo played an essential role in the Plains First Nations' lifestyle, providing them with meat, bone tools, hide, furs and many other resources.

Join us this Saturday, March 15th at 2 pm for an engaging afternoon of talk and discussion. 

A buffalo partial skull on display at the Museum. 

Take an Interpretive Walk with the Museum

This upcoming Monday, February 17, 2014, join the Heritage Places Committee (HPC) and the Museum on a winter stroll along 86th Avenue in Peace River.

The third Monday in February, since 1990, has been known to Albertans as Family Day. It is an opportunity to spend time with family and sharing personal histories has a great way of bringing people together. It also happens to be History Day across Canada.  Families and history are a natural pairing. We invite you and your family to walk with us and learn why the Parkview Subdivision (86th Avenue), a post-war subdivision in Peace River's north end has historic significance to our community.  This neighbourhood, conceived, financed and built by local businessman Oscar Moro, was built between 1958 and 1962.

In post-war times, the idea of suburban development was relatively new, and, as yet, unheard of in Peace River. Mr. Moro, though, realized that this subdivision would use previously underutilized land, provide affordable housing to returning veterans and alleviate the housing crisis that was occurring in Peace River.  It was a time of prosperity influenced by much oil and gas exploration in the Peace Country and it was those families that in large part become the first homeowners.

We will meet at the parking area across from the Kinsmen Funland park at 1:30 pm. Please dress for the weather and bring your family and your friends.

For more information, please call the Museum at 780-624-4261 or email us at museum@peaceriver.net.

A transition on 86th Avenue from the 1950s to the 2010s. 

Winter Solstice Celebration cancelled

The Peace River Museum and the underground Music Society have made a tough call and cancelled tomorrow's solstice event at Riverfront Park. We had planned to have food, musical entertainment and a bonfire to celebrate the Winter Solstice and the transfer of 16 year's worth of posters and photographs from the underground Music Society to the Peace River Museum and Archives.

As it is predicted to be quite cold tomorrow (and then you add in the windchill), we feel it is best to cancel part of the festivities.

However, the organizers will still be there from 3:30 - 4:30pm with a bonfire. So, you're missing the musical entertainment and the food, but please do come out and join us to watch the sunset and experience the solstice.

The Museum would like to extend a sincere thank you, not only to the underground Music Society for this donation, but also to all of our donors from 2013, both for objects and their time.

Our Museum works as well as it does because we have so many supportive people around us: our partners, our donors and our supporters.

Have a great end of 2013 and a fantastic beginning to 2014 from all of the staff at the Peace River Museum.

Book reading and signing with Dianne Ireland

Dianne Ireland’s recently published book “Grandmama’s Treasured Favorites & Traditional Recipes” is filled with interesting stories and tasty recipes. These recipes may be those that Dianne’s family has made for years, but all of her readers will find a recipe or a story that evokes a memory for them of their own family traditions. Perhaps it’s the Christmas Eggnog, maybe the beef stew, or even Dianne’s story of hunting for the first and only time.

Dianne was born in Peace River and grew up on a farm east of Grimshaw, Alberta. Dianne married Jim in 1968 and together they have had a great life with their children and now their grandchildren.

Writing and publishing this book has given Dianne an opportunity to share many stories as well as favorite and traditional recipes with not only her family and friends, but also anyone else who enjoys cooking or baking for their loved ones.

Join us this Saturday, December 14^th, 2013, from 2 – 4 pm at the Peace River Museum, where Dianne will regale us with stories and recipes. Dianne's book is available in the Museum gift shop for $39.95. The gift shop accepts cash or cheque only. 

Are you ready to burn away the winter blues?

On December 21st, 2013 we will celebrate the winter solstice. Scientifically speaking, this is the day when the sun appears at its lowest point in the sky. It is also the shortest day and longest night of the year. For all those who prefer summer, this doesn't sound good, but hey, starting on December 22nd, the days will begin to get longer and the nights shorter. I'd say that's worth celebrating, even if we are still quite a ways away from summer.

The Peace River Museum and Archives and the underground Music Society thought to team up, not only to celebrate the winter solstice, but also to celebrate a significant donation of event posters from the Society to the Museum and Archives. These posters chronicle 16 years worth of events hosted by the underground Music Society.

If you come by Riverfront Park on Saturday, December 21st from 4 to 7 pm, you will find the Museum and the Society gathered together with hot dogs and delicious hot apple cider as well as a roaring bonfire. We invite you all to experience the solstice day with us. In addition, we'd like to ask you to help us celebrate by getting involved. We are looking for storytellers, musicians, poetry readers and for tales of how the solstice is celebrated around the world.

Please come by the museum or call us to sign up on the list of buskers for the evening's festivities. We invite everyone to sign up for a ten (10) minute slot.

The Museum can be found at 10302 99 Street in Peace River, or we can be reached at 780-624-4261 or museum@peaceriver.net.

PRMA 2013.020 This is one of the event posters donated by the underground Music Society.

Midnight Madness in the Museum Gift Shop

This Friday, November 29th, is the 2013 Annual Christmas Parade and Moonlight Madness event. The Museum is participating in both the parade and the shopping event. On the Town of Peace River float, keep an eye out for the Twelve Foot Davis outfit, a buffalo coat, snowshoes, skates and of course a pair of woolen socks for warmth!

After enjoying all those lovely festive floats and seeing Santa Claus make his way down Main Street, come by the Peace River Museum Gift Shop to warm up a bit and get some Christmas shopping done. We offer locally created gifts and history books.

The Museum will be open until 8 pm on Friday.

Heritage 101 - How to care for a building with historic character

The Museum and the Heritage Places Committee are hosting "Heritage 101" this Wednesday, November 13, 2013 at Athabasca Hall, from 7 - 9 pm.

Heritage 101 is a unique workshop for anyone who owns or works with older home or who appreciates historic architecture. In this workshop, Laura Pasacreta and Chelsea Dunk of Donald Luxton & Associates, Heritage Consultants, will take you through the following topics:
1. Why conserve older buildings?
2. An overview of Peace River's architecture.
3. Peace River's Heritage Conservation Program including our regulatory framework as well as the role of the Heritage Resources Committee and granting.
4. Planning for a Heritage Project, including basic techniques for restoring houses including siding, window restoration and historic colours, etc.

The Town of Peace River's Heritage Places Committee, coordinated by the Peace River Museum, has contracted Donald Luxton & Associates for the last 3 years to conduct inventories of heritage buildings and landscapes, as well as creating the framework for property owners of heritage buildings to apply to Town Council for Municipal Heritage Site designation. This program is funded by the Town of Peace River, with grant support from The Alberta Historical Resources Foundation.  

Heritage 101 is being offered in Athabasca Hall, one of Peace River's unique heritage treasures. This building was built in 1936 with funds provided by an anonymous donor in England to the Anglican Church for a community hall. The Town is still appreciative of this donor 77 years later. This building has since been a renowned venue for theatrical and musical performances, with almost 50 years of Peace Players productions gracing the stage.

St. James Anglican Cathedral and Athabasca Hall, circa late 1940s