Food for Thought - Panel Discussion

October is a month in which food is prominent in our minds and for our taste buds! 

Thanksgiving and Halloween bring to mind fresh pumpkins for pies and carving and succulent turkeys.  

And on that point, the Museum would like to remind you that this is the last month for the exhibit Roots of the Peace: a bountiful harvest. To conclude this successful exhibit on the heritage of producing food on a quarter section of land, we are hosting a panel of insightful, contemporary ‘food gatherers and producers’ to talk about food security and our connection to the food we eat today.

This will be a PechaKucha style of presenting insightful responses to the topic (five minutes for each presenter) and will conclude with a full discussion between audience and presenters.

A big thank you to the following local panelists who will bring thought and knowledge to the topic of sourcing local food:

               Landscaping with edible plants by Nancy Blayone

               Medicinal plants by Vic and Louise Ploc

               Food co-operatives by Annette Rosendal of Peacefull pantry

               Shares in organic gardening by Lisa Lundgard of The Veggie Patch

               Hunting and wild meat harvesting by Verne MacRoberts

               Our local Food Bank by Lieutenant Kevin Elsasser

This is a free event but donations to the Food Bank will be welcome.

On October 19^th, come by the Museum for coffee and an engaging conversation at 10:30 am about food in the Peace!

For more information contact the Museum at 780-624-4261 or museum@peaceriver.net.

Fresh, organically grown vegetables from Peacefull Pantry.  

Artifact of the Week - Ruby MacKinnon's Marlin Rifle

This week’s featured artifact is a 1893 Marlin .38/55 rifle. This was Ruby MacKinnon’s last remaining rifle. It was eventually gifted to Verne MacRoberts, a good friend of hers, who donated it to the Museum, along with the following story.

Ruby, a housewife and hunter, used this rifle while hunting with her husband Harry MacKinnon, a tower man, around the Moose Portage area, near Smith, Alberta. Ruby recorded the game she took with stock notches. In total there are 52 notches. The 19 on top represent moose with the remaining 33 on the bottom representing deer.  

On one side of the stock, there are 3 coins set into the wood, from 1957 – 1959. These denote the years that Ruby and Harry spent at Fort Vermilion. On the reverse side of the stock is a photograph of Ruby and Harry and a plaque that reads the following: 

“Ruby MacKinnon’s Rifle 

1893 – Marlin - .38/55 

Moose Portage (Smith) Alta. 

Housewife – Towerwoman – Friend 

Donated by Vern MacRoberts – Peace River”

PRMA 86.1468.1

Artifact of the Week and Monthly Art Exhibit - works by Sonia Rosychuk

This week, I’m bringing you the Artifact of the Week and the Monthly Art Exhibit all in one post. Each of these subjects features the creativity and innovation of local artist Sonia Rosychuk. 

Sonia installing her Art Wall exhibit

Our Art Wall rotates monthly, always showcasing the works of a local or regional artist. This month Sonia has lent us her talent in the form of metal works, paintings, and sculptures. Sonia’s work can be viewed at the Museum until the end of October.

Sonia (back) and fellow artist Val Palmer (front) installing the October Art Wall exhibit 

We may only have the Art Wall works displayed here for a month, but we are fortunate enough to have one piece by Sonia here full time. The metal teepee sitting on Museum grounds, in front of the building, was designed and created by Sonia.

Sonia began creating her piece “Smoke Signals” with the flat metal letters for “MUSEUM” that the Peace River Correctional Centre had fabricated. From there, the idea for a teepee came to her in a dream. She incorporated the letters onto the internal fire pit, which was surrounded by a metal teepee constructed of reclaimed rebar, found metal pieces and early farm tools from community members. The whole structure sits on a bed of river rocks, symbolizing the Peace River and its importance to the town’s history.

Smoke Signals sculpture created by Sonia Rosychuk

To the Museum, the “Smoke Signals” sculpture is more than our outdoor sign: it embodies the history of the Town of Peace River and the surrounding areas. This sculpture has been a recognized Peace River Museum symbol since 2008 and we look forward to many more years with this innovative and symbolic piece of art. 

Artifact of the Week - Clock from the D.A. Thomas

This week’s featured artifact is a clock from the D.A. Thomas. The clock is on loan to the museum from John Nergaard. The D.A Thomas was a paddle wheeler that steamed up and down the Peace from 1916 until 1930. The D.A. Thomas was considered the “Titanic” of the Peace River, because of its size and elegance. At 161.9 feet long, she was the longest boat ever to ply the waters of the Peace River. The lovely staterooms onboard featured electricity, as well as hot and cold running water! Finally, the fine white linen and silver must not be forgotten from the dining lounge.

In June of 1930, after braving the chutes and suffering damage, the D.A. Thomas made her way to Fort Fitzgerald where she would stay. Some parts were sold for scrap, others installed in other boats, and others still used by other people or companies. Eventually, the paddle wheel would make its way over to us at the Museum, to be permanently displayed on our grounds. 

Culture Scene 2013!

Culture Scene 2013 happens tomorrow!

There are many, many activities to get involved in. Check out the Town of Peace River's facebook for the schedule of events. 

Come out and experience some or all of them. You will find museum staff at Athabasca Hall, acting as co-host for the performers and artists on stage, from 1 - 3:30 pm. In this fantastic line-up you will find Metis jiggers, a guitarist soloist and many more. 

At the Museum you will find members of the Valley Peacemakers Quilt Guild. They will be here from 10 am - 1 pm, showing off their beautiful quilted works, and selling tickets for quilt raffles. There are 3 prizes to be won, including a king sized quilt, a Christmas table runner and place mat set, and a table topper. All of the money raised during this raffle goes towards the Raise the Roof campaign for St. James Anglican Cathedral. The draw will be held November 28, 2013 at the Peace River Library.

Visual, performing, and literary arts are being celebrated province-wide for Culture days, September 27-29th, 2013, and no less so in the Peace Country!

 Both of these quilts are prizes for the raffle. 

Artifact of the Week - Wang Computer

This week’s featured artifact is a Wang Computer. As the Museum receives an upgrade to our system, in the form of a new server, it seems fitting to feature a computer artifact.

The Wang Computer was donated by Meyers, Norris & Penny, LLP. When the MNP accounting firm was preparing to move offices in 2010, they found this Wang computer in an old storage room and called the museum to see if we might be interested. We didn’t have a Wang Computer, so we were happy to add this important piece of technology history into our collection.

Wang Laboratories was created by Dr. An Wang and Dr. G. Y. Chu in 1951. Dr. Wang directed this company from its inception until they filed for bankruptcy in 1992. Following bankruptcy they re-emerged as Wang Global, until they were bought out by Getronics of the Netherlands in 1999.  

PRMA 2010.009.001

Currently, the Wang Computer is on display in the Peace River Gallery with other technology items, such as a typewriter, a videocamera, and a television with a pretty tiny screen. Visit the museum to see this and many other displays. 

Artifact of the Week - HBC Scotch Whiskey bottle

This week’s featured artifact came from the Goulet family who found it on their land in the Three Creeks area, near the old Cadotte Trail. It is a Scotch Whiskey Bottle from the Hudson’s Bay Company. There are records of scotch being shipped to North America as early as 1701, which is 92 years before Sir Alexander Mackenzie or any other European men made their way through Peace River. The age of this bottle is unknown.

PRMA 2009.057.001

There is currently a small spirits and alcohol display at the Peace River Museum, Archives and Mackenzie Centre, and we invite everyone down to come check it out! 

Artist of the Month - Jenny Bakewell

For the month of September, the beautiful photographs of Jenny Bakewell are gracing the art wall in the Museum. 

Jenny Amara Bakewell is a self-taught artist, born in the Northwest Territories. She attributes her love for photography to the arrival of her first daughter, and since then it has only grown with the arrival of her second and third daughters. 

Jenny's love and passion for photography can be summed up in the following quotation "When I experience life, my first thought is always 'how would this look through my camera'. The fresh energy, the excitement of catching the lure in the subject is what drives me. I have no limits."

Come down to the Museum during the month of September to view Jenny's works.  

Artifact of the Week - Ladies Victorian boots

This week’s featured artifact is a pair of ladies high button boots from the Victorian era. The boots were found in a local building in Peace River and have been dated to roughly 1900.

The Victorian era, encompassing the time that Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 until her death in 1901, was a time of many changes in fashion. These types of boots were worn to cover a woman’s ankles. Skirts were long, to the floor, and a higher boot meant extra protection in hiding a woman’s lower limbs. Lower limbs had to be covered, lest the woman be thought scandalous.

Ladies high button boots, PRMA 69.379

These boots were so tightly laced that they required button hooks to get them done up. This button hook belonged to Jean Cameron Kelley, who came to Peace River in 1913 as the second teacher for Peace River Crossing. She replaced Miss Anderson, who had married, only 6 months after becoming the first school teacher.

Button hook, PRMA 2008.098.003

The Peace River Museum has a large and varied collection of textiles and accessories. Drop by the Museum to see some of our collections and stay tuned to the blog for further fashion items. The first week of October is Archives Week and this years theme is Fashion. So, it will be only fitting that I post a fashionable object that week. Stay tuned!