‘On the Road Again,’ with the Musee Heritage Museum!

What if a teacher is not able to bring his, or her, students on a field trip to the Musée Héritage Museum in St. Albert?  No worries – we’ll bring the field trip to your classroom!

At the Musée, we have been offering outreach programs for years and it is a really important part of what we do.  Inviting a programmer to visit your classroom means that teachers and students have the opportunity to look closely at museum objects, learn something new and share their knowledge with a museum professional, all in the comfort of their own classroom space.



Outreach programs are great for the programming team at the Musée, too.  We enjoy getting out to visit other places, meet new people, and experience the varied environments at different school.  We regularly provide outreach programs in St. Albert schools, Edmonton schools, and even schools in communities further afield, such as Ft. Saskatchewan, Barrhead, Buck Lake, Spruce Grove and Sherwood Park.

 In these photos, one of our Aboriginal programmers, Celina, leads the ‘I Belong’ education program with Mrs. Buchanan’s kindergarten students at the Ellerslie Campus in Edmonton.  Celina has been doing programs at the Musee for more than five years now, and is definitely one of the best when it comes to working with the pre-school and kindergarten children. 

Native drumming is an important part of the ‘I Belong’ program in which children make their own paper drums, and decorate them with important animals of their own choosing.  Once the drums are complete the children join our programmer, who uses a traditional hand drum, and the children drum along with their paper ones.  The program is a lot of fun for everyone and it helps to teach the children about belonging and about the First Nations and Metis cultures.

For more information about outreach programming with the Musée Héritage Museum please go to our website at museeheritage.ca

Happy 50th to the Canadian flag!

February 15, 2015 officially marked the 50th anniversary of Canada's flag!
While there had previously been discussion about a design for the new flag the official debate started on  June 15, 1964 when Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson introduced it to the House of Commons. 

Originally around 3,500 different designs for the new flag were submitted, with the winning entry coming from George Stanley.  In 1965 Queen Elizabeth II would officially proclaim the Maple Leaf flag as the Canadian national flag.

The Musée Héritage Museum remembers this event each July 1 as we revive the "Great Flag Debate"  at the Little White School. This contest asks children step back in time and create a Canadian flag design that will be considered by a panel of judges.  

Below are some of the winning entries received the past couple of years so have a look and then start planning your own design for the Canada Day 2015 Great Canadian Flag Debate contest at the Little White School!

Family Day at the Little White School in St. Albert

Family Day 2015 will soon be here!  
What a great day to head out to Seven Hills with your toboggan or your “crazy carpet.”  On Monday February 16, 2015 the Little White School will be open, from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm for Family Day.  

We invite families and friends to take a break from sledding, come in out of the cold, have a look around and enjoy an indoor activity.

View from Mission Hill. St. Albert, 1977. Jaap Jelle and Liesbeth Bakker fonds

An instructor from the Art Gallery of St. Albert will be on-hand to lead visitors in creating an artistic bookmark: perfect to help out with quiet time reading after a full day of sliding on the hill.

Family Day 2014 on Mission Hill

We will be offering hot chocolate and snacks, and the “schoolmaster” will be around so that visitors can explore the old-fashioned 1948 classroom, and ask about what school was like in days gone by.

Little White School classroom

Admission to the Little White School on Family Day will be by donation, and bathrooms 
are available in the basement.  
You can find the Little White School at 2 Madonna Drive in St. Albert.  We hope to see you there!

Discover our new Discovery Room theme!

Now that you’ve seen the transformation of the temporary gallery to our new exhibition, Wus’kwiy/ Waskway: From Berry Baskets to Souvenirs, it’s time to take a look at our Discovery Room, which was revamped at the same time as the exhibition. 

Themed activities, books, and a display of some of the programming team’s baskets.

Some members of the programming team had their own great collections of birch bark baskets, so we continued the theme of the exhibition into the Discovery Room.  You’ll notice we made some big changes, including painting a wall and moving some of our large objects around!

We painted a birch forest mural to go with the “forest” in the exhibition. We also have a special story displayed on the digital photo frame!

Our feature crafts include a basket making and berry collecting activity, threading using the pattern from a birch bark biting, and weaving paper mats.

Wus’kwiy/ Waskway: From Berry Baskets to Souvenirs runs from January 27 – April 12 at the Musée Héritage Museum.  
Check out the special programming for this exhibition, including birch bark biting on Saturday, February 14, and basket making on Saturday, February 28. Check out the Exhibitions & Events on the website for more information.

Special Community Programs for Wus’kwiy/ Waskway: From Berry Baskets to Souvenirs

Our newest exhibition, Wus’kwiy/ Waskway: From Berry Baskets to Souvenirs, is now open, and we are pleased to announce the details of two special exhibition-specific programs!

Monthly Saturday programs

The second Saturday of every month from 1 – 4 pm

Suggested donation of $2-3

The guided programs will run from 1:30 – 2:30 pm.

Birch Bark Biting with special instructor Holly Yuzicapi

Saturday, February 14 at the Museum

Try your hand at birch bark biting techniques using transfer paper with special instructor Holly Yuzicapi, a contemporary artist using traditional methods. “Bark biting is an ephemeral and subtle art involving four of the five senses in the creation of a final product that is as delicate and as fleeting as a butterfly wing.” (from WIGWAS: Bark Biting by Angelique Merasty, Thunder Bay National Exhibition Centre and Centre for Indian Art, 1988, pg. 3)

Birch bark biting by Angelique Mersasty, 1978. Bill and Michelle Tracy Collection.

Birch Bark Basket Making: Traditional Baskets, Modern Materials  

Saturday, February 28 from 1:30 – 4 pm, guided program with instructor from 1:30 – 2:30 pm

$25 per person, which includes all supplies.
Please note this program is best suited for ages 12+.

With inspiration from the new exhibition, Wus’kwiy/Waskway: From Berry Baskets to Souvenirs, participants will learn the techniques of making birch bark baskets out of felt and plastic strapping. Special instructor Holly Yuzicapi is known for transforming traditional pieces of art by using contemporary materials.

Birch bark container, artist unknown, 1992. Bill and Michelle Tracy Collection.

For additional information about the programs contact museum@artsandheritage.ca or (780) 459-1528