Remembrance Day at the Museum

The beginning of November is a time for Canadians to reflect upon those who have served our country in conflicts of the past.  At the Musee Heritage Museum, we are celebrating our veterans and remembering the sacrifices of the fallen with special displays and activities that will further the spirit of Remembrance.  The museum will be open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Sunday the 11th, closed for a short time at 11:00 AM so that staff may attend the ceremony at the cenotaph.

George Chevigny, Boer War.

On display will be uniform caps that represent the branches of the Canadian armed services; Lt/Sgt. Arthur Robinson's medals reflecting his long service through World War II, the Korean War, and peacekeeping activities; Sgt. Dorothy (Bellerose) Chartrand's Canadian Women's Army Corps uniform; a series of panels illustrating St. Albert's military history; a slideshow of archival photographs celebrating some of the people from St. Albert who have served; bayonets; ration booklets; and identification disks.

Siblings Ruth and Carson Latimer, WWII.

Besides historic displays, there will also be activities.  One popular activity is the "try-on" area, which includes real uniforms, helmets, and webbing for children to try on, allowing them a small glimpse into what it is like to put on the uncomfortable uniform, the clunky helmet, and the heavy pack - just a small part of the sacrifices that our soldiers make.  We also have a period World War II board game for visitors to play.  Originally produced by the CBC, this game educates Canadians about the transport of war materiel from Canada to Britain, including the dangers faced by sailors bringing such goods across the Atlantic (ie. U-Boat attacks).  There will also be colouring sheets and a peace dove craft.  We would like to thank the Loyal Edmonton Regiment Museum for lending us several artifacts.

Archives Week - October 1 - 7

Archives Week is soon approaching and we have some fun events planned at the Musée!

Currently, we have a scrapbook exhibit that features archives from our holdings.  Don't miss out, the exhibit will be on until October 21.

This Saturday, we have an activities day planned for families entitled, Show-and-Tell, Games and Tours: Families in the Archives.  We invite you to bring in your scrapbooks to discuss with others.  We will have a few games and crafts for families.  And our archivist is giving behind-the-scenes tours of the archives.

Finally, on October 4, 7 - 8:30 pm, we are holding a workshop on Preserving Your Family Photos.  At the workshop we invite you to bring in your family photographs and our archivist will help you with storing your photos so they last for a long time.  Pre-registration is required and there is a $10 fee per participant. 

To sign-up for the workshop and for more information on archives events, call 780-459-1528.  We hope you join us and explore the Musée archives.

Western Canada Fire Underwriters' Association map, 1935

Scrapbook from Pauline Vaugeois fonds

Harvest Festival

This weekend, the Musée Héritage Museum put on a successful Harvest Festival at the St. Albert Grain Elevator Park.  Here are some photographs to sum up the fun at the event!

Dogs herding sheep at dog show

The Tchir brothers and friend performing

Horse rides

Girls gathering oats and wheat to make harvest bundles

Museum staff posing in front of Model-T

Scrapbooking Workshop

The Musée Héritage Museum opened the Cut and Paste exhibit on September 4.  This exhibit features family albums, personal collections and scrapbooks from clubs and community groups covering over 100 years of history. We hope you don't miss out on this exhibit which will be featured in our museum until October 21.

In conjunction with this exhibit, we will be hosting a scrapbook workshop. Here is the information:

Scrapbooking Workshop

at the Musée Héritage Museum

Thursday, September 20th from 7-9PM

Join us for an evening of scrapbooking instructed by Dawn Pritchard of The Inked Stamper scrapbooking and gift store.

The course is suitable for beginners but more advanced participants will be able to let their creativity flow.

The workshop fee is $10 to cover supply costs and we ask that you register ahead by calling the museum at 780-459-1528. 

Limit of 15 participants so sign up soon!

Postcard from a postcard album in Juneau family fonds

St. Albert Women's Institute fonds

Vacation scrapbook from Pauline Vaugeois fonds

St. Albert Arena (AKA Ducky Dome)

For those of you who love the Ducky Dome, the Musée decided to do a blog about the building with information found in our archives. The arena was used by NHL players such as Troy Murray and Mark Messier prior to their fame.

Its Beginning

The inception of the St. Albert Arena was in the 1960s when the Town of St. Albert faced a problem of not having enough infrastructure to support a growing population.  Recreational facilities were among the infrastructure which was needed.  After plebiscites and community fundraising campaigns, the arena was approved by town council in 1969.  The arena was officially opened in 1971 and operated by the town.

Price list for using the arena, 1976, St. Albert Comets fonds

Front of arena, 1977

Ducky Dome?

In 1984, a mural of ducks was painted on the back wall of the arena, resulting in the nickname Ducky Dome. The mural was created to make the building aesthetically pleasing. Grant Leier was the artist who designed the mural. 

The mural, ca. 1989, Victor Post fonds

Panorama of Perron Street, 1989, Victor Post fonds

The front of the St. Albert Arena, 1992

Its End

When a twin-ice arena was planned for St. Albert, plans were made for the arena's demolition.  In 1992, the building was demolished despite petitions to save the arena.  With the help of Habitat for Humanity the material from the arena was recycled to build 35 new low-cost houses in Mexico.  The City of St. Albert won an environment award from the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators for recycling the building.