Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

From all the volunteers at the Clayton McLain Memorial Museum, we wish you the very best for the holiday season wherever you may be. If you have to travel, please be careful.

Snow Covered Museum

Snow is covering the museum and park creating a beautiful Christmas card scene. Hope you are warm where you are and looking forward to the Christmas season.

It's That Time Again

This is our big grant writing time. The author attended a workshop sponsored by Sask Culture to outline the changes and their expectations. One of the main changes is that the grant is due December 1st instead of November 1st. Another month to have it on our mind. No exceptions for being late.
There are other subtle changes such as having to fill it out for the past 12 months (2009) instead of 2008. I hope everyone is aware of this when applying. Also the adjudicators will be looking for the reasons why one chooses a particular museum standard in several of the questions. The follow up form for Stream II and III is due 90 days after the museum's year end. This means that your 2009 financials need to be done by then. If one neglects to submit a follow up, one will lose 1/3 of the grant. :(
It will definitely be interesting to see how this pans out. Wish us luck!

Duvall House Photos

Someone, and we won't mention names, couldn't wait. So there are a few pieces of furniture in the newly painted rooms of the Duvall House. It is so exciting that we are finally reaching the point of dressing this beautiful old home.

For Coreen in New Zealand: It's looking mighty fine!

Click here to view all the photos taken today.

Duvall House update

The Duvall House is looking mighty fine inside and out. Kevin Thomas, Honey Do Handyman of North Battleford was hired to do some more work inside and out over the summer. As a result the kitchen, hallways, washroom and north bedroom are all painted. All that remains is the upstairs floors, woodwork, dining room and finish work in the SW bedroom. What a difference!
The project seemed like it was taking forever since we moved the house on site. Now we can see the end - and can begin what the author thinks is the interesting part - decorating the rooms. Yay!
Will add photos later.

Thanks to another group of summer employees and our volunteers

Our fab trio has finished their work at the museum for the year. Thanks for all the hard work to Katlin, Sabrina and Robert. Good luck in your upcoming school year.
They toured visitors, painted, welded, hammered, cleaned, typed, laminated, mowed, catalogued, etc. A massive amount of work was accomplished.
We couldn't have hired without the support of Young Canada Works and Service Canada who provided grant monies for the employees' salaries.
Also thanks to our dedicated volunteers. Especially I want to thank the other people who supervised during the summer. Many hands really does make the workload lighter.
And to Lloyd How who made new ramps and steps at the museum this summer. His efforts, understanding and knowledge helps keep CMMM on track. Thanks, Lloyd.
John Pedersen used his carpentry skills to create an area in Ovenstown that we will use to expand our sales shop. Thanks, John.
Bob Duncan looked after the mowing in the park. And doesn't it look great? Thanks, Bob.
Our financial needs are ably looked after by Lorie Paziuk. She can put up low e-film on windows like a pro too! Thanks, Lorie.
Marcy's work for Canada Day and after show her dedication to the museum. Thanks, Marcy!
Thanks to Walter Pooler who never fails to come and tour a group.
Hey, Noreen - you are awesome! I'd be spending the rest of the day typing all that you do for the museum.
And if I missed anyone this time, watch out because I'll probably mention you when I think of it.

Walk the Walk Faithful

The Walk the Walk in Tomahawk Park wound up yesterday with Donna Neale being the star walker. She faithfully walked the path each day she could since July 2nd. I know she received donations for the Seniors Center as well. Way to go, Donna!
I am going to miss seeing the walkers in the park. Hopefully they will continue to use the path getting more fit and enjoying the scenery.
Don't know how my challenge with Elsie went. I am guessing that I might have to eat crow! :(

Hope the Seniors raised enough to buy their new furnace. I'm sure they would still take donations if you contacted Elsie.
P.S. Also thanks to Arlene Paziuk - I know she put a lot of miles on her runners and raised a bunch of money!

2009 Young Friends of the Museum

The 2009 version of our Young Friends of the Museum has begun. This year we are talking about many cultures that make up our community, early structures, and early tools.
We have a full house of enthusiastic young people. More reports later.

Holmes Reunion

Tomahawk Park was filled with the Holmes family last weekend. About 95 people who are descendants of John W. Holmes spent the long weekend reminiscing, visiting the original farmsite north of Cut Knife, and making new family connections. They were a great group to have in the park.

Trees on the Move

Urs Mueller's tree mover made fast work of moving 30 trees from the east side of the pond to different areas in the campground. It sure beats digging with a shovel.

Park Happenings

Lots of action going on at the park these days.
A new ramp and step has been completed for Carruthers Church.
There is a new hand rail up to the Ovenstown building.
Inside the stairs have been covered in to make a future sales shop area.
The trees have been trimmed behind the pond fence.
Thanks John, Norman and Lloyd for all your work.
The grounds are being monitored by Bob and are looking spiffy.
The painters are busy completing painting the Station.
C & R Painting from Unity are doing a great job.
Our summer employees are doing an awesome job!
They've been touring, painting, scrubbing and cleaning, cataloging, mowing, and trimming!
There is new low e film on the church windows and the storage area organized.
The cement pad is being built in front of the Washrooms.
Trees are coming down(Mel is working behind the leaves) and more spruce are being planted.
This is just a quick listing of what has been accomplished.
There are walkers using the path, 'walking the walk', to help raise money for the Seniors Center. It is a secret how many points that Elsie has made, but I'm sure it can't be as many as mine. Or at least I hope not - gotta keep on walking!

"Stay"cation

Arrived back home after a few days of travelling through our great province.
There is so much to do and see in Saskatchewan. I had a difficult time deciding which direction to go and what to see and do.

We left home in a rainstorm, but drove into a beautiful sunny day at Herschel where we toured through Ancient Echoes. What an interesting and beautiful spot.


The next day Gravelbourg was one of our stops. The Cathedral there is awe inspiring. We also enjoyed the museum and the Paris lunch spot.

Then on to Claybank Brick Plant National Historic Site near Avonlea. What a lot of work has gone into the restoration of this old brick making factory. Most impressive. Great saskatoon and rhubarb crisp is served in the lunch area.

An overnight stop at the "Perfect Place" Bed and Breakfast in Central Butte shows what great accommodations can result from a little planning and hard work. The little museum in Central Butte opened up just for us.

After travelling through Elbow we ended up at Manitou Beach and the Serenic View Bed and Breakfast. The charming heritage building has been transformed into a relaxing B&B overlooking the lake. Good conversations, good food, and a most relaxing stay.

The wind was very strong while we were there and the waves whipped up the salty water into foam that was blowing off the water and across the road. It looked like snow!

We also had a stop at the Humboldt Museum which filled in some more of the 1885 story. The history of the Telegraph Station there was important to the 1885 events.


For an interesting 'Stay'cation in our area, start in Battleford and visit Fort Battleford, and the Fred Light Museum, travel west on Highway 40 to Cut Knife and visit the Clayton McLain Memorial Museum, then just a few miles north to the Poundmaker Interpretive Center. This would fill at least one day of sites and museums with 1885 related stories.
There are many other places in the area: Allan Sapp Gallery, Western Development Museum, museums at Wilkie, Unity, Maidstone and Neilburg to name a few. Stay in province, save some fuel, and learn a bit more about this great province of ours.

Canada Day

The beautiful summer day was filled with people who came to celebrate the birthday of our great country. The morning began with the Mayor's pancake breakfast followed by costume judging, a parade through town, and firemen's lunch. At noon following the singing of O Canada, children launched balloons (the biodegradable kind) into the clear blue sky.

The afternoon had an arcade for children, museum tours, and a fish race. (The fish were a little uncooperative!) There was an art show in the church, a show and shine for antique vehicles, and bingo. The Royal Purple supper was a hit. The evening's entertainment began with old time music, fiddling, and then a group of First Nations dancers from Little Pine came to entertain the audience. The evening was topped off with fireworks.

In planning these events, there is always the worry that the weather won`t cooperate. We had perfect weather. There is the concern that people won`t come. We had a great crowd for all events. Did we plan entertaining events for people to enjoy? The day was filled with fun, good food, and memorable entertainment. Thanks to all who came, volunteered, participated, and entertained.

Canada Day Here We Come

The tents are up, the floats are made, the park is spiffed up, the rain IS over, the arcade awaits, the bread is baked, the artwork is hung, the fish are practising their swimming, and we are ready....

New Benches in Park

Rose City Memorials (Ken and Alvin Waldner shown here) installed two new benches in the park today. One in memory of Glenn Weikle and one in memory of the late Jack Rowswell who was a museum board member and dedicated volunteer. They look great!

Countdown to July 1st

Preparations are underway for July 1st Canada Heritage Day.
A parade, carnival games, fish races, and lots more.
There will be a display of the CMMM School Art Competition in the Church. Winners of the Junior and Senior Categories will be announced on July 1st. A "Viewer's Choice" ballot will enable everyone to vote for their favorite piece of artwork. The theme for the pictures is "My Ancestors".
And they are very impressive!
Also we will be having the launch of our new audio tour of Gallivan School. Something new in how we are presenting our stories to our museum visitors.

Aboriginal Day

We wish our Aboriginal friends a good day. Hopefully the welcome rain did not stop the activities around the province.

Trails of 1885

Plans for the marketing of the 1885 event sites and other associated venues are very exciting.
Soon (by July 1st) there will be a new internet site showcasing everything "1885".
http://www.trailsof1885.com


The stories that we have to share in western Canada are special. Now to let everyone else in on the secret....

Watch for updates for what we are planning at our museum for 2010 during the 125th Commemoration Year of the Trails of 1885.

Dust Bunnies Goodbye!

The dust bunnies are disappearing this week in the museum as a dedicated crew are hunting them down and completing the spring cleanup of the buildings.
Our heritage buildings add to the atmosphere of the museum, but they also present a challenge in keeping the displays and access areas clean for our visitors.
A huge bouquet to the ladies for your time in this project - or at least a piece of cake!
We are also awaiting our painting crew to paint the CPR Station. The little showers in the past few days were enough to postpone it once again. Patience, patience.

The Ice Has Finally Gone!

Yes folks, the water has finally thawed in our washrooms. June 1st! I was beginning to wonder if we'd have to build a two-seater for summer use.
It has been difficult explaining to early campers why they can't have a shower during the month of May.

Museums of Saskatchewan Annual Meeting

The author spent the Wednesday and Thursday in Saskatoon at the MAS AGM. I enjoy meeting and talking to museum people (I wonder why?) We may have a few things in common.
The speakers at the mini-conference were very interesting. I was especially interested in the info from Heather Dunn of CHIN about internet options for museums with little or no cost. (Note the added RSS Feed option on our blog now.) You can set up a feed of the info from our museum pages to be sent automatically every time there is an update. I haven't figured out how to link Facebook yet, but I'm working on it.
Heather helped the Morse Museum set up their internet sites. The link is http://morsemuseum.ning.com/ As well Heather Wilson from the Morse Museum spoke at the Conference.
Cudos as well to the AGM Committee and the Staff at MAS for the hard work in preparing and executing the two days of activities.

Walter Bonaise with NAIT Filming Crew

First Nation Cree Elder, Walter Bonaise, visited
the museum today with a film crew from NAIT
in Edmonton. They are filming Walter telling stories from the past. The Bonaise Family archival materials and museum artifacts will help to illustrate some of the stories. These videos will aid the NAIT instructors to relate to the growing numbers of aboriginal students at their campus.

As well Walter told the story of the tomahawk in the First Nations culture and the significance it has as a symbol in the World's Largest Tomahawk in Tomahawk Park.

CKHS Work Experience Help

This week Marcy, with the help of high school work experience students, prepared for and cleaned up after the Museum's Garage Sale. As well, they cleaned up around the park, prepared a picnic table site, helped secure artifacts in an exhibit, mowed the grass, and moved archival materials.
This morning another group came and cleaned up trash in the park, moved gravel to the picnic table site, and stacked lumber.
Thanks everyone for their hard work! These high school students were a great help to us. Thanks as well to the teachers for supervising.
Every age group contributes to our park and museum so all can benefit.

Spring Work

Marcy is working with High School work experience students cleaning, painting and doing odd jobs at the museum.
As well she and Noreen are preparing for the annual Garage Sale on Saturday.
Don't forget to come and find some bargains as well as support the museum.

Art and History Collaboration with High School

Walter, Orval and Lucille spent Tuesday afternoon at the CKHS presenting stories about selected artifacts to grades 7 to 12. The students took notes about the stories that they heard and will write about what they learned. These stories will be presented to the museum to enhance our displays.

Today local artists will spend the afternoon making a presentation to the students. On Friday, students will go to the Poundmaker Interpretive Center to see the area where the 1885 Battle (or Resistance) of Cut Knife Creek took place.


This interchange of ideas is the beginning of a great partnership between the high school and the museum, local artists and historians.

Quilting Divas Give Back

The Cut Knife Quilting Divas are spending Tuesday, April 28, volunteering their time and sewing skills for the museum.

• The flags that we put on the highway signs need a small modification so they can be attached to the signs.
  
• There is a need for more padded hangers to hang the garments that we have at the museum. Each year we are lucky to have volunteers help us make more of these.
  
• As well, the Divas will be constructing garment bags to enclose the bridal dresses that we have in our collection. This will give the garments added protection from light and insect damage.
  

Thanks Lynn, Bonnie, Betty and Lorna!

Student Project Highlights Cut Knife and its History

A local resident, Stephanie Gilchrist, completed an assignment which focused on Cut Knife and area. It takes a while to load because of music files, videos and lots of photos. The link is: http://www.stephgilchrist.com/historyck/
Great work, Stephanie! (She tells me her instructor liked it too! A+ Grade!)


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Sask Tourism Conference

The weekend conference was great. Tourism people are so warm and friendly. I learned a whole bunch about marketing, good governance, the best of the best of tourism in the province at the awards gala event, and internet and media info.
Saskatchewan has so much to offer a tourist. Check out the Saskatchewan Tourism site to see what you can do in this great province. The link is http://www.sasktourism.com/

This and That

Our annual meeting was held this past Monday evening. Good planning made for a quick meeting. We were home early! Yay!

Research has begun on a new project for the museum. Just a hint - they were from the country of the leaning tower before immigrating here...

Author is off to Regina to the Sask Tourism conference this weekend. If only Regina wasn't sooooooo far away...

Sad News

While the author was away in the past month, a member of the museum board passed away suddenly.
The shock of Jack Rowswell's passing is still registering.
Jack was our museum's Vice President, an active member of our Maintenance Committee, and a friend. His support of my efforts, his subtle sense of humor, and his willingness to help when he could, made my museum experience even more enjoyable. I know the rest of the Board will second this.
Thanks, Jack.
Our condolences to Amy and the rest of his family.

'Atton's Lake- A Summer Meeting Place' Is Now Online

Take the time to check our our new exhibit on the CHIN (Canadian Heritage Information Network) website under Community Memories.

The virtual exhibit showcases a century of photos and stories about our 'jewel on the prairie', Atton's Lake.

The link to the exhibit is:

http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/pm_v2.php?id=exhibit_home&fl=0&lg=English&ex=00000410

Old Fashioned Saturday Movies

Our volunteer appreciation event was held this afternoon. We were greeted by Charlie Chaplins at the door, given pop and popcorn, and escorted to our seats.
The significance of having the event in the Legion was pointed out. The building was the original theatre in Cut Knife (1913) and was moved to the present site in the 1950's when the new theatre was built. Several people related that they remembered going to the theatre in the building.
Several short clips of comics, "Who's On First?", and other comedic short films were shown. Good clean entertainment.
Marcy Holden, the Volunteer Coordinator, related all that the museum volunteers have accomplished in the past year. Thank you everyone.
And, thanks to Marcy and Noreen for planning the day's events. It was a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Volunteer Appreciation on Saturday

If you have been a volunteer at our museum, we hope to see you at our appreciation event on Saturday. Check your invitation for details.
Lots of old fashioned fun at the movies! Door Prizes and fun events.
Thanks, Marcy for your work in organizing!

January Buzz

There is lots of work being done on policy and bylaw updates. Not fun but must be done.
Plans are under way for the Volunteer Appreciation Day on January 17th. Invites and e-mails have gone out. If you were a volunteer at the museum last year and haven't received one, contact us. We don't want to miss anyone!