I thought it would be a good idea to share it here. What it shows really is the cooperation hard work and dedication of the entire community to see this goal through.
Enjoy the read.
The idea for a museum started with Wes
Bailey when he realized the property where the Masonic Hall stood on
Lorne St was going to be sold and the Hall would make a good museum.
Then others add their thoughts to that, brainstorming happens, a lot
of hard work and meetings occur, and that single idea comes to
fruition.
That is what happened over 25 years
ago, when the idea was to have a museum in Cupar. A lot of initial
thoughts and questioning had already happened when the first group of
12 interested persons gathered on November 8, 1989 to seek out the
feasibility of a museum. That group was Wes Bailey, John Gaber, Bill
Adam, Sandra Ermel, Marie Reed, Lola Weisbrod, Dorothy Blackbeard,
Alma Weisbrod, Caroline Hall, Alma Mihalicz, Steve Mihalicz and
George Bereti. It was decided this group would be known as the “Cupar
Museum Committee” and the museum would be the “Cupar &
District Heritage Museum”. Wes Bailey accepted the position of
president, and Alma Weisbrod as Secretary-Treasurer.
The Masons donated the Masonic Hall to
the town and this could be used for the museum. The town donated
$2,500 towards moving the building, with an additional donation of
$2,500 from the Cupar Historical Society. It was decided to move the
building south of the old rink, on Aberdeen Street, and to dig a
basement to place it on. Estimates for the basement were between
$14,000 and $16,200, movers estimated $500, and plumbing at $2,800.
The group met with Wendy Fitch, the
advisor for Saskatchewan Museums Association, who outlined what all
was required to set up a museum. It would need to be legally created
through a by-law with the town ( by-law 2/90 ) and would operate as a
non-profit organization. A statement of purpose and policy was to be
drawn up, and assistance with volunteer labor could be obtained
through grants. Alec Lazaar drew up an initial sketch of the layout
of the museum.
Memberships were sold for the museum at
$2 each, which remains the same today. The first fundraising for the
museum was a raffle of a quilt donated by Caroline Hall, and won by
Sally Komar. All monies raised were turned over to the town. A public
meeting was held in April 1990 to outline what the committee was
proposing. Costs were given, a sketch presented, and questions and
other suggestions proposed. A motion was made by Brock Turner at that
meeting to go ahead with the museum. An official board was formed:
Wes Bailey (from Town Council), John Gaber, George Bereti, Lola
Weisbrod, Dorothy Blackbeard, Alma Weisbrod, John L. Smith, Brock
Turner, and Sandra Ermel.
Contact was made with other museums on
how to set up, and it was decided to join the Last Touch Network in
order to receive information and help from the networker. Various
grants were looked into, as well as various ways to raise money. For
most grants you need to spend the money first to obtain the grant, so
we need to have money on hand to spend. The rink committee no longer
had time to take in bottles and cans for recycling so allowed the
museum to take over this task. Another raffle, with prizes of an oil
painting by Clarice Rodgers, a handmade clock by Rob Woolsey, and
ceramic pitcher & bowl by Marion Fordon, was decided on. Cupar
hosted a Farm & Home Show in March 1991 where the museum had a
booth, selling raffle tickets and memberships, as well as a “guess
what” article.
In May 1991 it was decided that the
Museum Committee would affiliate with the Rec Board. This would allow
them to apply for money for specified projects through the TIP
Program (Trust Initiative Program). Also at this time, a proposed
interior design was drawn up by John Gaber. A lot of salvageable
plywood and 2’ x 4’s was rescued from the inside of the old
skating & curling rink. Some of this was used to make shutters
for the building and show cases for inside. Donations started to come
in from various people. Placemats were ordered through the Museum
Network, with a sketch of the proposed museum, calling it the
“Project of the Future”. Wes attended a very informative workshop
on “Managing Volunteers”.
In June 1991 the Board made an offer to
the rink committee that they would take out the bottles, etc. from
the zamboni building, sell them, and turn the money over to the rink
in exchange for the building. The rink committee was in agreement, so
a motion was made to move the zamboni building (flooding machine) to
the museum site. (This is the present furnace room for the museum.
And the rink kitchen is the present day hospital display) It was also
suggested that perhaps the old curling rink could be used for the
future museum; pending what insurance costs would be. Town council
recommended that all committees or organizations pay their own
insurance on buildings. The museum committee paid their insurance on
the Masonic Hall through the Rec Board.
In October 1991 the Cupar Historical
Society gave $4,105 to the Museum Committee, with the remainder of
their historical books as well. Their note with the cheque read: “The
balance of the funds from the Historical book committee to be turned
over to the Museum Board with stipulation that they will store the
books and files and one book to be kept on record; the balance of the
books to be their responsibility.” Also at this time a second
general meeting was held for the public to update them on progress.
The grant structure has changed, where a community is given a lump
sum, about $13,800 per year, to divide between its various
organizations. This would not give us a lot. The community also asked
if there would be a basement put under the Masonic Hall. Although it
would be an ideal place for restoration of artifacts and storing
archives, it will likely not happen due to the high cost. The old
curling rink was mentioned since it has a large waiting room and the
back end could be used for antique cars and machinery. At present the
roof needs bracing with a main beam, and the outside edges need
repairing for insurance purposes. It has water in the washrooms,
furnace, duct work, and temporary sewer line, but would need an
appraisal before insurance could be purchased. Raffle draw was made
at the public meeting with winners – painting won by Irene Ermel,
clock won by Bill Adam, ceramic bowl & pitcher won by Donna
Silzer.
New board member, Wilf Paidel, was
welcomed in November 1991. Wes completed a recycle bin that would be
set up on Main St. for the public to donate to, and bottles and cans
from the zamboni building netted generous funds. Plans were drawn up
for attaching the Masonic Hall onto the west side of the curling
rink, to be presented to town council for their first meeting in
1992. It was decided the museum would open in 1995, since that would
be the 90th anniversary of the town, and the 90th
anniversary of the province. They would suggest this to the Rec Board
and town council, and to have a Homecoming in 1995. This would give
the museum about 3 ½ years to get everything put together.
At the town council’s February 1992
meeting the museum’s drawings and proposal of using the curling
rink and Masonic Hall for a future museum was accepted. They gave the
Museum Committee authority to use the rink as they saw fit. Several
work bees occurred after this, to get up a retaining wall in the rink
before the skating rink was demolished, and to remove anything else
that was salvageable from the skating rink. The town agreed to pay
for an engineer to look over requirements for the curling rink, if
they could use the north end of the rink for storage of machinery.
Another raffle was decided on to raise funds. Items included an oil
painting by Blake Langford, a framed needlepoint picture by Jackie
Erikson, and a wooden flower vase by Andy Rakai. The town was having
a Trade Fair in March, and the museum would have a table at this.
On April 1, 1992 the old skating rink
was taken down, with a cement pad left as part of the foundation to
set the Masonic Hall onto. With these changes, placemats ordered now
had a revised sketch of the proposed museum. Lorne Drugs in Regina
were selling some used showcases, and these were purchased and stored
in the town hall basement until set up started. An application was
made for TIP money, which was received, to help cover costs of the
showcases.
The summer of 1992 meant a lot of work,
in preparing buildings for moving, getting gas lines moved, footings
poured, the rink roof patched and shingled, and more public exposure
for the museum committee at Funarama Days. A list of all the tasks
required was posted in the rink, and anyone that had time could work
on any of these and check them off the list. Fordon Construction
poured a grade beam for the Masonic Hall to sit on, and on September
17, 1992 Jim Hackowich moved the Masonic Hall to the west side of the
old curling rink on Aberdeen Street, at a cost of $900. The town
offered 600’ of chain and 12 posts to use around part of the rink
and hall.
A general meeting was held in October
1992 to update the public on the museum’s progress. The town built
up dirt around the rink to help with drainage. Some shingle repair
was done on the south side of the rink, with shingling remaining on
the west side. An engineer found the rink structurally sound. There
would be a lot of inside work to be done through the winter, if the
gas line could be connected. Special thanks went to Brock Turner for
all his work in organizing work crews up to now and to Wes Bailey for
looking after cans and bottles for recycling, which has been a great
fundraiser. Raffle winners were announced: Erhart Siebert won the
painting, Gab George won the vase, and Brock Turner won the petit
point picture.
By November 1992 the west side of the
rink roof was shingled where needed, flashing was installed next to
the Masonic Hall, and eaves troughing was in place. Mike Karpa dug
the trench for the gas line, and the gas department installed new
piping around the building to the furnace. John Gaber did the wiring
for the building, having a contractor check it out and fill out
forms. A New Year’s Eve Cabaret was planned by the Rec Board, and
they asked the Museum Board for assistance at the door.
During the winter of ’92-’93, the
Funeral Home did some renovations and donated dividers for the museum
to use. Wes Bailey and Ernie Weisbrod attended a workshop on making
mannequins, and made a model for display. People were asking about
storing RV’s and boats in the rink, but a proper door would need to
be fitted on the north end. Len Springer hooked up the furnace.
Inside the Masonic Hall, partition walls were removed and a doorway
cut leading into the rink. The men allocated Thursday’s as “working
day” throughout the winter, for anyone to come and assist in any
way. With many repairs now happening, and materials needing to be
purchased, expenses for 1992 were $4,755, with income of $1,650.
Grants are now handled through Sask. Lotteries and are strictly for
operating. You have to be in operation for a year before you can
apply for a grant, at no more than 50% of your operating costs.
Wiring, lights, ceiling grid kept the
workers busy into the summer of 1993. It was suggested to make a
deck, so holes were dug and a deck and wheelchair ramp assembled. A
lot of work was done, but there were still windows to finish, lights
to put up, and walls & ceilings to wash and paint. Funarama Days
were again held in June, with many of the museum people staffing the
gate. By the fall, another fundraiser occurred, this time in the form
of a rummage and bake sale, held in the new museum. October 16, 1993
saw many people show up to purchase donated items, have a coffee and
donut, and view the progress of the building. The day netted close to
$900.
The end of 1993 saw a small change in
board members, when Wilf Paidel stepped down, and Ralph Rein and
Ernie Weisbrod joined the board. Enough work had been completed at
the museum that the board was now able to hold their meetings there,
since they had heat and light. The floor was sanded and varnished. A
motion was made that storage be made available in the back of the old
rink, at a cost of $10 per month per unit.
In February 1994 the artifacts from the
hospital were moved to the museum, and in March all the other items
stored in the town hall basement were moved to the museum. A
Sno-Pitch was held in March, and again volunteers from the museum
helped out. A donation also came from the Lions Club, in the amount
of $2,000, and from the Hungarian Culture Club in the amount of $590.
All active groups that belong to the Rec Board were asked to pay an
assessment of 10% to the Rec Board. The assessment was $1,200, so the
museum paid their portion of $120 per year.
With items now in the museum location,
cataloguing and marking of the articles started in April 1994, as
well as some needing restoration and cleaning. Carpeting was
purchased for adjoining rooms. Volunteers were needed to assist with
horseshoes at the Gopher Drop Day July 23, 1994. We received $195 TIP
grant for 1994, and sent in an application for, and received, a New
Careers Grant that would pay wages and benefits for a full time
employee for 21 weeks. He cleaned the exterior of the Masonic Hall
and gave it two coats of paint, and also painted the roof and
interior of the waiting room area of the old curling rink. He also
helped with some furniture restoration, making display areas and
cabinets, and replacing nails in the medal siding with screws, all
tasks that were greatly appreciated. At this time contractors were
working on the new rink, and asked if they could use the north end of
the old rink to set up some of their items. In exchange for the power
used, they donated lights, plywood and planking to the museum. Posts
and chain fence was put up in front of and on the west side of the
museum in the fall. Also a successful auction sale, which netted over
$1,100, was held October 1, 1994, with a bit of a display set up in
the museum so people could see the progress. Rental spaces in the old
rink were another source of income, as more people were starting to
use this option. Lola Weisbrod, who was the museum representative on
the Rec Board, left to move to Regina. The museum also got their own
post office box from Canada Post in the fall. Many volunteer hours
were put into getting the buildings converted to a museum.
1994 ended with a date of June 3, 1995
set for opening day, to coincide with the town’s 90th
Anniversary celebration. Hours would be from Victoria Day to June 30
– Sunday & Wednesday 1:30 – 4:30, manned by museum workers.
July 1 to Labour Day – Tuesday to Saturday 1:30 – 4:30 &
Sunday 1:30 – 8:30, manned by students. Pictures were taken of the
museum, and submitted with a short history to the Last Mountain Touch
region, to receive some money for placemats. A desk and typewriter
were donated by the school to assist in these tasks.
The New Year welcomed board member
Lorraine Fenwick. Also a donation of $200 from the Cupar Snowmobile
Club. Advertisements were placed in the Times paper asking people to
donate their antiques. A raffle of Jacqueline Berting’s glass wheat
picture was the fundraiser for spring 1995.(which was won by Woody
Blaser) Also the museum board’s involvement at the Rec Board Snow
Pitch in March and Community Hockey Tournament in March. Souvenir
cups and plates were ordered from Nova Distributor of Indian Head to
be sold at the June 3rd opening, as well as souvenir
buttons from Kevin Bonish that would be handed out with the purchase
of a membership.
Official opening of the museum was June
3, 1995. A parade was held that day in conjunction with the
festivities. Frank & Gabe Daradich donated their threshing
machine to the museum, and it was in the parade. Also John Gaber used
two of his convertibles for the entire executive to ride in. The
mayor, Val Orb, and town council were present to participate in the
ribbon cutting and official opening, as well as Gail Hipperson from
the Saskatchewan Museum Association. Musicians for the day were Steve
Domokos, Ernie Molnar, Nick Costea (Dysart), Alec Benesh (Dysart),
Bill Szeles, Tony Lorenz, and Irvin Hart. Steve was thanked for
organizing the musicians, as well as his many paintings that were in
the museum. An old time family dance at the town hall ended the
evening.
It was also at this time that the first
soup and homemade bread event was discussed, and decided on for
September 1995. A quilt donated by Kathy Weisbrod would be the raffle
item for the fall as well. Discussion took place regarding taking
over the sale of the birthday calendars, as the Rec Board has dropped
this fundraiser. This the museum did for almost a decade.
Many visitors have passed through the
doors since then. Many artifacts have been added to the collection,
and many students have worked the summer months with a grant received
for employment purposes. Many people have volunteered their time, as
board members, or workers. Many people have been fed at the
Strawberry Socials and Harvest Lunches that have been fundraisers for
many years. The museum still continues their membership in the
Saskatchewan Museums Association. Originally the Cupar Museum was a
member of Last Touch, but sadly it ceased to exist. Presently the
Cupar Museum is a member of the Qu'Appelle Valley Network liasing
with other museum members in the group.
And it all started with one little
idea: “What do you think about starting a museum in Cupar?”
