School Day on Our Grounds

Kendall Salmon with students Sierra, (8) and Levi (7)

Today was a fun filled day for a group of  home-schooled kids from the Pincher Creek area.  They spent time on the grounds learning how to make butter, getting tours, making a log-cabin craft, and having show and tell.  They ate their lunch out of a lunch pail and some of the kids even dressed up to get into the spirit.

Kids Discovery Day

Today, we will have kids from 6-12 years old learning about what it's like working at the village.  Should be a lot of fun and a lot of learning.

What is Happening at the Village?

Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village is forward thinking and dynamic for a home town museum.  We have many projects on the go, designed to make this a better facility for tourists, and the people in the community that we serve.  Over the last several years, we have upgraded, painted, planned, polished, planted, cleaned, and expanded.  We have updated the original museum building, creating a false front that pays tribute to many of the buildings that were on Main Street Pincher Creek, and refinished the exterior of Pioneer Place, the entrance to the grounds.  We have taken over the old trailer park and transformed it into a gorgeous community garden, tree nursery and outdoor learning center for ecological seminars. There is a learning center indoors, as well as the Fishburn School for the authentic experience for educational tours and programs. The addition of the Farmers’ Market on Fridays and the animals seasonally have also been a huge success.

This upcoming year will see even more change and innovation.  We will be bringing in four unique buildings that used to reside on Main Street.  One of these buildings will be the original Union Bank dating to 1899 in Pincher Creek.  Imagine a world when your bank could be made of wood.  These historic structures will greatly add to the "village" atmosphere of our museum and incorporate the use of the entrance off of James Avenue.  

We are moving forward with the development of our 1920s display that will be housed in the Cyr house, brought in last year. An upcoming project at the museum that will see the east entrance of the Beere Hall transformed into a representation of the Co-op's long history in this community, in three dimension facade.  Four years ago we accomplished a similar feat with the west facade.  

We will be selling advertising space in the newly expanded village, including having companies pay for the privilege of having their logos painted on milk bottles or burlap sacks.  We felt this would be a nice way to integrate sponsorship into our displays, very visible but not distracting from the atmosphere we are creating.

Less visible, but even more important, we have had people working feverishly cataloguing and doing research and projects.  You can join in our Work Day Wednesday Program simply by coming in on a Wednesday and offering to volunteer.  It really is that simple.  

Curator Farley Wuth will be unveiling the long awaited “Prairie Grass to Mountain Pass” updating the book that was originally published in 1974.  There is to be a wine and cheese book release July 11 to celebrate this grand event.  We will be auctioning off the first book out of the box to a hopeful and excited history buff.

Our many events this season include the Queens Jubilee Tea, Canada Day, Fibre Arts Week, Community and Garden Bus Tour,  Prohibition Gala, and Harvest Fest. Remember to visit us every Friday between June 8 and October 19 between the hours of 11am to 2pm for our Pioneer Market.

We have served the community of Pincher Creek since 1966, and are always striving for better ways to make this a better place for all who visit.

Jubilee a success

The "Tea, Trees and a Tiara" event was held at Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village (KBPV) on Monday afternoon, May 21 to celebrate  Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s 60th Jubilee. It was also a celebration of local residents Jane Rutledge and Gladys Burns, who each turned 100 years of age in May of this year.  The ladies arrived in style. They were given a corsage, picked up by Ray Degan in an antique Beaumont convertible, and driven right to the doorway of the party, where they joined over one hundred other celebrants.

Thank you Ray, driver of the day.

Thank-you to Bloomin’ Inn Catering, Perfect Posies Greenhouse, Department of Canadian Heritage, Ray Degan, Denise Somerville, Pauline Breeze, Carol Berridge, Joan Glen, our board of directors, staff and volunteers that helped to make this a day filled with grace and joy.

Bob Westrop acted as Emcee for the event.  KBPV Curator Farley Wuth discussed the history of Queen Elizabeth and her past relationship with the area. She visited here while she was still a princess.  Later in the day Wuth gave an exposition about the Rutledge and Burns family histories.

Mayor Olsen presents certificates to Jane Rutledge

Mayor Ernie Olsen delivered a special message to each of these ladies from the Town of Pincher Creek.  He presented them with certificates of honour from the MLA, Premier, Prime Minister, Governor General and the Queen. To celebrate the occasion, the Pincher Creek and District Historical Society will plant on the museum grounds three new trees that were on display beside the stage.

Gladys Burns wishes will come true

The Project Muse quartet gave a stirring rendition of 'God Save the Queen' to open the event and set a tone of refinement and elegance during the tea. Two rounds of Happy Birthday were sung while Rutledge and Burns blew out the candles on their cakes.  More music ensued, provided by Phil Lethbridge and Jackie Therieault, who played many favorite selections of those gathered.  They also fulfilled a special request made by Jane Rutledge, the Tennesse Waltz.  Steven Rutledge led Jane in the waltz, capping off a perfect afternoon.

Lambs and Summer staff are here now!

New things are happening at the village!  Baby lambs are being fed by our new summer staff, Megan and Laura.

Kootenai Brown to Create Co-op Exhibit

Pincher Creek Co-op to be highlighted in new museum exhibit

Colleen Cyr, Co-op AGM

Pincher Creek and District Historical Society President Colleen Cyr again appeared before the membership, as she did last year, to tout the new permanent exhibit being created at Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village, which will celebrate pioneer businesses in the community, including the Co-op.  Part of the exhibit will include antique milk cans, bottles, and burlap sacks which can be emblazoned with the logo of businesses that contribute to the construction of the exhibit.  "What I had talked about last year is that the Co-op over the 90 year history of it being in Pincher Creek was in five different buildings, all of which are burned down now," Cyr said, "but we have pictures of everything,  so what we're proposing to do is, we're going to build  3-D facades of all five Co-op buildings on the east end of the Beere Hall, in the middle of Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village.  On the west side we did facades of the commercial business district of 1900 to 1950...of about six different stores."

"We need to raise a bit of cash to do this," Cyr continued.  "I've talked to the Co-op about putting a few dollars into this, but we wanted the community to get involved as well.  In the window of the creamery... we're wanting to put cream cans from the families that still might have their cream cans at home, with your name  on it, and we have the opportunity to put your cream can in the window of the creamery, where it will stay forever.  If you've got your cream can with your name on it, it's $250 to donate it.  If you'd like to be part of the project and you don't have a cream can ...at $250 we have some cream cans that we can make available for to you for $50 (extra).  The really neat thing about this is, Arnie Thompson is still here, and he's the one who wrote everybody's name on their cream cans for years and years at the Co-op, and he is going to put the names on the cream cans again."  Cyr said the burlap feed sacks with people's name or business name on them would also be available for $100, to be part of the loading dock display of the lumber-yard portion of the exhibit.

Source Reference:  http://www.pinchercreekvoice.com/2012/04/co-op-celebrates-90-years-at-agm.html#more

Chicken Cam

Hi everyone.  As you know, we have gotten permission once again to have chickens on our site.  What you may not know is the day to day lives of chickens, once the people walk away.  Enjoy a brief look at our newest flock, via Chicken Cam.

http://www.pinchercreekvoice.com/2012/04/chicken-cam.html

Annual AGM Announcement

Pincher Creek and District Historical Society

Are holding their Annual General Meeting at Monday May 7, 7:00 pm
At 1037 Bev McLachlin Drive
Everyone is invited, Refreshments available.
General meeting to folllow.

KBPV Easter Closure

Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village will be closed on Friday, April 6th through Monday April 9, 2012 for Easter.   We will be back for our regular hours from 8:30am-4:30 pm Tuesday April 10.

We are sorry for any inconvenience.

KBPV Goes to Town Council

Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village President Colleen Cyr goes to council in support of the Historial Society. http://www.pinchercreekvoice.com/2012/03/museum-pres-takes-town-council-to-task.html