Earlier in 2024, Sodbusters Archives Museum in Strome was in a bit of a predicament. Board members were retiring, and there appeared to be no one to take their places.
The board put out a letter ahead of their planned annual general meeting on April 24, saying, “The Strome Museum is in Danger of Closing.”
The board was in dire need for volunteers to fill some key roles like President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer, and also needed casual volunteers throughout the year.
Present Secretary/Treasurer Marie Harty says 17 people showed up to the AGM, which was quite a good response. Not only did it demonstrate that the community at large cared about keeping the museum, but the board also filled those important roles necessary to keep the official society.
Although the board would still like to have a separate secretary and treasurer instead of having one person fill both roles, Harty, who currently holds the position, says she was never averse to serving on the museum board, she was happy to do it, but felt like being asked personally, as some of the other new board members were, was the key to filling the position.
For new board President Shana Kerr, she says she didn’t want to see the community lose such a valuable and impressive archive. “I’m very busy, but I also love history, and I knew it would be worth it.”
She says when she saw the letter, she became worried about the future of Sodbuster’s Museum, as others were. “I think everyone who is new on the board is here because we recognize how important the museum is to the community, and we want to see it continue.”
Harty and Kerr say that the spring work bee to ready the museum for opening was also very successful, with nearly 20 people showing up to help.
The momentum gained from the board gaining some new faces in the spring carried over to a grand opening barbeque held in June, where a large crowd showed up to celebrate and support the museum. A pie auction was particularly popular. “It was fun, the board felt surrounded by a supportive community and we raised a little money.”
As the new members settle into their roles, they are discovering that many of the existing long-time members do a lot at the museum without ever being asked, and both Harty and Kerr say they are extremely grateful for hardworking past and present board members and friends of the museum who’ve put so much hard work and love into the collection and display over the past 38 years.
They say they are lucky to have board member Josh Wagner, who also works at the museum over the summer, and has for the past three years. He acts as a tour guide to visitors and also works on the collection and displays. Despite his youth, Wagner says that while growing up he participated in the kids programs at the museum every year. As a little boy, he says he even attended the museum camp, and now holds the summer position.
That position used to be manned by board volunteers, but there came a point where that generation got older, or moved away, and it just wasn’t feasible anymore, so the board moved to a paid position.
Wagner was an obvious choice, not only was he willing, enthusiastic, and interested, but he’s also very familiar with the museum and with the hamlet, having grown up spending many summer days at the facility.
Not only does the museum enjoy drop-in visitors, enticed by the highway signs along Highway 13 advertising the hours, but they also book private tours. Wagner says he just hosted a group from Camrose of around 15 people, who were also members of a geneology group. He says they were extremely impressed by the museum. Another private tour from Galahad Long Term Care is scheduled for this summer. Last year both Daysland and Killam groups also toured the museum privately.
Wagner says he really looks forward to those tours.
“My favourite part is when visitors bring their own memories of being in the hall when it was used as a hall. That’s the type of feeling we want to share, there are so many people that have those types of memories.”
Harty says that’s true whether one has memories of growing up in the Strome and district, or anywhere in a rural community. She says that for her, and in her experience, reinforcing those memories through also volunteering or serving on the board helps form bonds both to the facility and to the greater community.
The new board says they inherited a fairly healthy bank account, and a facility that’s in quite good condition. They are in the process of replacing their oldest mannequins, which were being described by young visitors as a little frightening. The exterior murals and stucco have all been updated in the past two years.
As far as a wish list, they would like to make the museum more accessible to all, and that means updating their bathroom to make it wheelchair accessible. They are also thinking of upgrading the furnaces to be more energy efficient. “The bathroom is a priority to make the museum more accessible by next season,” Harty says, adding, “Both projects will only be possible with donations or funding from outside sources.”
She says that while the museum operated summers with volunteers, the board was able to put money aside, but now that they have an employee, that money will need to be raised each year. The museum society is able to attend casinos to raise funds, and accept donations from visitors and benefactors in the community. The board is also considering a fundraiser event this fall, with the details still to be worked out. Harty says, “Casino funds keep the power and gas on, but operations are what we need to raise funds for.”
The board has a donation policy that serves them very well. Every museum that belongs to the provincial museum society must accept donations, log them, and keep them in perpetuity.
The Sodbusters Archive Museum board has a set collections management policy that allows them to curate their collection in a way that minimizes duplicate items, and allows the collection to grow at a measured pace. Wagner says, “It’s getting the back story of these items that’s also so important, along with the artifacts themselves.”
At their meetings the board discusses a variety of things; if someone has an idea for a new display, or a way to enhance an existing display, the meetings are a great sounding board to do that. Kerr says it’s important for people to know how it all works, and to realize how easy it is to make an impact to this local archive. “New members have brought new ideas, but we also need the stability from our older members. We wouldn’t be here if they had not led the way.”
Kerr says she never saw herself raising a family in Strome, having come from out-of-province, but says, “You don’t have to come from a community to be part of it.”
Wagner says that he’s seen visitors from all over Canada and even the US come to the museum, but the furthest he’s had visitors come was when a father and two of his daughters from China came to visit Canada for the first time and stopped by, “They spent over two hours here, they loved it.”
The museum is open from Thursday to Saturday through July and August.
Leslie Cholowsky
Editor