UNITY — Although the busy summer days at the Unity and District Heritage Museum are coming to an end, the volunteers still have the winter months to keep them busy. The buildings have been closed, the vehicles stored away, small repairs made and water lines have been cleared with the help of the Town of Unity Public Works Department.
This year, the museum had a few new additions to the grounds. The biggest change was the building of a heated garage which was funded by an anonymous donor. It was announced in the last museum report and online that the museum would be taking suggestions for naming the new building. At September’s meeting, the board agreed upon the name Prairie Heritage Garage.
Shop volunteers have already begun to use the garage as it is much brighter in there than in the area they were used to working in. They were able to put a used motor into the Ford Mercury truck with some additional repairs and by Oct. 4 they were driving around the grounds.
Volunteer Chris Martin received a call from the Wilkie Museum, looking for help safely storing a Ford car for the time being, as the building they had it in was no longer suitable for the antique.
“We were told it was a Model A but from the dash it is a Model T. We are still waiting for more information on it and the men in the shop are planning to check over it this winter to see if it will run,” she said.
Other smaller projects done over the year include a Western Red Lily bed along the Adanac Hall when the deck had to be removed due to rotting. If you have any slips when you divide your bulbs in the spring, the museum would be happy to take them in hopes of having more pops of colour for July 1.
There will also be a plaque on display soon to display the names of those who have donated large sums of money to the museum, personally or as a memorial. It will be on display in the office once completed.
Over the course of the summer, 800 visited the museum. A total of 230 artifacts were donated, bringing the museum’s total to 17,368 items on display. Sixty-eight volunteers helped over the year with 4,147 hours of work however the year is not yet over.
Volunteers will be starting the Sunday pancake brunches Nov. 5 at the Adanac Hall. These brunches are the museum’s biggest fundraiser and the funds that come in usually keep the museum going for the year. The number of patrons taking in the brunches has shown a steady increase and board members say they are excited to see more come out.
The board reviewed some policies this past year, including overnight camping. Another policy that had to be re-evaluated was the use of the grounds when booking the hall. The cost associated with booking the hall does not include full use of the grounds, which has a different cost. If you have any questions, contact the museum.
Martin stresses the need for new members.
“We would love to see you here, learning and participating in the running and upkeep of the UDHM.”
The members meet the third Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. on the grounds at the Adanac Hall.
“Sit in on a few meetings to see if we fit your ideal. It won’t cost you an arm or a leg to join, just the use of them,” Martin says.
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