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Historical Museum Changes

Jul 17, 2013 | 9:14 AM

Historical Museum Changes – Allison McQueen

I have worked as a Summer Tour Guide for the Prince Albert Historical Society for three summers. Each summer, there is something different to learn or see at the Historic Museum. Just off to the right of the entrance to the Prince Albert Historical Museum is the Serjeant Room, named after Bob Serjeant, a past president of the Historical Society. Within the Serjeant Room we maintain a display that changes from year to year. Of late, the displays have been related to centennial years in Prince Albert’s history.

In 2011, the year I started as a tour guide, we set up a video display in the Serjeant Room. It was nothing fancy – just a slide show of pictures demonstrating the last 100 or so years of women’s fashions. The video was in honor of our new display, Women’s Fashions for the Past 100 Years. In 2012 we did something bigger. In honor of the Century of Flight Airshow happening in early August, we had a Century of Flight display, complete with a working, computerized flight simulator visitors could test out. This display also contained a video visitors could watch, which described the advent of air travel in Prince Albert.

This year, I continue to be impressed with the changes being made at the Historical Museum. Every effort is being made to ensure that the museum is as technologically advanced as it ought to be. The ever-changing Serjeant Room now contains a display commemorating the 100 year anniversary of the La Colle Falls dam project. On our largest television, we have an informational video called Dam Shame to help visitors understand how the La Colle Falls dam project came about. In my opinion, this is the most informative and interesting video we have shown in the Serjeant Room! The newly mounted smaller television residing in the same room plays a slide show that gives visitors a chance to understand more about the La Colle Falls dam project and its effect on the city.

Changes to bring the Historical Museum a little bit farther into the 21st Century have been made in other rooms as well. Above our Front Desk is a slide show that tells visitors a little bit about Prince Albert. We also have a brand new cash register to handle admissions and souvenirs. The new till is a little bit less charming than our old one, but twice as functional. The old till is still on display – if you are interested in seeing how it works, ask one of our tour guides! On our newest TV in the Connaught Room, a video tells visitors about the 1885 events that took place in Prince Albert. Modernizing changes have not just been confined to the Historical Museum though. At the Diefenbaker House Museum we are proud to be showing a variety of new videos about Diefenbaker, his early life and his political life. Such videos are a definite enhancement to the Diefenbaker House experience.

Please take the time to stop by your Prince Albert Museums this summer. We are excited to hear feedback from the community!