OUTLOOK - It was a busy summer for the Outlook & District Heritage Museum and although the season may have come to a close, there is a lot going on inside the former CPR station that houses more than 3,000 artifacts depicting the history of Outlook and area.
Kathryn King is the museum manager, a position that reflects her enthusiasm for the place. “I started as a Friend of the Museum,” she said. “I just kind of had an interest in it.”
As manager, Kathryn has worked to bring more of the community through the museum doors. Having spent her whole life in Outlook, she places great value on keeping its stories and artifacts front and centre. “It’s the history of Outlook,” she remarked.” I just like to be part of the community, show the history and share the heritage.”
New initiatives have certainly caught the attention of visitors, notably a gallery in the front room featuring the work of local artists in exhibits that change periodically. In the same area is a timeline that has proven to be very popular, documenting events from 1907 when the land was selected to build the bridge, to 2022 when the last section house was demolished. “Many people takes pictures of it,” Kathryn remarked. “They are fascinated.”
Other new exhibits include a sports room and the revamping of the war room. The hospital room is currently set up as an operating room but there are plans in the future for it to become a NICU. A lot of work has gone into each room and plans are to rotate artifacts to keep the displays fresh and new.
A bathroom renovation has been a positive addition making the entire building accessible. This prompted Kathryn to initiate a conversation to move the weekly farmer’s market from downtown to the museum property two years ago. The Outdoor Markets were popular events throughout the summer and certainly increased the traffic around the museum. “I just wanted to bring more of the community here,” she said, “and it brought in lots of visitors.”
Future projects in the works are adding Laurie Tollefsen and Roger Pederson to the Agricultural Hall of Fame, as well as beginning work on an irrigation exhibit, for which the museum is seeking funding.
Not only are things moving inside the museum, soon it will be on the move outside its walls. “We started a travelling suitcase with our indigenous artifacts,” Kathryn explained. “We have a huge collection so our summer students researched all of them.” Kathryn has reached out to the SunWest school division to get a knowledge keeper to approve what they have so the collection can travel to schools this winter. “And then our museum will be everywhere,” Kathryn said enthusiastically.
One of the biggest changes on the museum grounds is the opening of The Bounty Theatre. Efforts to move and restore the building were undertaken by a group of interested supporters and there was tremendous excitement this spring when events began taking place inside. It is run under the same umbrella as the museum so bookings are made through Kathryn. As reported in The Outlook on September 21, another legacy donation was received from Gordon and Autumn Silverthorn so there are plans to add bathrooms and a kitchenette. The next project will be fundraising to add heat.
Kathryn can’t say enough about the museum board and the community champions who are behind all of this work. Using descriptors such as “amazing,” and “so dedicated” she mentioned the work Gary and Geri Joyes, Sean Ferguson, Gary Jebson, Lauren Featherby, Oliver Johnson and Lorne Blosky noting there are so many it’s hard to name just a few. “The Friends of the Museum are so awesome and so is the board,” she remarked, “and for sure we wouldn’t be where we are without the support of the town.”
The museum runs entirely on fundraising efforts so while events like Santa Paws, Jail and Bail, and Prairie Fest help cover operating costs, Kathryn applies for grants to cover additional expenses and projects. She applied for a grant to fund events surrounding National Day for Truth and Reconciliation including a demonstration by George Fayant who has been building Red River Carts since 1998; and the Blanket Exercise, a workshop to help people understand how colonization of this land impacted those who were here before settlers arrived.
Anyone wanting to support the museum or book a private tour is invited to email [email protected]. The Outlook town office can also take donations.
For Kathryn, everything going on at the museum is about two things: history and community. “That is what I want most,” she remarked, “to get more of the community involved and to keep the history of Outlook alive.”
