Kindersley Chamber Feature The Kindersley & District Plains Museum
Preserving the past for the future.
The museum is an awesome place to see and follow the history of Kindersley and area. Although not certain of the exact date that the museum began, it is thought that, because the earliest collection largely consisted of war memorabilia, veterans may have established it in the 1950’s. The museum was housed upstairs over top of the library for many years until finally moving to its current location, just east of Kindersley.
On October 18th of 1990, nine acres of land was purchased and included a building that was once an implement dealer. The Grand Opening of this new site was June 14th, 1991. The museum collection consists of one main building that houses offices, a full functioning kitchen and several shops for equipment maintenance. As well, there is an archaeological room with both paleontological and geological artifacts (rocks, fossils and hunting tools) discovered in the Kindersley area. There is also a showroom depicting pioneer era rooms, a camera exhibit, a hospital room exhibit, a barber shop exhibit and a period clothing exhibit. In addition, the main building has a small film-viewing area and an exhibit recognizing the former Rex Theatre, as well as displays focused on household pioneer tools, hunting and other miscellaneous artifacts.
On the grounds outside you will see eight historic buildings including the former Brock railway station house, a blacksmith shop, post office, school, church, fire station and printing shop. There are multiple tractors, a plough, cultivator, threshing machine, a horse drawn road grader and various other machinery.
The mission of the Kindersley and District Museum is “Preserving the Past for the Future” and is reflected in this collection which is a visual chronicle of Kindersley and surrounding area from the time of the first settlers until the 1970’s when the community had begun to grow to be what it is today, the major centre of west central Saskatchewan. Kindersley has always been a strong agricultural centre and with the addition of oil and gas exploration, this area has been a powerhouse for years.
The majority of the collection consists of items donated by local residents who have either used the artifacts or offered them from family estates. The museum contains a large supply of photographs and other written material that provides a valuable resource for residents tracing their genealogical roots or the development of the community.
The Kindersley Tourist Information Booth is located here as well as the office of the Kindersley Chamber of Commerce.
The kitchen and Great hall are available for rent. Call the museum for details.
And now its time for this antique to sign off from writing this article.