CITY CLERK 50 , -=" ( .C..,""'~ \-\E-E

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lORiwrStzeetEut I PrinceAlbert, SK I S6V8A9 I i[p] 306.764.2992 1 [e] [email protected] 1 fw] www.historypa.com

September 9, 2020 SEP 11 2020 Dear Mayor and Members of Council:, CITY CLERK 50 , -=" ( .c..,""'~ \-\e-e.... As you know, the Historical Society operates four museums in partnership with the City of Prince Albert- the Histor,ical Museum, the John and Olive Diefenbaker Museum National Historic Site, the Evolution of Education Museum, and the Rotary Museum of Police and Corrections. These museums showcase the cornerstones of Prince Albert's history.

The year 2020 has not been normal! by any stretch, but the Historical Society has been hard at work taking care of the bui1ldings and collections during this time when there have been few visitors. The Covid-19 shurtd'own in March allowed us to complete a variety of projects, including several of which were initiated by City Administration, including the Indigenous r,iverbank signage. Fortunately, the Province allowed museums to open at the end of June, and after preparing a detai,led pwtocol for our safe re-opening, we opened fully on July 10, salvaging approximately half our normal summer season.

Pdor to Covid-19, the Manager/Curator travelled to Ottawa to accept a finalist award for the Governor General's Award for Excellence in Community Programming, earned as a result of the creation of the Indigenous Murals at the Historical Museum. This not only contributed to the City's object ive to achiev.f? reconcirliation with our indigenous citrizens, but also brought national recognition and honour to the City of Prince Albert.

The Society has been working hard to increase programs available to the academic community. We hired a Museum Educator in January. He created eight programs available at two of our museums, and led programming durj.ng the February break, as well as preparing suitable programming for the upcomirng Culture Days events. The programs developed for the Diefenbaker House museum are meant to complement the middle school yea rs' curriculum, w~th such topics as the levels of government and parliamentary debate, nighl'ighting the work that John Diefenbaker did in Ottawa. At the Historical Museum, treaty education and the fur trade are the first programs to have been developed . These programs not onlY align with the

~ ~ioce r'- ~ Albert 5A5K ILDTTEAIE5

Dr. C. H. & Lenore Andrews Philip E. West

school’s curriculum outcomes, but also with the City’s goals of providing understanding and reconciliation for the Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents.

The Historical Society and Historical Museum are sought out as resources for professional education development, and the manager/curator has been contracted twice in 2020 by the Museums Association of Saskatchewan to teach courses on museum fundamentals. This year the Historical Society has also received and accepted two requests for job placements/internships from two educational facilities- Dumont Technical Institute and Athabasca University. These placements have given the individuals involved experience which allowed them to complete their educational requirements.

Having a shortened summer season, the Society only used two-thirds of the annual interpreter budget. It cannot, however, be anticipated that this reduced expenditure will occur in future years. The Society applied for and received funding from Young Canada Works and the Canada Summer Job grant programme for an approximate total of $20,000, which offsets our City funding.

Internally, the Society has applied for and received four Covid-19 related funding opportunities- Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (March 18 to present- approx. $16,000), Temporary Wage Subsidy (3 month- $1,489), CEBA Loan ($40,000), Canadian Heritage Emergency Funding for Heritage Institutions ($18,000). Our revenue dropped an average of 87% between April and June, July was 68%; at this time, we do not have figures for August. These funds will be put toward various projects for the Historical Society. The CEBA loan will be used to fund the 2021 reconstruction of the blockhouse along the riverbank, and the Canadian Heritage Emergency Fund will pay the salary of a full-time Museum Educator for the first part of 2021. A further grant application, submitted to Cameco in April, unfortunately, was denied. It is possible, however, that the work done on this grant application may be utilised in applying for another grant this autumn.

The Society has also applied for other project funding, but because of Covid-19, the decisions have been delayed until later this fall. These project funds include a grant to help reconstruct the Church and Blockhouse, as well as Federal Government funding to commemorate the Residential Schools in Prince Albert. We are hopeful our grants will be successful so we can continue to aid the City in their community goals of promoting culture and reconciliation.

The Historical Society will continue to plan fundraising events to help us fund a variety of projects in 2021. Three events were postponed in the spring due to Covid-19, including “A Night at the Museum,” our rummage/antique sale of properly deaccessioned items from the Society’s collections, and our annual Crocus Tea. We are working to reschedule these events as soon as safe to do so, as well as two other events (another afternoon of house tours and a garden tour). An event planned for the spring of 2021 is the Living History event. Living History is a drama group that visits communities putting on various interactive plays that highlight local history. They also provide an opportunity for local high school drama programs and theatre groups, such as the Community Players, to participate in developmental classes. We are very excited to have the Living History group come to the Museums and perform for Prince Albert.

In 2017, the City signed over the Andrews Bequest to the Historical Society. The bequest, from Dr. C.H. and Lenore Andrews, had grown from the original $100,000 to approximately $145,000. Thank you to the City of Prince Albert for holding onto these funds. Since that time, the Historical Society has completed work within the Historical Museum, renovating the archives and artefact storage systems and areas, as well as changing and adding LED lights in various areas. The Andrews Bequest has allowed the Society to find matching grants for most of the work done in the last two years. We were able to use $35,000 to match two federal Museums Assistance Program grants to complete these upgrades at a total cost of over $70,000. Because we have been able to use/find matching grants, we still have approximately $60,000 left of the bequest, which is stipulated by Lenore Andrews’ will and the executor to be used for museum upgrades.

Looking forward to 2021, it is important for the Historical Society to maintain a Museum Educator on staff. During the pandemic, our outgoing educator created the aforementioned programs for schools. However, we were unable to take them to schools. The Society needs to continue to develop and run school and public programs to increase self-generated operational funding. Without the educator this will not be possible. In this pandemic time, we cannot ask our aging volunteers to go into an environment that may risk their health.

Similar to the Mann Gallery’s request for an increase in operational funding, the Historical Society is requesting an additional $20,000 that would pay half the wages for an Educator. The Historical Society will continue to look for additional funding from government and non- government sources to make the position permanent full-time, meeting the goals and aims of both the Historical Society and the City of Prince Albert.

The Board of Directors of the Prince Albert Historical Society believes that we effectively and efficiently manage the money which the City provides us, and we will continue to do so. Through seeking out matching grants, we have been able to extend those funds to improve the facilities which we manage, as well as to assist the City in the implementation of programs which meet the City’s goals and objectives with respect to cultural programming and its objectives of reconciliation with our indigenous citizens.

We believe that we have a positive relationship with the City, and we are proud to be able to contribute to its goals and objectives, making Prince Albert a more desirable place for visitors and for its residents.

Sincerely,

Michelle Taylor Fred Payton Manager/Curator President

Prince Albert Historical Society Budget Income Statement Budget 2020 Budget 2021 REVENUE Sales Revenue Admission - Adult 4,200 Admission - Student 200 Admission - Family 2,000 5,000 Admission - Day Pass (all museums) 1,600 Groups (no tours) Tours 1,500 Memberships 1,400 1,400 Events 1,500 1,000 Fundraising 2,000 2,500 Fundraising - Living History 3,000 Tea Room 900 900 Rent 50 50 Education Program 500

Total Sales Revenue 15,350 14,350 Prince Albert Historical Society Budget Income Statement Budget 2020 Budget 2021 Gift Shop Sales Publications 1,000 500 Garage Sale 0 Historical Museum Souvenirs 600 250 Education Souvenirs 50 Diefenbaker Museum Souvenirs 100 Other Location Souvenirs 100 0 Archives Sales 50 150 Total Souvenir Sales 1,900 900

Donations - Tax Receipt Donations - Tax Receipt - Cash 800 800 Donations - Tax Receipt - Cash Archives Donations - Tax Receipt - in Kind 800 800 Total Donations - Tax Receipt 1,600 1,600 Prince Albert Historical Society Budget Income Statement Budget 2020 Budget 2021 Other Donations Historical Museum Donations 650 300 Police Museum Donation 50 50 Education Museum Donation 50 50 Diefenbaker Museum Donations 250 150 Donations - deaccessioned / other Archive Donations 150 150 Other donations Total Other Donations 1,150 700

Grants CEWS Wage Subsidy 0 TWS Temp Wage Subsidy 0 SaskCulture Museums Assistance 22,000 30,000 City P.A. - Society budget support 16,594 16,594 City P.A. - Manager's wages 53,251 53,251 City P.A. - Vehicle Allowance 1,224 1,224 Sask Archaeological Society 350 350 YCW - Internship Other Grant 60 60 Total Grants 93,479 101,479 Prince Albert Historical Society Budget Income Statement Budget 2020 Budget 2021 Other Revenue Federal GST rebate 1,500 1,500 Chequing Interest 100 100 Investment Interest 1,800 1,500 Misc. Revenue 50 50 Total Other Revenue 3,450 3,150

Project Revenues Andrews Bequest (lighting + capital) 60,000 60,000 West Bequest (for Church/Blockhouse) 25,000 Reno Projects Sask Archaeological Society - Grant Nisbet Church and 1885 Blockhouse (GoFundM 200,000 Shelving and Storage (MAP) 0 Re-org Cataloguing First Nations Artifacts Art Stimulus / Murals 0 Display of FN Artifacts SGAA (IGP) Grant Emergency Support Fund NEW - Capital Projects 0 Plus Deferred Revenue - Beginning of Year Less Deferred Revenue - End of Year Total Project Revenues 285,000 60,000

TOTAL REVENUE 401,929 182,179

EXPENSE

Cost of Goods Sold Events 1,500 1,500 Fundraising expenses 1,500 1,500 Fundraising expenses - Living History 1,500 Tea Room Expenses 0 0 Publications for resale 500 500 Souvenirs (CD's etc.) 500 500 Total Cost of Goods Sold 4,000 5,500 Prince Albert Historical Society Budget Income Statement Budget 2020 Budget 2021 Payroll Expenses 2021 Payroll budget: - 3% increase for Michelle & Darlene, Todd's recommendation Wages 62,592 64,470 Wages - 1 extra person 20,000 Retroactive Wages 0 0 Holiday & Stat Pay 4,630 4,769 Banked Hours Employer EI Expense 1,534 1,580 Employer CPP Expense 2,974 3,063 Employer WCB Expense 612 630 Health Insurance Benefit 1,056 1,056 Life Insurance Benefit 96 96 Pension Benefit 1,050 1,050 Vehicle Allowance 1,200 1,200 Benefits (office admin & educator) 3,000 Museum Educator (6mos@ $18/hr) 18,720 Museum Educator VP, EI, CPP, WCB 2,625 Total Payroll Expense 95,745 102,260

Communication Expenses Advertising & promotion 6,000 4,000 Collection Communication 1,000 1,200 Special Gallery Display & Events 1,000 1,000 Exhibit Galleries Display 2,000 2,000 Programing Supplies 1,000 1,000 Programing equip. & services 250 250 Summer Staff Party 300 300 Total Communication Expense 11,550 9,750

Collection/Archives Expense Reference material 250 250 Collection/Archives Supplies 2,500 2,500 Collection/Archives equip. purch. 1,000 1,200 Tax receipted Gift in Kind 500 800 Total Collection/Archives Expense 4,250 4,750 Prince Albert Historical Society Budget Income Statement Budget 2020 Budget 2021

Other Expenses Building Maint. & Occupancy Costs 2,000 2,500 Building equip. purchase 500 500 Office equip. purch. 500 500 Office Expenses 3,400 3,000 Licenses & Memberships 885 1,000 Training 1,500 1,500 Travel 1,000 1,000 Review engagement 4,000 4,200 Contracts- Strategic Plannin 5,000 0 Honouraria 100 0 Financial Service Charges 100 Cash Short (Over) on tills Bad debts Misc. Total Other Expenses 18,885 14,300

Project Expenditure Andrews Bequest 25,000 60,000 Reno Projects Sask Archaeological Society Nisbet Church and 1885 Blockhouse 200,000 Shelving and Storage (MAP) 0 Re-Org 0 Cataloguing First Nations Artifacts (note 1) 15,000 Art Stimulus / Murals 0 Display of FN Artifacts SCAA - IGP Grant Electrical (lighting/archives/storage/display) 35,000 Deferred costs from prior year Capital Projects 0 Tea Room Reno's Total Project Expenditures 275,000 60,000

TOTAL EXPENSE 409,430 196,560 NET INCOME -7,501 -14,381 Grant Thornton

Financial Statements

Prince Albert Historical Society

December 31, 2019 Prince Albert Historical Society

Contents

Page

Independent Practitioner's Review Engagement Report 1

Statement of Revenues and Expenses 2

Statement of Changes in Net Assets 3

Statement of Financial Position 4

Statement of Cash Flows 5

Notes to the Financial Statements 6-8 Grant Thornton

Independent Practitioner's Review Engagement Report Grant Thornton LLP 321 Marquis Road Prince Albert, SK S6V 5K2

T +1 306 764 3552 F +1 306 764 3771 www.GrantThornton.ca

To the Directors of Prince Albert Historical Society

We have reviewed the accompanying financial statements of Prince Albert Historical Society that comprise the statement of financial position as at December 31, 2019, and the statements of revenues and expenses, changes in net assets, and cash flows for the year then ended, and a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information.

Management's responsibility for the financial statements Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these financial statements in accordance with Canadian accounting standards for not-for-profit organizations, and for such internal control as management determines is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

Practitioner's responsibility Our responsibility is to express a conclusion on the accompanying financial statements based on our review. We conducted our review in accordance with Canadian generally accepted standards for review engagements, which require us to comply with relevant ethical requirements.

A review of financial statements in accordance with Canadian generally accepted standards for review engagements is a limited assurance engagement. The practitioner performs procedures, primarily consisting of making inquiries of management and others within the entity, as appropriate, and applying analytical procedures, and evaluates the evidence obtained.

The procedures performed in a review are substantially Jess in extent than, and vary in nature from, those performed in an audit conducted in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards. Accordingly, we do not express an audit opinion on these financial statements.

Conclusion Based on our review, nothing has come to our attention that causes us to believe that the financial statements do not present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Prince Albert Historical Society as at December 31, 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with Canadian accounting standards for not-for-profit organizations.

Prince Albert, Canada March 2, 2020 Chartered Professional Accountants

I' 1 Prince Albert Historical Society Statement of Revenues and Expenses Year ended December 31 2019 2018

Revenues Grants $ 125,804 $ 118,526 Donations 25,493 49,902 Admission 11,211 11,325 Fundraising and events 6,249 3,211 Miscellaneous 5,596 5,348 Souvenirs and publications 1,683 2,894 Memberships 1,600 1,400

177,636 192,606

Expenses Salaries and wages 70,867 66,262 Office equipment 24,917 56,349 Contracts and honorariums 24,628 12,000 Supplies 13,885 8,446 Renovations 12,447 27,979 Office 7,559 3,510 Repairs and maintenance 7,395 3,324 Travel 6,871 4,439 Advertising and promotion 4,378 3,860 Professional fees 4,519 3,830 Fundraising and events 1,078 3,291 Licenses and memberships 907 802 Souvenirs and publications 685 921 Interest and bank charges 332 260 Bad debts 230

180,698 195,273

Deficiency of revenues over expenses $ p,062) $ ~2,667)

See accompanying notes to the financial statements. 2 Prince Albert Historical Society Statement of Changes in Net Assets Year ended December 31

Total Total 2019 2018

Balance, beginning of year $ 39,848 $ 42,515

Deficiency of revenues over expenses (3,062) {2,667)

Balance, end of year $ 36.,786 $ 39,848

See accompanying notes to the financial statements. 3 Prince Albert Historical Society Statement of Financial Position December 31 2019 2018

Assets Current Cash $ 33,809 $ 38,599 Restricted cash (Note 3) 12,789 17,379 Short term investments (Note 4) 103,183 100,839 Accounts receivable 412 515 Goods and Services Tax receivable 989 1,097 Prepaid expenses 2,495 1,855 Inventory 6,415 6,790

160,092 167,074

Long-term investments (Note 5) 330 330

$ 160,422 $ 167,404

Liabilities Current Accounts payable $ 4,865 $ 4,293 Wages payable 1,050 264 Source deductions payable 1,720 Provincial Sales Tax payable 29 29 Deferred revenue (Note 6) 115,972 122,970

123,636 127,556

Net assets 36,786 39,848

$ 160,422 $ 167,404

See accompanying notes to the financial statements. 4 Prince Albert Historical Society Statement of Cash Flows Year ended December 31 2019 2018

Increase (decrease) in cash

Operating Deficiency of revenues over expenses $ (3,062) $ (2,667) Change in non-cash working capital items Accounts receivable 103 (158) Goods and Services Tax receivable 108 (64) Prepaid expenses (640) (1 ,392) Inventory 375 (1,194) Accounts payable 572 189 Wages payable 786 (3,670) Source deductions payable 1,720 Deferred revenue (6,998) (44,713) Provincial Sales Tax payable (55)

(7,036) (53,724)

Investing Short term investments (2,344) (100,839)

Decrease in cash (9,380) (154,563)

Cash Beginning of year 55,978 210,541

End of year $ 46,598 $ 55,978

Cash consists of: Cash $ 33,809 $ 38,599 Restricted cash 12,789 17,379

$ 46,598 $ 55,978

See accompanying notes to the financial statements. 5 Prince Albert Historical Society Notes to the Financial Statements December 31,2019

1. Nature of operations

Prince Albert Historical Society (the "society") is a not-for-profit organization incorporated provincially under the Non-profit Corporations Act of Saskatchewan. As a registered charity the society is exempt from the payment of income tax under Section 149(1} of the Income Tax Act.

The society is committed to preserving local history and being able to showcase it to local residents and visitors alike by managing the Prince Albert Historical Museum, the Rotary Museum of Police and Corrections, Evolution of Education Museum, Diefenbaker Museum, and the Bill Smiley Archive.

2. Significant accounting policies

Basis of presentation

The financial statements were prepared in accordance with Canadian accounting standards for not for-profit organizations (ASNFPO).

Measurement uncertainty

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with Canadian accounting standards for not for-profit organizations requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the period. Such estimates are periodically reviewed and any adjustments necessary are reported in earnings in the period in which they become known. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Inventory

Inventory is measured at the lower of cost or net realizable value.

Property, plant and equipment

The society has revenues under $500,000 and has elected to expense capital assets in the year of purchase. Capital expenditures for the year amounted to $24,917 (2018 - $56,349).

Revenue recognition

Prince Albert Historical Society follows the deferral method of accounting for contributions.

Restricted contributions are recognized as revenue in the year in which the related expenses are incurred. Unrestricted contributions are recognized as revenue when received or receivable if the amount to be received can be reasonably estimated and collection is reasonably assured.

Grants relating to current expenditures are recorded as revenue in the current year. Grants received in the current year for expenses to be incurred in the followng fiscal year are recorded as deferred revenue.

All other revenue is recognized when the funds are received.

6 Prince Albert Historical Society Notes to the Financial Statements December31,2019

2. Significant accounting policies (continued)

Contributed services

The operations of the organization depend on both the contribution of time by volunteers and donated materials from various sources. The fair value of donated materials and services cannot be reasonably determined and are therefore not reflected in these financial statements.

Works of art

Assets that have a historical or cultural significance, which include works of art, monuments and other cultural artifacts are not recognized as tangible capital assets because a reasonable estimate of future benefits associated with this property cannot be made.

Net assets

The society's financial statements are presented so as to highlight net assets as the measurement of financial position. The net assets of the society is determined by its financial assets less its liabilities.

Financial instruments

Financial instruments are recorded at fair value when acquired or issued. In subsequent periods, financial instruments are reported at amortized cost, and tested for impairment at each reporting date. Financial assets measured at amortized cost include cash and accounts receivable. Financial liabilities measured at amortized cost include accounts payable. The society has no financial assets measued at fair value, and has elected to carry any financial assets or liabilites at fair value.

It is management's opinion that the society is not exposed to significant credit, liquidity, or interest risk.

3. Restricted cash

Restricted cash of $12,789 (2018 - $17,379) is comprised of internally restricted bequests for ongoing museum projects.

4. Short term investments

Maturity Date Interest rate 2019 2018

Canadian Western Bank February 13, 2020 1.86% $ 25,694 $ 25,180 Canadian Western Bank March 14, 2020 1.87% 25,677 25,183 Canadian Western Bank August22,2020 2.65% 51,812 50,476

$ 103,183 $ 100,839

Short term investments are comprised of Guaranteed Investment Certificates purchased from internally restricted bequests for ongoing museum projects.

7 Prince Albert Historical Society Notes to the Financial Statements December 31,2019

5. Long-term investments

2019 2018

Conexus Equity $ 217 $ 217 Lake Country Co-op Equity 108 108 Conexus Membership 5 5

$ 330 $ 330

6. Deferred revenue

Funding has been received for specific projects, recognition of these amounts as revenue is deferred to periods when the specified expenditure is made.

Balance, beginning Balance, of year Received Recognized end of year

Andrews Estate Bequest $ 91,026 $ $ (21 ,323) $ 69,703 West Estate Bequest 26,471 26,471 Northern Lights Development Corporation - Cataloguing FN Artifacts (Phase 2) 3,078 2,500 (5,578) Murals for Connaught Room 1,535 7,500 (9,035) Membership fees 860 660 (860) 660 Nisbet Church and 1885 Blockhouse Project 14,494 (1 ,640) 12,854 Shelving and Storage (MAP) 20,000 (14,716) 5,284 Historical Signage 1,000 1,000

$ 122,970 $ 46,154 $ (53, 152} $ 115,972

At year-end, $96,174 (2018 - $117,497} of the bequests are held as cash and short-term investments.

7. Economic dependence

The society relies on funding from the City of Prince Albert through a Memorandum of Agreement that has been in place since April 7, 2009. In 2019, $69,680 (2018- $67,030} was derived from this agreement with the City of Prince Albert. These funds are used to assist with the society with operating expenses.

8. Comparative figures

Comparative figures have been adjusted to conform to changes in the current year presentation.

2021-2024 Strategic Plan

About the PAHS:

The Prince Albert Historical Society dates back to 1887, when the Saskatchewan Institute was formed to preserve the history and natural history of the Prince Albert area. Unfortunately, the building housing the Institute burned down and all artefacts lost in 1890. The organization ceased to function until 1923, when a group met to form a new version of the Society, the current version of the Prince Albert Historical Society was formed in 1932.

The Society has gone through growth and decline in its 88 year existence. Originally, the Heritage Museum was housed in the Nisbet Church once located in Kinsmen Park, one of two buildings donated to the Historical Society in the early 1930s. The museum collection moved to the Queen’s Bench Courthouse, back to the Church and finally to the Central Firehall in 1976. The Historical Museum opened to the public in June 1977. Since that time, the Historical Society has increased the number of museums under its care by three in two other locations in the City- the Evolution of Education Museum, the Rotary Museum of Police and Corrections, and the John and Olive Diefenbaker Museum National Historic Site of Canada.

In 2009, the Historical Society entered into a formal agreement with the City of Prince Albert to oversee the care and maintenance of the museum buildings. The care and ownership of the artefacts remains with the Historical Society.

In 2018, the Nisbet Church and the Blockhouse, located in Kinsmen Park, were deconstructed with the purpose of rebuilding them and providing a heritage corridor on the riverbank, west of the Historical Museum. Recently, the Historical Society has undertaken major renovations at the Historical Museum to make it more historically relevant and more accessible to the public.

Overview:

This is the third strategic plan for the Prince Albert Historical Society. This session, led by Ruth Kinzel of Kinzel Cadrin and Associates Consulting of Saskatoon, took place on July 22, 2020, just three weeks after the province allowed groups of 30 people to meet inside. The Covid-19 pandemic meant that we were unable to meet to update the plan until this time. For this session, the board wanted to update the previous plan and create a manageable plan for the Society for the next 3 to 4 years.

The first plan done for the Historical Society, in 2015, focused not only on what the Board/Society wanted but also the wider community, as representatives from other organizations were invited to attend the planning session. From this plan, the Society learned a lot but ended up with no work plan to follow through on. The 2017-2020 plan was good, but the Society found the outcomes were hard to achieve and fell behind in completing a portion of the plan.

This current plan will help move the Society forward and bring more recognition to it within the community.

This plan focuses on three strategic goals to build capacity in the areas of Resources, Facilities, and Community Engagement and Awareness.

Purpose:

To preserve and promote the heritage of Prince Albert and area for residents, visitors and researchers to understand the past and inform the future.

Vision:

All of the Prince Albert Historical Society’s museums are inviting and accessible to people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds. They are destinations in their own right for residents, tourists and researchers, and we see increases in visitation every year.

Our facilities are wheelchair accessible and have ample space for exhibitions, programming, rentals, and climate controlled collections storage. Our collections are preserved using professional best-practice museum standards.

Our staff are well-trained and are enthusiastic about sharing information about our collections with visitors. Our interactive programs are sought after by residents and visitors alike.

We are “current” and have evolved with our community to ensure our marketing activities and programs are relevant. We collaborate with community groups and businesses to promote the vibrant history of Prince Albert and area. We have secured financial stability from sales of merchandise in our gift shop, to leases on our meeting and food services space, to sponsorships and donations to grants. As a result of our work and our partnerships we have identified and found support for other significant historic sites.

We have a mutually beneficial relationship with the City of Prince Albert and they provide adequate financial support for our shared vision of preserving the history of our City and area.

The Prince Albert Historical Society, its museums, artefacts, and archives, are an integral part of Prince Albert and area.

Strategic Goal 1

Community Awareness, Engagement, and Outreach

Building recognition and need of the Historical Society within the City and immediate surrounding area

Objective Outcomes Success Ongoing Activities 1.1 Build relationships with - invitation of others to Participation of the Society and/or groups in Seniors outreach diverse communities in the City meetings and events at least 3 “events” per year Municipal Cultural Action Plan - partner with other (MCAP) organizations to create events Prince Albert Urban Indigenous and displays Coalition (PAUIC) - Historical Society to participate Prince Albert Science Centre in or present to other organizations - host specific events for new/ recent immigrants and other cultural groups.

1.2 Build relationships with - post more frequently as per Increase the number of followers and active Picture posts, *new videos those on our social media schedule engagements; creation of a posting schedule platforms - provide more interactive content

1.3 Creation of educational - hire a museum educator to Creation of day camp, held 2x year; uptake Suitcases opportunities create and run programs by schools and school aged children in our Temporary museum educator - contact schools and other programs position organizations to partake in PAHS programs

-partner with other community organizations to create and run programs

1.4 Increase awareness that - communication with Society Increased visitation and usage of the the museums are open year members and the public museums throughout the winter months round - signage to show business hours

Strategic Goal 2

Facilities

Building facilities that will accommodate the Society’s growing collections, use, and staff into the future

Objective Outcomes Success Ongoing Activities 2.1 Creation of a historic - 2020 construction of the Reconstruction of the church and Working to raise funds for the corridor along the riverbank Blockhouse blockhouse construction - active fundraising campaign Communication with the City for a -2021 construction of the Nisbet development permit Church Consultations with the builder - partnership with the City for care and maintenance

2.2 Provide year round service - trained volunteers or staff Historical Museum *front* doors are open Museums are open, but through to the public scheduled during the winter and staffed through the fall and winter the side door. - new front all season doors at Historical Museum - advertise other museums available by appointment

2.3 Create open and diverse - partner with the City to Increased participation by cultural Assessment of the Historical display areas renovate 2nd floor windows and organizations to exhibit their history Museums windows in 2020 walls completed. - installation of culturally diverse displays (Prince Albert’s recent history) (year 3) - meaningful partnerships with cultural organizations

2.4 Long term feasibility of the - create a plan and design for a Creation of a plan/blueprint of the enlarged Talked with Wes Moore about Historical Museum building Historical Museum addition museum possible development in 2018-2019 (year 3-4) - consider the City’s new development for recreation facility - consultation with the City about an addition

Strategic Goal 3

Resource Development

Building financial and human resource capacities for the PAHS to grow into a strong, stable community organization

Objectives Outcomes Success Ongoing Activities 3.1 Build and strong and - committee and volunteer job Creation of member reference material; new Orientation material is being diverse volunteer and descriptions active members in the Historical Society drafted by Curator membership base - welcome/orientation packages for new members and volunteers - promote inclusion of younger and culturally diverse members

3.2 Increase the number of - hire a museum educator and More PAHS staff to allow more use and professional museum staff part-time front desk/social promotion of the museums year round media person - find funding to pay professional wages

3.3 Society future financial - financial independence from Creation of endowment fund to allow long stability the City of Prince Albert term financial stability for the Society

PAHS Board of Directors

PAHS Membership

Manager/Curator

Volunteers Admin. Assistant

Summer Staff

Museum Educator

2019 Year End Report

PAHS Mission: To preserve and promote the heritage of Prince Albert and area for residents, visitors, and researchers to understand the past and inform the future

Thank you to our funders:

Dr. C.H. & Lenore Andrews Philip E. West

President’s Message

Renovating and reorganizing our Historical Museum was our main focus in 2019 with most projects continuing from last year. Our staff and volunteers worked hard to finish reorganizing the archives and artifact storage spaces as well as the renewal of displays in the Connaught Room. Volunteers are at the heart of our organization and show their love of the heritage of this area each day. They preserve and share our stories and the material culture of our people in many creative ways. The citizens of Prince Albert and area are privileged to have such a dedicated group chronicling their history.

It was a year of increased public engagement with our community mural project at the center. Artists Leah Dorion and Kevin Pee-ace each designed panels for the murals and invited students and the public to join in the painting. The murals are now on display as part of the redevelopment of the Connaught Room to highlight the Indigenous people of this area. We received an award from the Museums Association of Saskatchewan and a national honorable mention from the Governor General’s awards for community history for this project. A ceremony was held in May with local elders to bless the murals after they were put up.

Another highlight was the dedication of the Diefenbaker House as a national historic site. Diefenbaker died on August 16 40 years ago, so this date was chosen for the ceremony. Dignitaries representing Parks Canada, the City of Prince Albert and the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada all spoke, as well as your president and the rain held off long enough for the ceremonies.

Our Knowledge Keepers group met several times during the year to continue the work of redesigning the Connaught Room and also consulted with the City of Prince Albert to develop signage for the Rotary Trail downtown highlighting the five First Nations who lived in our area and the Métis. This project will continue into 2020.

We also began a major fundraising project raising money to reconstruct the Nisbet Church and Blockhouse on the west side of the museum closer to their original locations. The river and River Street were the original thoroughfares of the city when it began and these buildings are the oldest in Prince Albert and among the oldest in the province. This too will continue into 2020.

The ReOrg Canada project to reorganize our archives and artifact storage continued throughout the year but has now neared completion. Along with new shelving and storage units volunteers and staff worked on a huge cleanout of the storage areas. Many loads of garbage and recycling were taken out and a garage sale of unwanted items was held in June. It has made a very positive change for the less visible, but very important, function of the Historical Society to preserve our material heritage.

The Historical Society thanks all the citizens of Prince Albert for their interest and support of our work which is visible through our four museums and our extensive archives.

President, Prince Albert Historical Society

Curator’s Message

2019 was another tremendous year of growth and change for the Historical Society, especially at the Historical Museum. It has been wonderful to see the changes in the Connaught Room, artefact storage and archives, which, without the support of the board and volunteers would not have been possible. Those who use those areas will notice a huge difference in the organization and work flow.

We were also lucky in 2019 to have a museum assistant position in the winter months. Cherise Robertson was here from January to May, doing a lot of the tour work and other background for the summer season. In the fall, a summer interpreter Spencer Borotsik agreed to stay on with us. Spencer went to school at Centennial College for Museum and Cultural Management. We are very lucky to have someone here with us as the museums have been very busy!

The Historical Society and City of Prince Albert got two feathers in their caps this year! In August, the Diefenbaker House officially became a National Historic Site- officially it is the John and Olive Diefenbaker Museum, National Historic Site. This was marked by an unveiling event on August 16, the 40th anniversary of Mr. Diefenbaker’s death. Secondly, we were nominated for a Governor General’s Award in Excellence for Community Programming for our murals in the Connaught Room. Notification came in November that we won one of three Honourable Mentions!

Thank you to all those who were involved in all of our projects and programs this year and thank you for trusting me to choose, run, and participate in programs that make the museums better. I look forward to see what happens in 2020!

Michelle Taylor Manager/Curator

Board of Directors Current

President- Connie Gerwing Shirley Swain 1st Vice President- John Thompson Morley Harrison 2nd Vice President- Fred Payton Lorraine Brassard Treasurer- Todd Robertson Nancy Pardoe Secretary- Mary Brown Harris May Morris Yelland

Outgoing

Harris May (resigned October 2019)

Staff Manager/Curator

Michelle Taylor

Office Administrator

Darlene Otet

Museum Assistant

Cherise Robertson (January to May) Spencer Borotsik (September to December)

2019 Seasonal Staff

(r) returning

Katelyn Lysitza (r) Kaylee Hoko (r) Nigel Town (r) Cherise Robertson Kaitlyn Fossen Emilie Gobeil Jasmin Otet (r) Tessa O’Bertos (r) Ryan Fontaine Kevin Joseph Spencer Borotsik Taylor Strauss

PAHS Committees Audit Governance

Fred Payton John Thompson Shirley Swain Morley Harrison Harris May Harris May Jim Milliken

Building Programming Garry Prokop Les Anderson Morley Harrison Lorne Green Connie Gerwing John Thompson Shirley Hamilton Fred Payton

Collections Herb Bassett Home Outreach Jamie Benson Donna Nutter Alma Newman Ken Guedo Morley Harrison Shirley Swain Mary Brown Lorraine Brassard Ken Guedo Darlene Otet

Human Resources Membership Fred Payton Connie Gerwing Les Anderson John Thompson Doris Lund Bunny Tatlow (resigned fall 2019)

Marketing SK Archaeological Society Rep. Nancy Pardoe John Thompson

Nominations Fundraising

Les Anderson Connie Gerwing Deb Honch John Thompson Fred Payton

Volunteers

The Society’s volunteers are the heart of the organization, without the countless hours donated in and out of the museum nothing would operate properly. In order to volunteer, individuals are required to be a PAHS member. In 2019, there were 80 paid members and 10 life members. The President and two other life members nominate up to two individuals for life memberships for outstanding contributions to the Historical Society at the AGM. In 2019, there were no nominees.

This past year had approximately 50 individuals donate their time, giving the Society over 3,667 hours of recorded work, which equates to almost 92 weeks of full time work. Hundreds more hours have not been accounted for and there are likely more individuals that have also contributed to one or many of the projects/openings that have occurred in the last year.

Members volunteer their time on a variety of projects, but most hours are devoted to archives and collections management work. This is not surprising considering all the changes that those areas have undergone. These two programs accession artefacts and documents, conduct some inventory, and answer public enquiries. A smaller group of volunteers deliver tours and outreach programming. Our board members also volunteer their time to help run the Society.

Committee Reports

Personnel Committee Chair: Fred Payton

The major initiatives undertaken by the Personnel committee in 2019 included revising the job description of the Office Administrator, and changing then upgrading the position of Museum Assistant to Museum Educator. This also required the revision of the job description.

A recommendation was made by the Committee to the Board of Directors regarding an increase in the salaries of our staff to reflect the increase in the cost of living. We also made a recommendation to the Board regarding the payment of a travel allowance (in city) to the Office Administrator.

The Committee reviewed applications from staff regarding training courses, recommending appropriately to the Board of Directors.

In addition, the Committee reviewed concerns from the City of Prince Albert regarding the payment of insurance premiums for staff members who were deemed to be high-risk drivers. A determination was made with respect to who would be responsible for such premiums, as well as what level of risk was acceptable when hiring or retaining such staff.

Building Committee Chair: John Thompson

There were no formal meetings held by the Building Committee. Work was done to remove old shelving from the storage room in preparation to accept new steel shelving which was assembled on site. The new shelving accommodates the artifacts that were retained and displays them appropriately as well as maximizing the storage space.

The Museum had an unintended lodger in the fenced off area immediately behind the Connaught Room. This individual had constructed a shelter using the tarp from the brick machine and a comfortable abode hidden from view with all the shrubbery masking his presence. Everything was removed including the bushes to prevent this from reoccurring.

Governance Committee Chair: John Thompson

The Committee met in May to discuss Communications Policy and External Communications Policy’ two draft polices were developed and were forwarded to the Board for comment; however they require further work which was intended to start in late summer early fall. The other item that was developed was a “to do” list with PAHS Governance.

Marketing Committee Chair: Nancy Pardoe

The Marketing area has been busy over the past year. This report describes the major projects the Marketing committee has worked on in 2019.

Web Site: 2019 saw an update to our web site, www.historypa.com. The main page was changed to a three- column format to provide information at a glance. Information includes: • Our opening dates, hours, and fees • Pictures and links to descriptions of our locations and museums • Buttons that link to News, Activities and Contact information • A map of our locations There is a new menu structure that provides one-click access to most of the pages on our web site. This updated web site is now mobile friendly.

Banner: A self-standing banner advertising the PAHS and our museums has been purchased. This banner has already proven useful in highlighting our other locations to visitors at the Historical Museum.

Media Advertising:  Magnet Signs - A portable sign was rented from May to August and placed between the Tourism Centre and Highway 2. This sign was updated monthly to advertise our museum locations, exhibits and events, and our tea room. The portable sign also included images of our museums.  Tourism Prince Albert: PAHS advertising included an advertisement in the Visitor Guide, a business card sized ad in the map distributed to visitors and an ad displayed on the Tourism web site.  Prairies North: A 1/4 page ad was inserted into the Summer issue of Prairies North magazine.  Prince Albert Farmer’s Market – The PAHS participated in an advertising campaign, Bagvertising, where our ad appeared on reusable bags distributed at the Farmer's Market. 1000 bags were produced for this campaign.  Valley News: A write-up about the 2019 season and an ad were placed in the Valley News. This publication is distributed in the Warman – Hague – Rosthern areas.  Sask. Tourism : The information regarding our museums was reviewed and updated on the Sask. Tourism web site. Some of the updates included removal of the Blockhouse and Church attractions, along with updated the fees for our museums and locations.

For 2020 the Marketing Committee would like to develop a visitor form to determine how our visitors learned about our museums to help inform and direct our marketing efforts.

Programming Committee Chair: Connie Gerwing

Connaught Room redesign  Helped with the Indigenous mural project  Met with the knowledge keepers several times to work on the redesign of the room.

 Replaced and renewed display items for the summer season by mid-May for the summer opening to the public  Continued to research the early history of Prince Albert to do with the First Nations and Métis people of our area

Summer display  To coordinate with the ceremony designating the Diefenbaker House as a National Historic site a display was brought in from the Diefenbaker Canada Centre in Saskatoon

Other displays  Renewed some displays in the Pumper Room to do with Prince Albert City Hall and some temporary displays for the summer season

Outreach  Regular programs at both Pineview and the Herb Bassett Center continued with volunteers showing photos around a different theme each time.  Fred Payton began a series of columns for the Prince Albert Daily Herald highlighting our work. Morley Harrison wrote another in a series of skits which were done at the museum and at several schools and seniors centers.  The Downtown walking tours continued through the spring, summer and fall and Fred Payton developed a West Hill walking tour and also organized our first historic homes tour

Fundraising Committee Chair: Connie Gerwing Report submitted by Deb Honch

The committee was tasked with raising funds to re-construct two of Prince Alberts and Saskatchewan’s oldest buildings, the Nisbet Church and Blockhouse, on the riverbank west of the museum with a fundraising target of $200,000. $9,969.67 has been raised as of the end of Dec 2019.

Several initiatives have been undertaken since the committee started its work in June 2019 and has included the development of marketing materials, writing of grants with more grant writing to come, mail outs and discussions with local businesses and individuals, creation of a “Go Fund me” page, and planning for several events throughout 2020.

Planned events include “A Night at the Museum” to be held April 4, 2020 from 6-11 PM. 100 tickets will be sold at $50 each. The evening will consist of a Boris Karloff film festival in the lower level of the museum, scary décor (maybe Frankenstein himself!), food and seating in the Serjeant room, a DJ and dancing with a 60’s theme in the Pumper room (people are encouraged to dress like the 60’s). Morley Harrison and his troupe will be performing skits on the second floor and there will be finger food, beer and wine bar the bar in the tearoom with individual musicians. 50/50’s will also be sold.

Other planned events include a Historic House Tour on May 31, 2020, Garden Tour on July 26 and a whiskey tasting proposed for Sept 12th. More detail on these events will be shared as they are finalized.

We invite and encourage all members to support the fundraising efforts for this important project and join us for some great events over the next few months!

Saskatchewan Archaeological Society

Chapter Representative: John Thompson

As a chapter of the SAS, the Historical Society is required to have five people who are members of both societies. At this time, the Historical Society has six. If you are interested in finding out more about the SAS please contact John Thompson. ______

The Annual General Meeting was held in Davidson on April 27, 2019 with a local field tour to the Arm River Valley to look at tipi rings. The Annual Gathering where papers and posters (student presentations) were presented in Creighton on September 20-22, 2019 with the Manitoba Society of Archaeology also participating.

A bus tour visiting archaeological sites starting at Anglin Lake and north as far as Stanley Mission and traveling by water to see the pictographs on the Churchill River towards Nistowiak Falls as well as visiting the Trading Post in La Ronge was done on the weekend of June 7-9. This tour was limited to Society members and was fully booked.

Sandra Walker conducted three plant walks; one in the spring near Saskatoon, one in the summer near Moosomin in conjunction with the annual summer bar-be-cue and in October near Saskatoon. With the exception of the August tour all participants were non-members and the Society looked upon this as an opportunity to enroll more members since members get a discount on all educational programing and field tours.

A flint knapping workshop (creating spear points and arrow heads) was held in Swift Current in June.

Several artifact collections are being catalogued and identified including one in co-operation with the Melfort and District Museum, which will become part of their permanent display.

Dr. Margaret Kennedy gave a presentation on April 30th. Her topic was ‘An Archaeological Perspective on Saskatchewan History’.

The Museums Association of Saskatchewan is working to hire a contract archaeologist who would be able to identify archaeologically significant items in small community museums.

SAS staff member will visit in the winter; Dr. Tomasin Playford, the Executive Director visited the Society on January 9, 2020.

A new chapter was approved at the December 2019 Board meeting. It is a Senior’s Chapter open to all but it would meet during the day rather than at night and will hold its chapter meetings around the province. To join one first must be a member of the SAS.

Collections of arrow heads, spear points, scrapers, indigenous pottery do not belong to the collector, they are Crown property and should be given to local museums, the SAS or the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Regina when being disposed for instance at estate settlements.

Building Upgrades/Maintenance

The City of Prince Albert, in agreement with the Historical Society looks after the care and maintenance of the museums. Much of the work described below was completed by the City.

Ultraviolet filters were installed on all window at the Diefenbaker House and Evolution of Education Museums. This is to provide further protection for the artefacts in our care. The filters were purchased by the Historical Society with the help of a museums assistance grant and the Society and City shared the cost of installation.

The work done at the Diefenbaker House was all completed before the dedication of the House as a National Historic Site in August. Work completed includes re-shingling of the sunroom, repairs to a broken irrigation line in the basement (this happened when City staff were present and did not cause any damage), as well the front of the house was beautified- mulch was laid in the front flowerbed area and trees were trimmed back on the east side of the house. The Historical Society thanks the City for providing the flowers at the Diefenbaker House and the Horticulture class at St. Mary High School for planting them.

At the Rotary Museum of Police and Corrections, the front deck was completely replaced due to rotting wood. Because of this, it was deemed a safety hazard and the museum was closed on August 8 for the season.

The Historical Museum has had regular maintenance over the year including the replacement of two furnaces and the water heater, installation of LED safety lights on the east and north sides of the museum, and some upgrades to the emergency exit lights in the Connaught Room. The City also came and cleaned up the fenced area on the north side of the building removing all the small trees and brush. This was done because individuals had decided to set up camp in that area.

Work that was completed and financed by the Society include floor leveling of the lower level archives room to facilitate the installation of new metal shelves, the changing of lights in the artefact storage room to LED fixtures, installation of data lines for the computer system, and the installation of the laminate flooring in the pumper room.

In the spring, the Society asked the Knowledge Keepers if they would like the cedar branches from the trees on the east side of the building. The Knowledge Keepers removed them and the City came later and cut down the stumps.

Administration

The manager/curator handles the day-to-day operations of the Society but it has been so busy, help was needed to provide better service to members and public. In 2019, the Society approached the Director of Community Services for permission to use the summer student budget to keep Cherise Robertson employed from January to May. He agreed under the condition that we get summer grant to offset any budget overages. Cherise, during that time looked after providing tours at all museums and additional daily duties as needed. Having Cherise was a great help for the Society and we were able to complete more tasks than anticipated. In the fall, there was enough money left in our budget that we could hire a recent graduate in Museum Studies, who was one of the summer interpreters. Spencer Borotsik agreed to stay in Saskatchewan to work as the Museum Assistant. In December, his position changed to Museum Educator. His focus is to create programs to bring more people into the museums in the winter and develop curriculum related content to promote use of the museums in schools.

The office administrator, Darlene Otet, takes care of all financial matters, as well as overseeing the Seniors Care Home outreach programs and the office.

In 2019, there were a lot of programs and projects organized by the Historical Society; many requiring additional funding. The manager/curator applied for 12 grants and bursaries for these projects bringing in approximately $91,000. The grants include but are not limited to Canada Summer Jobs, Young Canada Works, Museums Assistance Program, City of Prince Albert’s Municipal Cultural Action Plan, Saskatchewan Arts Board, the Northern Lights Community Development Corporation and the Saskatchewan Council for Archives and Archivists (SCAA). The Society was also successful in securing a larger grant from SaskCulture’s Museums Grant Program- a grant that provides operational funding for museums. We are in the highest level of funding and were granted $22,000 of the requested $30,000 for the two year cycle! Three travel bursaries were also applied for to offset travel costs of volunteers and staff training. Two SCAA bursaries and a Canadian Museums Association bursary were received amounting to approximately $1500. These grants and bursaries were normally for specific projects the Society completed in 2019.

The Prince Albert Historical Society and its’ manager/curator are becoming well known and respected in the Saskatchewan museum community. Michelle was asked to adjudicate SaskCulture’s Museum Grant Program applications and teach two Museums Association of Saskatchewan (MAS) classes. Late in the year, because of our participation in the ReOrg program, MAS also asked Michelle to provide a one hour presentation (completed by video recording in 2020) about ReOrg for the museum network program.

The Historical Society, for the Indigenous Mural Project, was nominated and awarded the MAS Institutional Award of Merit for projects less than $25,000 at the AGM in May. We were also nominated for a Canada’s History Governor General’s Award for Excellence in Community Programming. For that, we were chosen as one of the three finalists and Michelle accepted the certificate in Ottawa in January 2020.

Because of our work with the Indigenous Community in creating the Indigenous exhibit area in the Historical Museum. The Society and Knowledge Keepers were asked to participate in two City of Prince Albert initiatives- the Indigenous Naming Initiative and the Riverbank Signage project. These two projects will be completed in 2020 with the installation of signage on the corner of Central Ave and River Street and along the Rotary Trail between 1st Ave W and the museum.

We were also asked to participate in a joint signage project with the City and Prince Albert Downtown Business Improvement District (PADBID), a project like this have been in the ‘to do’ files of the Historical Society for a decade or more. In 2020, twelve signs will be added to the windows of historical downtown businesses, highlighting the location or building itself.

This year a fundraising committee was started to kick start a campaign to raise funds to reconstruct the Nisbet Church and Blockhouse. Early in the year site plans were drawn up by Butterwick Drafting and presented to the City, however with the removal of the totem pole on the riverbank in the fall, we were able to move the chosen location further west, negating the movement of the bandstand. Fundraising efforts included a successful garage sale of deaccessioned items and a historic homes tour. The garage sale was held over three days in June and a large portion of the items sold. Items that remained were sent to SHARE for their annual garage sale. The garage sale brought in almost $2000. The historic homes tour saw five community members open their homes to ticket holders on October 27. Participants on the tour put their name in a draw for a one-night stay at the Red Pine Bed and Breakfast. The winner was Nancy Pardoe. This event is scheduled to happen again in 2020.

Michelle worked with the City of Prince Albert and Parks Canada to dedicate the Diefenbaker House as a National Historic Site. This event was planned for August 16, 2019- the 40th Anniversary of Mr. Diefenbaker’s death. The day went off without a hitch and the rain stayed away, approximately 50 invited guests and members of the public attended.

August 16, 2019 Dedication of the John and Olive Diefenbaker House NHS Mayor Greg Dionne, PAHS Pres. Connie Gerwing, Historic Sites and Monuments of Canada Board Member Bill Waiser, Parks Canada Representative

Projects Knowledge Keeper Consultations/ Connaught Room

It is amazing to think how far this room has come in such a short amount of time….

The pictures below are from February and March, showing the newly dry walled and painted walls as well as the new (temporary) set up of the room. However, you will notice there is something missing from these very bare walls. In consultation with the Knowledge Keepers in 2018, it was noted that we needed to promote Indigenous art. To work with this suggestion, a decision was made to incorporate large colourful murals along the top portion of the wall. In late 2018, we were notified of a successful application for the City of Prince Albert’s Public Art Stimulus Fund. That fund help to buy some supplies as well as some of the artists’ cost. In 2019, the artists were chosen, Leah Dorion would work on the Metis themed paintings and Cree artist, Kevin Pee-Ace from Saskatoon would create the First Nations Panels. At that time, we also found that we were successful in our application for a Saskatchewan Arts Board- Artists in Communities grant. This grant stipulates that the artwork be created with the community. We had in mind that we wanted to work with a predominantly First Nations school that does not see many projects like this. Mr. Bates’ grade 7 and 8 art class from Queen Mary School agreed to be part of the project. The class in the end, worked with Kevin Pee-ace to create two panels of the mural. They did a terrific job!

The public’s first chance to work on the murals was at the Historical Museum’s Family Day opening. Leah Dorion facilitated work on the two Metis themed panels. The number of people that showed up that day to work on them was overwhelming. For the rest of the February break the museum was open to the public to work on the murals. Most of the work was completed in the Historical Museum, but a panel was taken to Northcote Manor for senior’s to paint, a second panel was taken to Wesmor High School to promote recognition and ownership of a piece in the museum. Mr. Bates’ class and Kevin Pee-Ace

Over the course of 8 weeks, the pieces were created and completed, culminating in a public unveiling on April 26th. Prior to the event, the murals were smudged and blessed by the Knowledge Keepers.

Family Day Installation by Society members

The Historical Society would like to say a special Thank You to Kevin Pee-Ace and Leah Dorion for all their hard work and commitment to the project.

Kevin Pee-Ace and Leah Dorion at the unveiling Metis panels in the SW corner of the Connaught Room of the murals, April 26, 2019

North wall with tribal panels

East wall with history of Prince Albert

Awards for the Mural Project

MAS Institutional Award of Merit, May 25, 2019 Governor General’s Award, January 20, 2020 MAS President Corrine Daelick, Michelle, and MAS Exec. Director Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette and Michelle Wendy Fitch

ReOrg of Lower Level Storage and Archives Room

In 2018, the Historical Society signed up to be part of ReOrg Canada: Prairies and the North. This program is designed to help smaller museums reorganize their collection storage areas. We chose to reorganize our collections storage and revamp the archives area. Some of the work and purchasing of shelving was completed in 2018 with the help of our first Museums Assistance Program (MAP) grant. Because we were part of this program the Society was able to apply for a smaller $10,000 MAP grant to help purchase needed supplies.

These areas were chosen because we were not sure how full or empty our shelves were, but we knew we were running out of space! As part of the program we had to figure our unit and room fullness. The archives were measured after the installation of the compact storage (rolling shelving units) so our numbers look pretty good. The room was 62% full whereas the unit fullness was 75%. In collections storage (the big store room) the room was 86% full and the unit fullness was 80%.

The ReOrg committee (Donna Nutter, Lorraine Brassard, Michelle Taylor) travelled to Winnipeg in March to take part in a three day hands-on ReOrg workshop at the Manitoba Museum. The fourth day was a mini conference where each participant museum gave an overview of the museum and project, as well a video was presented by the organizers about what we had accomplished in that time.

From March on, things got moving- for the most part.

The floor in the archives storage area was levelled which allowed us to install shelving units, walls were constructed to provide needed support for the shelves. Volunteers installed the shelves, moved cabinets from one room to another and archive documents were moved into storage boxes. The Daily Herald newspaper morgue was also brought over from offsite storage so it could be more useful to us.

In the fall, large artefact units were purchased for collections storage and larger items were returned to the room. One further rack was purchased before Christmas and movement will be completed in January 2020.

Even though the official ReOrg program finished in December 2019, our work will continue for years to come. There is work to be done to change information in the computer as well as many items needed to be (re) accessioned.

There were a few side projects that occurred while waiting for shelving to come in and planned as part of the process.

1. Framed picture room- the wooden shelves were removed and new metal shelving was installed 2. Archives room- new desks were purchased so the room could be turned into the ‘work/research’ room then network/data lines needed to be installed so everyone could access the network. 3. Collections storage- Lighting was changed to LED to facilitate better/brighter working areas 4. Map Room- City records were taken back by the City of Prince Albert and a large metal shelving unit was installed to house ledgers.

ReOrg has given us a more ‘professional’ feel and a standard to live up to. It has also opened up more space for us to allow for future growth.

Collections Storage Before

Collections Storage After

Framed Picture Room- now Incoming Donations and Programming

Archives Work Area to Storage- Before

September 2018

After

Volunteer and Staff Training

In 2019, the PAHS members and staff participated in various learning opportunities. In March, as part of the ReOrg program, Michelle Taylor, Donna Nutter, and Lorraine Brassard travelled to Winnipeg for hands-on learning about the ReOrg process. Almost immediately upon her return, Lorraine travelled to Regina for and SCAA sponsored class called “Audiovisual Preservation.” This class talked about proper storage and conservation techniques for cassette tapes, VHS tapes, DVDs, etc. In May, Michelle Taylor and Cherise Robertson attended the MAS AGM and mini-conference in Saskatoon.

Darlene Otet attended two workshops. One in Warman sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce called “Fuel your Business for Success” and another in Prince Albert “Strengthening Communications for Non-profits” presented by Carolyn Carlton of PADBID and also attended by Fred Payton.

Michelle Taylor also regularly attends the MAS Northeast Network meetings held twice a year. At these meetings, museums in the NE region of the province get together to share ideas and update each other on what is going on in their museum. Once a year MAS provides a training or information session on a topic that affects museums. Past programs have been on copyright, accessioning, the Truth and Reconciliation recommendations for museums, etc. These meetings are worthwhile going to, please contact Michelle if you are interested.

Programming and Outreach

This year was an exciting year for programming and outreach, as we have almost 1,300 people participate in our programs throughout the year. This number does not include the 325 people who came through the garage sale or Street Fair attendance (993 individuals).

The Senior’s outreach program continued at Herb Bassett Home this year, early in the year Pineview Terrace was added. Twice a month volunteers go to Herb Bassett and once a month to Pineview. In total, in 2019 there were 247 people who took part in the programs over a 6-month period. The committee and residences decided that over summer it was not a good fit. The programs provide the residents the opportunity to see photographs from their youth and promote discussion not only that day but for the rest of the week!

This year we expanded the number and kinds of tours that we can lead; during the summer months the summer interpreters regularly provide the downtown walking tour. This year there were 19 walking tours of the downtown area. Special thanks again go to Fred Payton and Councillor Lennox-Zepp for leading the downtown walking food tour- three tours during the summer months were given. In December, a walking historical tour was given on a Thursday evening and participants visited some of the businesses open late for shopping! Twice a year Fred Payton leads a group through the history of the St. Mary Church and Cemetery, this tour also talks about some of the prominent former citizens and their contributions to Prince Albert. New this year, upon a few requests, a west hill walking tour was created. Starting and ending at the Diefenbaker House Museum, this tours winds its way through the historic west hill neighbourhood. There were three tours given to over 40 participants.

In 2019, the museum held seven FREE days, including Family Day, Canada Day, Remembrance Day, and the Santa Claus parade day, with wonderful attendance. This year on Remembrance Day WWII Veteran Ed Laird talked briefly about his time in the military, and Bob Spracklin gave a presentation about those who were killed at the #6 Elementary Flying Training School in Prince Albert. The programming committee provides goodies those days for attendees. There were over 760 people visiting the museums on those days, all but Canada Day were during the winter months.

The Historical Society participates in two ‘trade show’ events in the spring- the Model Railroader’s Hobby Show and the Family Expo. At each event volunteers operate our booth and promote the Historical Society. This year the ‘What is it?’ game garnered a lot of interest from both young and old. There were almost 200 interactions with people during the trade shows.

Once again, Don Guedo, filtered through the archives photographs to provide the Historical Society once again with a calendar. This year’s pictures focus on lake country. They are available for sale at the Historical Museum.

Our unofficial kick off to summer event is the Crocus Tea. This annual tea is usually held on the first Wednesday of May. This event is open to the public, which brings in many people who we don’t normally see.

In the last week of September, the Historical Society took part in Culture Days, as part of the Prince Albert Hub. This years theme was all about how cultural activities can make you healthier. Spencer and a few volunteers went to two schools on Friday, Sept 27 and showed the students children’s games from different cultures. On Saturday the 28th, the Historical Museum was open from 11 to 3pm to the public, and the participants played the same games.

In July, the Society was asked by the Parkland Heath Region to put up a display in the Victoria Hospital for Culture Days and put a focus on Indigenous ways of healing. Volunteers and staff met with the Health Region to discuss what artefacts could go in the display. This display was meant to stay in place for two weeks, but remained for closer to 6. There was a tremendous response from the visitors of the hospital. The Health Region has already asked us to put up another display in September 2020.

L-R: Courtney Ellsworth, PAPHR; Rhona Subchyshyn, MaryLou Milliken, Spencer Borotsik; Shannon Pettem, PAPHR

Exhibits

Summer Exhibit at the Historical Museum

This year’s summer exhibit opened in July and it was a smaller version of the travelling exhibit “Diefenbaker: One Canada,” provided by the Diefenbaker Canada Centre. This exhibit was to coincide with the dedication of the Diefenbaker House Museum as a National Historic Site on the 40th Anniversary of Mr. Diefenbaker’s death.

Bill Smiley Archives

The Bill Smiley Archives have undergone significant changes in 2019. Rooms were switched, material was moved and boxed, wiring done and computer stations were changed and added. This work was spurred on by our participation in the ReOrg program, but some changes were planned previously with the use of the Dr. CH and Lenore Andrews bequest.

Even with the area in disarray the archives volunteers have been very busy and has in fact seen an increase in archive requests and researchers they were able to help. The archives, during the summer months had a very normal request from a family in Kentucky, they were looking into their family history and a business owned by the enquirer’s uncle. They made a trip up to Prince Albert to visit the archives and City. Jamie and Ken did their

best to help find the information they required and the family left very happy. A week or two after their return to the States, Jamie received the following email,

The weekend after returned to the States, we drove to Clemson South Carolina where we once lived. Among friends with whom we visited was David Wilkins, former US Ambassador to Canada. He introduced us to his guest for the weekend, the Honorable Scott Moe, the Saskatchewan Premier. If I recall correctly, he indicated his home is just outside Prince Albert in Shellbrook (?). I think the last thing he expected was to meet someone who had just been to Prince Albert and Saskatoon. I told him the purpose of our visit and how instrumental the Historical Society had been in ensuring a fulfilling visit. Cheers!

Constantine (Deno) Curris

It is not often that recognition like this reaches us unsolicited, but it helps renew the spirits of the archives and keeps them returning day after day.

Since we have a large Facebook following, the archives receives many requests, usually about buildings on this platform. There were 27 requests were answered through this method.

Over the course of the year, more than 300 documents have been added to the searchable Master Database and 20 new photographs, not including the Daily Herald negatives. To the end of December, there are 20, 987 individual envelopes equating to more than 97,800 individual negatives that have been entered and verified into the database.

Archive renovations- Before

After

Visitation and Statistics

The museums ‘usage’ numbers include those who have physically visited the museum for pleasure or research, those who have asked a question of the archives, and those who have been actively engaged on our Facebook page. It also counts our documented volunteer occasions. You will notice that the overall number is down from last year, however, most of that is seen in the drop of our Facebook interactions. We can surmise one of two scenarios- people haven’t like the posts we put up or we posted less in 2019 than 2018. The second scenario is more likely.

We should not be worried about the drop in visitors as there are various reasons and we had a very successful summer season. This includes the May opening of Heejung’s House in the tearoom, Heejung and Junsoek Park, offered Korean food and sushi. They had excellent food and were very well received by the public; approximately 1500 people went up to the tearoom for lunch between May and August. Tearoom patrons are not required to pay museum entry fees. The Park’s have also decided to come back for the 2020 summer season and for 2019 won a BOB Award for best restaurant with a view!

2018 vs 2019 Museum Usage Data

Users 2018 Total 2019 Visitors/Meetings 10,696 10,352 Researchers 31 41 Archive Requests 204 244 Group Tours 61 95

Volunteers Occasions 1,475 1,688 Facebook * 35,346 28, 474 (947,669) (714,936) Total Museum Use 47,752 40,799

*Facebook numbers calculated by the number of engaged users and post reach (in brackets) for that months posts. It does not take into effect the engaged users on past posts, which at times outnumber the monthly posts.

Summer 2019 Visitation Statistics (May 22 to August 31)

2019 Total 2018 Historical Museum 5,328 5137 Diefenbaker House 964 853 Police & Corrections 657 1159 Evolution of Education 554 281 Total 7503 7430

Museums Usage from 2015 to 2019

20000 18000 16000

14000 2019 12000 2018 10000 2017 8000 2016 6000 2015 4000 2000 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

***June 2018, is an anomaly, a video of the St. Mary Church tour was added to Facebook.

The number of group tours (mostly schools) is up significantly over the last year. Many times schools visited more than one museum per day. Throughout the year there were 43 recorded tours at the Historical Museum, 10 at the Evolution of Education Museum, 13 at the Police and Corrections Museum (the museum was closed after August 8th for the replacement of the deck), and 10 at the Diefenbaker House. There were also 18 walking tours of the downtown and three tours of the west hill, which includes one a spouse tour for the Sask. Party MLA’s. Food tours ran monthly through the summer. The total number of tour participants is 1281. From 2018, there was a significant increase in the number of documented walking tours. The Historical Society should be very happy with these numbers.

Summary

This has been an exceptionally busy and rewarding year! Without the help of all the volunteers and Knowledge Keepers and others who were brought in to work on other projects, we could not have done what was done. It is hoped that 2020 will not have quite so many projects but turns out just as well.

There will be continued changes in all the museums but the focus for the next few years will be on the Historical Museum. The changes will bring renewed life and in turn interest in Prince Albert’s history.