St. Vital Museum now open two days a week

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/12/2021 (1130 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

At my stage of life, I don’t get too excited about much, but the one thing I look forward to seeing every Monday is the continuing changes to the St. Vital Museum, which I must say, have been impressive over the course of the past few months.

I’d like to take credit for the changes, but I can’t because that belongs to Jared Warkentin, who has transformed the former St. Vital fire hall into a museum showcasing the history of the second-oldest settlement in Winnipeg.

Don’t take my word for the new look, take a look yourself any Saturday or Tuesday, beginning Dec. 28.

Yes, you read that correctly — the St. Vital Museum will be open to visitors two days a week thanks to the availability of Warkentin.

In case you are not aware, the museum is now home to a 100-year-old fire truck, rescued from an unheated building with no electricity, in St. Boniface. The truck and several other artifacts complement the 1939 pumper used by St. Vital until 1971. The museum also gained other valuable artifacts, such as hoses and uniforms that were used and worn by firefighters of that era. There are also a number of photos from the 1900s.

The museum is looking so good due to the work of volunteers such as Fern Dion and Judy Holukoff, who gave the 100-year-old building a new coat of paint and Jim Murray or his carpentry skills. More and more archives are now digitally stored and catalogued due to the typing of Suzanne Dion and Mariska Maguire.

People are still asking about the availability of the 2022 calendars. There are less than 100 still for sale at a cost of $5 each, or three for $10.

Bob Holliday is president of the St. Vital Historical Society and a community correspondent for St. Vital. Email him at docholliday90@me.com