KRONAU, Sask. – A museum generally isn’t the busiest place in a community.
The school or the rink, yes. A former church, soon to be joined by an old school, not so much.
But members of the museum committee in Kronau, Sask., think they can make the buildings a gathering place.
The school closed almost a year ago, leaving the hamlet of about 200 people without a focal point. It also left the museum without the school tours and visits for help with history assignments.
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“We’re definitely going to miss the school involvement,” Ina Leippi said. “Closures affect so much more” than just the school itself.
“We hope to be more than a museum,” added Audrey Euteneier.
Both women are members of the Kronau Heritage Society, who recently put the finishing touches on this year’s display. The museum opened May 24.
The theme for 2008 is From Field to Market, which tells the story of grain farming from planting to harvesting to marketing.
Storyboards, each tackled by a volunteer committee member, talk about grain growing through the years. One display shows a loaf of bread and a bottle of beer while others show permit books, moisture testers and miniature tractors and model trains.
A highlight is a case containing wood remnants from the former Saskatchewan Wheat Pool elevator. Years of grain rushing through the wooden chutes wore down the wood to slivers, except for the knots.
The power of grain and its hold on the area is evident throughout the displays.
Most of the artifacts are on loan from local people; the society has no storage. Photographs were scanned and attached to the storyboards to keep the originals in good condition. Other pictures were taken from the internet.
The eight-person committee started the project soon after Christmas, transforming the basement of the former Lutheran church. The rural church had been donated to the heritage society and was placed in town on a new foundation several years ago.
The main church area is still occasionally used for weddings and services and houses a static display, Free Sod to Turn and Till, which focuses on local settlement. It also features a Victorian parlour organ circa 1870-80.
This is the fourth year the basement has been used as museum space.
Previous themes included country schools, the effect of the last century’s wars on people and last year’s popular Simple Fun, which highlighted traditional games and activities such as potato sack and three-legged races and horseshoes.
On Father’s Day, June 14, the museum will host a day of Simple Fun for families featuring those events, antique appraisals, a magician and 10 cent ice cream for fathers.
The next big project for the society is to place the original Saar country school on a new foundation next to the church. It was recently donated by the people living in it.
“We need to raise some money,” Euteneier said. “It needs a new roof, stucco, doors and windows.”
It also needs a concrete floor and roughed-in plumbing in the basement, Leippi said.
Society members are keeping close lipped about their plans for the school.
“We have lots of plans and no money,” Leippi said.
As well, their volunteers are getting tired, and the committee would like new members.
That said, members don’t want to hear that something can’t be achieved.
“I hate ‘yeah, but …’ and I’m not so crazy about ‘what if …’ either,” Euteneier said.
Much of the display will remain up after the Labour Day closing, at least until the Christmas carol festival is held.
