Folks from Briercrest district gathered June 10 to observe their heritage at the Museum Heritage Day.
The village has 111 years of interesting history to remember.
Briercrest Bible College started there in 1935 with 11 students, later moving to the vacant air base at Caronport.
People still drive into Briercrest, Sask., thinking they are at the Bible college.
Celebrated poet Edna Jacques, who spoke all over North America and penned the reply to In Flanders Fields, is recognized with her tiny house moved next to the museum
The museum re-uses an eight room school with themed rooms to display the community's history from farming and military service to churches, school, medical care and the general store.
Walls of the school corridors are decorated with quilts made by women in the area and with murals. A new mural depicting downtown Briercrest is being painted.
A new display with 660 die cast tractor models was just donated by Ernie Gadd. The display shows models from Versatile, Ford, John Deere Case, International, Farm-All, Allis Chalmers and Steiger.
The heritage day was busy with two ball diamonds occupied by the slo-pitch tournament, blacksmithing demonstrations by Larry Paysen, a car show with about 60 vehicles and a parade.
Dusty Old Farmers with Gene Ward, Sid Huntley and Al Kushner had visitors’ toes tapping.
Local cowboy poet Fred Cockburn sang and recited his poetry. His poems ranged from the story of discomfort with new jeans to memories of his grandmother’s home-made beef hamburgers that tasted like Heaven.
Cockburn praised those who re-purposed the former school into a museum. “The school may have closed but the learning continues,” he commented.
One of the busiest places was the pie shop with home-made pies baked by the local women. Chairs and tables in the shop came from Anderson’s Ice Cream Parlour, that once operated in the village.
The museum is open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
