The Moose Jaw branch of the Western Development Museum (WDM) has a busy schedule for the upcoming fall and winter season that you don't want to miss.
The WDM will remain open throughout the year for self-guided visits, and in addition to this, the museum holds regular programming to support its mission of sharing Saskatchewan’s history and bringing new life to the people who helped shape our province.
Halloween
Each year, the WDM hosts a Halloween event designed for a younger crowd and provides some added entertainment during the fall season. This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 28, and gives room for children to trick-or-treat without having to decide between two options.
Children will love the opportunity to conduct a scavenger hunt throughout the museum, and with a little decorating the venue provides an eerie yet fascinating atmosphere perfect for the spooky spirit of the season.
Guests are welcome to dress up in their best Halloween costumes and everyone is invited to attend.
The details of the event are still being planned, and the starting time will be announced shortly.
For updated information, visit the museum’s website at wdm.ca or contact Alexis Jones.
A Christmas Long Ago
For the holiday season, the WDM is planning a Christmas-themed event called “A Christmas Long Ago.”
The theme for the event is “an early settler’s Christmas” according to Jones, and it shows what life would have been like during the early days of prairie settlement. Guests will have the opportunity to compare the traditions and lifestyles of our early pioneers to what life is like today.
“For A Christmas Long Ago we will set up the Sask. Hall like a settler’s house, (and it will be) kind of like grandma’s house. We will talk about the traditions of long ago,” Jones explained.
There won’t be any of grandma’s home cooking, but the exhibit will focus on traditions, artifacts, and will bring old-fashioned toys to show what children from this point in time would be looking forward to on Christmas day.
The Christmas event will be held at the WDM’s Saskatchewan Hall and will take place on Dec. 9 and again on Dec. 16. On both dates, the event is scheduled for 10 a.m. and will repeat at 2 p.m.
The exhibit is still being planned. For the latest information, check the museum’s website at wdm.ca.
Gitty Up and Whoa
The WDM is also partnering with Senior’s Centre Without Walls (SCWW) for an upcoming educational presentation on equestrian history.
“I’m partnering with Seniors Without Walls, and I’m doing a talk about horses and transportation,” Jones said. Her presentation will be called “Gitty Up and Whoa.”
The talk will take place over the phone and is focused on the history of transportation along with equestrian body language and similar topics.
Phone-based seminars are scheduled for Oct. 25, Nov. 22, and Dec. 20. On each respective date, the call will take place at 10:30 a.m.
SCWW is a telephone-based service that provides seniors the opportunity to socialize, learn, and stay connected from the comforts of home. The organization’s programming ranges from wellness seminars to educational lectures and gives participants the opportunity to join discussions and meet new people over the phone.
Virtual Coffee Club
Throughout the year, the WDM hosts the Virtual Coffee Club on Zoom. In the presentations, a guest speaker will discuss a given topic for around 45 minutes and this will be followed by an open floor where the digital audience can ask questions.
The purpose of the club is to help seniors in the community feel less isolated, and the virtual format allows the museum to offer programming that is more accessible and inclusive.
All presentations will be held at 10 a.m. on the respective dates.
On Thursday, Oct. 26, Karin Steuber from the Saskatchewan Archaeological Society will discuss Indigenous projectile points known as arrowheads and will fuse archaeological research with Indigenous perspectives.
On Thursday, Nov. 23, Julie Jackson with the WDM’s collections department will discuss behind-the-scenes work at the museum, and participants will learn about accessioning and de-accessioning the museum’s collection of artifacts.
On Thursday, Dec. 21, Diana Savage with the WDM’s exhibits department will discuss museum exhibits and talk about the process behind setting up an exhibit and how exhibits are created.
Programming for the virtual coffee club is expected to continue through to June 2024, with further presentations to be announced around January 2024.
There is no cost for the presentation, but pre-registration on the WDM’s website is required.
The WDM is the largest human history museum in Saskatchewan and features a collection of over 75,000 artifacts across four locations. The Moose Jaw branch specializes in the history of transportation.
The museum is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. During the winter months, the museum is closed on Mondays from January to March and on stat holidays from October to April.
Further details on these and other upcoming events will be posted on the museum’s website, wdm.ca/moose-jaw/.
For more information, Alex Jones can be reached at 306-693-5989 or at ajones@wdm.ca.
The Western Development Museum in Moose Jaw is located at 50 Diefenbaker Drive.
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