Virtual Coffee Club presentations are back at the Western Development Museum (WDM). Offered virtually and free of cost over the Zoom app, several experts will provide insights into a few historical aspects of Saskatchewan’s past.
All sessions take place starting at 10 a.m. and run until 11 a.m. Each presentation begins with a guest lecture and is followed by a question-and-answer period where guests are invited to ask questions.
A list of the upcoming Virtual Coffee Club presentation is provided below.
British Home Children
Joan Brewerton will lead the upcoming British Home Children presentation on Thursday, Jan. 25 at 10 a.m.
During her presentation, Brewerton will share the history of an estimated 100,000 children sent to Canada (then The Dominion of Canada) from Great Britain between 1869 and 1948. These children were brought over to serve as indentured farm labourers and domestic servants for Canadian households.
The average age of these children was 12 years old, and the presentation will examine the story of 70 children who were placed in an orphanage in Prince Albert, Sask.
Small Town Hotels
On Thursday, Feb. 22 at 10 a.m., Brewerton will lead another Virtual Coffee Club session titled ‘Small Town Saskatchewan’s Old Hotels.’ In the talk, Brewerton will discuss hotels in the province and explore their role as being one of the oldest and most common forms of business enterprise in rural Saskatchewan.
A special acknowledgement will be given to the fact that many of the provinces’ “tenacious old hotels” are still standing on the typical corners of Railway Avenue and Main Street in many small-town communities. This is a testament to the determination of those who owned and operated these businesses for the past century.
Boomers in Outer Space
On Thursday, March 21 at 10 a.m., Brian Gallager will lead a presentation titled ‘Boomers in Outer Space, Muscle Cars, Rock & Roll and Ice Cream.’
In the presentation, Gallager will provide a challenging yet fun look at what the generation following the Second World War experienced with a focus on life in the Canadian prairies. In this comparative account, the talk will follow the format of a popular TV game show to be announced at the start of the talk.
The talk will also cover the different experiences of both Indigenous and mainstream populations.
Described as taking place during the Spring Equinox on March 21, the talk takes place during “a time of regeneration” and “is also an opportunity to look at potential new realities.”
75th anniversary of the WDM
The WDM will be celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.
Led by the museum’s program and volunteer co-ordinator Alexis Jones, the Thursday, April 18 presentation takes place at 10 a.m. and will walk guests through the history of the WDM and explore several of its biggest milestones.
Previously held Virtual Coffee Club presentations can be viewed anytime on the museum’s YouTube channel, ‘WDM Coffee Club.’
Although the presentations are offered free of charge, advanced registration is required for each talk. To register, visit the museum’s website at wdm.ca. Registration closes at 11:59 p.m. on the day before each Virtual Coffee Club program.
For more information, visit the WDM’s website at wdm.ca or contact Alexis Jones at 306-693-5989.
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