The Western Development Museum (WDM) is the place to be this year, as they announce their upcoming summer 2023 program schedule.
Throughout this summer, Leslie, who is a summer student at the WDM, is hosting six Summer Pop-Up events on weekends.
These events take place on Sundays and are set up as drop-in family activities. Each event features a different theme, and a fun yet educational program is provided based around this theme. Activities range from crafts to games to hands-on activities that kids can participate in.
For those of us who grew up creating imaginary worlds with LEGO, the Saskatchewan LEGO Users Group (SLUG) is hosting an event featuring talented members from all across Western Canada. Here, members will display their creations and bring inspiration to those of us who built with the bricks in the past.
One fascinating element of this display is that all the creations are unique. “Nothing comes with instructions or is from a kit,” explains Karla Rasmussen, programs manager at the WDM.
On each day of the show, there will be special attendee events and public talks by the group.
As well, vendors will be selling LEGO bricks for those who are inspired to begin their own creations or take up a past hobby once again.
The Brickspo event takes place over two days, between July 29 and 30.
Additionally, this summer the steam train will be back in operation and providing rides, although no specific date can be given at this time.
To gain an appreciation for the hard work that goes behind their operational steam train, engineers who are in training must complete an intensive steam-engineering course, and then complete 80 hours of practical experience with a qualified engineer. This is difficult to attain, given that there are not a lot of steam trains still in operation.
“This is the only operational steam locomotive in Saskatchewan,” affirms Rasmussen. There are other operational trains of different types, but the steam train is unique to the Moose Jaw branch of the WDM.
The train is known as the K+S Potash Canada Short Line 101 and has been providing rides since 1978.
As well, there is an operational steam tractor that will be the centerpiece of the “Blow Off Some Steam Day” event on August 12th. The event is based around this historical machine, and the general public is invited to check it out as it begins chuffing off steam once again and operates as it would have done in the early days of Saskatchewan’s history.
A complete list of upcoming events at the WDM this summer includes:
- June 10: BMO Free Admission Day
- June 24: “Flower Power” Fashion Show
- July: Gopher Seek and Find and Time Hopping Activity Sheet
- July 2: Summer Pop-Up #1: The Marvel of Medicine
- July 9: Summer Pop-Up #2: Roarin’ Roadsters
- July 16: Summer Pop-Up #3: It’s All Fun and Games…
- July 23: Summer Pop-Up #4: Canadian Creativity
- July 29 and 30: Brickspo
- August: Yellow and Green Seek and Find
- August 6: Summer Pop-Up #5: Making Moose Jaw
- August 12: Blow Off Some Steam Day
- August 13: Summer Pop-Up #6: Baking
Be sure to mark your calendars and bring out the entire family, as the summer events offered by the WDM are assured to be both exciting and educational.
The WDM is the largest human history museum in Saskatchewan with a collection of nearly 80,000 artifacts, as stated on their website at https://wdm.ca/moose-jaw/.
For more information, the Western Development Museum can be reached at 306-693-5989.
