MOOSE JAW — The sound of fire engine sirens was heard from a distance on Family Day at the Sukanen Ship Museum and Pioneer Village.
The fire engine was busy all day ferrying youngsters and some adults on tours of the museum grounds.
Tractor rides were popular too.
Alyssa and her son from Moose Jaw were among the first in line for tractor rides.
Her boy wanted to ride the biggest tractor, then deferred and rode a smaller machine and then the third one.
“We were out here last year. They always have so many fun things to do,’’ said Alyssa.
Kaitlin and her son Greyson were also among the first tractor riders
“It’s interesting,’’ she said. “I’m glad they still have the old tractors out. It shows what we had and educates people.” The three tractors for rides included a rubber-tired Case and two steel-wheeled oil pull Rumleys.
Two horses and a cart train were busy all day giving rides to youngsters.
People movers ranged from gas-driven to steam-driven.
The dog agility show attracted full crowds with agility demonstrations, an obedience show and a relay race involving youngsters.
The dogs ranged from just learning to experienced show dogs.
A few of the beginners liked to explore before they completed the route, or first played with their owners.
One obedience routine had the dog pick up a scent from an item and look for an item within a pile that had the youngster’s or the owner’s scent.
A special attraction this year was a restored Saskatchewan-built Fudge snowplane, once used in winter to navigate impassable or non-existent roads.
Lisil Gunderson and her husband, Darrell Hunter, were in the Elkhorn, Manitoba, museum when they told the folks there that her grandfather’s snowplane had ended its days around Elkhorn.
The museum attendant showed them to a shed with parts of old machines.
Gunderson immediately recognized pieces of her grandfather’s old Fudge snowplane from a stork logo painted on the side.
Her grandfather, Dr. Gerry Galloway, practiced in the Oxbow-Alameda area for over 30 years. He bought the snowplane to use in winter.
The couple decided to restore the snowplane at their own expense before bringing it back to the Elkhorn Museum.
The restoration required rebuilding of many parts.
The Moosomin Museum, which has a display of the Fudge snowplane, was helpful, she said. They came to Moosomin several times to figure out how to build the parts.
The Fudge snowplane, with an airplane propeller and engine, was manufactured in Moosomin from 1932 until the 1950s. About 400 were made.
On the way to Elkhorn, the couple is displaying at various events.
A recent display at Alameda was well-received. Older residents recalled when the snowplane was used to navigate the impassable or non-existent road.
Ron Walter can be reached at [email protected]
