August 13th was the evening of one the Kindersley and District Museum's most important meetings. The reason for its importance was how the Museum is going to move forward: as a hobby museum managed and operated by well intentioned volunteers or as a museum managed by a museum professional along with well intentioned volunteers.
A viable and relevant Museum is important to the growth and development of Kindersley. It reflects our identity and hopes and sustains us as we move into the future. The Museum needs lots of work and tender loving care. Currently the Museum is working hard and with a museum professional it will also work smart. Some of the recommendations made by the Manager/Curator cover four areas including: governance, museum standards, internal operations, and community integration.
With the adoption of these recommendations I am confident that the Museum will grow and reflect West Central Saskatchewan. (Perhaps it should be renamed the "West Central Saskatchewan Museum of Agriculture and Oil and Gas")
One of the areas for improvement mentioned by the Manager/Curator is the lack of oil and gas artifacts in the Museum's collection. This is a significant opportunity for our Museum to grow. At this time there is no oil and gas museum in Saskatchewan. Oil and gas is at the heart, along with agriculture, of West Central Saskatchewan. Its economic and social significance is indisputable. The history of oil and gas needs to be on display. The Glenbow Museum in Calgary has a display on the development of the industry in their area but the do not have on display many oil and gas artifacts.
Back to business: what the Museum is now awaiting is for the five owners, of which the Town of Kindersley is one, to support the salary of the Manager/Curator. I am hoping we have partners who want to see the Museum grow and will contribute to the ongoing relevance and sustainability of the Museum.
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