The Dickson Store Museum, which has meticulously documented the region's distinct Danish history since 1991, has received a big boost to ensure its heritage's long-term survival.
On July 28, the Dickson Store Museum, housed in the original pioneer store that was built in 1909, received a $10,102 grant through the federal Museums Assistance Program of the Department of Canadian Heritage.
The funding to the Dickson Store Museum will go towards purchasing and installing a collections software system, allowing the institution to preserve and catalogue its 7,000 artifacts and ensuring greater care and long-term access to current and future collections.
“The intent of this is to primarily make sure that we give the museum an opportunity to promote their heritage and all the different artifacts that they have,” said Red Deer MP Earl Dreeshen, who was at the museum on July 28 to make the official presentation.
“We've got such a rich and varied history. Our stories need to be told. As Canada is coming up to our 150th birthday it's important that we consciously revisit and reconnect with all of those things that make Central Alberta so significant.”
Sharon Lightbown, museum manager, said the grant application was made last November and confirmed in June.
She said the upgrade to the institution's collections management software will provide many more capabilities than what was available with the old system.
“Eventually we will be able to put our collection online through something like Canadian Museums Association. We probably won't have all of our artifacts on our own website. We might have some eventually,” said Lightbown, adding the museum's 7,000 artifacts date back to the early 1900s.
“We are also part of the Central Alberta Regional Museum Network, and they have a website that shows different artifacts from different museums as well. The real benefit of the new system is that we can share with the rest of the outside world, and if they want to know where some of these items are or want more information about them we can do that,” she said, adding the new system won't be installed until the early fall when the museum is closed for the season.
“It will also be far easier within our own museum to sort things as it manages the whole collection. We can do lots of searches, find every single teacup that is in our collection, who donated it, when and where, the history of it – without going to a paper file and trying to look it all up because this system will group everything together.”
Dreeshen said Dickson's successful initiative to preserve its history could trigger other Central Alberta museums and heritage societies to make their own advances in preserving their heritage, particularly as the nation's 150th anniversary approaches.
“There is now an opportunity to link in with all of the stories that are going to be told as we come up to this celebration the country is going to be holding. I think this opportunity, especially with this computer system, is going to link people up,” said Dreeshen.
“A lot of them (communities) already have certain types of programs in place that are making this happen, but it is important that they continue to ask for support in those areas. Olds and Didsbury have great ones (museums), along with the historical village in Innisfail and the ones in Delburne, Markerville and Bowden.”
The Dickson Store Museum is open seven days a week from mid-May until the September long weekend. From Monday to Saturday the museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Sundays from 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
