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Souris Valley Museum was busy this year

The Souris Valley Museum was busy this season with programming, camps and visitors who wanted to view the museum’s artifacts. The museum’s building west of the city will close for the year at the end of September.

The Souris Valley Museum was busy this season with programming, camps and visitors who wanted to view the museum’s artifacts.

The museum’s building west of the city will close for the year at the end of September. Mark Veneziano, who is wrapping up his first full season as the museum’s director-curator, said they had between 800 and 900 visitors during the four months that the museum was open.

“Sometimes it’s hard to count actual numbers when we have our big events like the Pioneer Fun Day and the Cowpokes and Cookouts, because they are admission by donations days, and people were coming in and out of the museum from different directions,” said Veneziano.

The museum gauges its visitor tally by the number of people who pay admission at the front door over the course of the year.

Cowpokes and Cookouts during the Victoria Day long weekend was their first big event of the year, and it attracted approximately 120 people to view the museum’s different historical displays, vehicles and buildings. The Pioneer Fun Day in August was also a popular attraction. 

For the first time, the museum also held an event for National Aboriginal Day in June, in partnership with the Métis Federation, to showcase the local Aboriginal history and art. 

Their summer camps were also full. They offered four weeks of the Pioneer Day Camp, which was for children ages five to 10; one week of Discovery Day Camp, which was for eight-to-12-year-olds; and their newest camp, a Pioneer Play Camp, which was for three-and-four-year-olds.

“That, again, was very successful, and all the little kids enjoyed themselves here at the museum,” said Veneziano. 

Once the Visitor Information Centre closes at the end of August, the museum continues to receive visitors for a few weeks, he said. Those who are coming to the city and looking to learn more about the community enjoy coming to the museum and viewing the displays. 

Veneziano regards his first year at the museum as a good experience, as he noted the community supported the museum and their different events. 

The museum will remain active in the community during the fall and winter months. They hope to have a winter program that will see them reach out to the community through classroom and school visits, and participations at different events in the city. They will also try to have displays in Estevan. 

They will also be part of the Collage Cultural Festival at the Estevan Leisure Centre on Oct. 1. 

“We’ll be there to promote our name and our programs for next year,” said Veneziano.

The museum’s staff and board hope the building can be open year-round, beginning with the spring of 2017, and they are optimistic that it will result in a surge in the number of people who visit the building.