A group dedicated to promoting and preserving heritage has completed a study about the uniqueness of museums in Southwestern Manitoba.

In 2018 The Turtle Mountain - Souris Plains Heritage Association, with the support of the Manitoba Government Heritage Grants Program, undertook a "Partnerships With Museums" Project.

“We visited the museums in the municipalities that are involved in our Heritage Association and produced a report highlighting the unique features of each” said project manager Ken Storie.

“In the last few years were as a heritage association said part of our role is to connect with anyone else in the region involved with history and heritage and museums were an obvious choice. We brainstormed and applied for grants so I could spend time in a number of area museums.”


That work was interrupted by Covid19. Now museums have reopened across the region.

“Every museum is a representation of its region. It has things that are typical of a prairie town and things that are unique. Both are essential, together they tell the story of the community.”

Storie says essential displays relating to the land, the first people, European settlement, pioneer life, agriculture, business, culture and recreation, may be typical in theme, but they are always unique in detail.

One challenge for many museums is maintaining the physical structure that houses the museum materials.

“You’re working with older structures and there are grant programs but funding is limited and it can be a real battle. You want your museums to be up to code that preserves things. It’s a battle but they seem to be winning” said Ken Storie