A new site is being added to the Fred Light Museum in Battleford that could be open to the public as early as this fall. It's being established as a legacy to the Anderson family and its woodworking heritage.
There have been Andersens woodworking in Battleford since his grandfather began building furniture, windows and even coffins here in 1927, says Floyd Andersen, who is himself a contractor and woodworker.
"It's been in the family," he smiles.
The new building going up will boast the sign "Andersen Woodworking" and will be home to a collection of vintage tools that belonged to Floyd's father Chris and grandfather Anders as well as others that will be donated.
It will be a working shop as well as an exhibit. Insulated and heated, it will be useful in the winter for museum projects and open for display in the summer.
The building is being donated to the Fred Light Museum by the Andersen family. There will be no cost to the museum for the construction of the 672 square foot building.
To this stage of the building, all the labour has been donated by family and friends and building materials have been provided at a reduced cost, say Floyd and his wife Joan.
Some cash donations have also been received.
"We are so very thankful to family, friends and community for helping to make this dream a reality," says Joan.
A "building a legacy" building bee was held May 23 and 24 with the third, fourth and fifth generations of the family represented including Floyd and his brother Nels Andersen, Lee Andersen, Shea Andersen, Jace Andersen, Les Andersen, Harvey Haselmire and Gilles Gelinas.
"They all brought their nail guns," laughs Floyd. "There were compressors and hoses all over the place. We started at eight-thirty and by nine-thirty the two sidewalls were up."
Additional helpers were seven-year-old Pax Andersen, eight-year-old Nix Andersen and five-year-old Grady Andersen.
"When we did the sidewalls the little kids were there just a pounding," says Floyd.
"It was an awesome weekend," said Joan.
The whole point is to build a legacy, she says.
"It's building a legacy for the Andersen name," says Joan. "It's something we can give back to the community, give back to the family and those that were able to come … we’re just so proud to be here, to be part of this legacy, and that's just huge."
Floyd says the exhibit will probably not be open until next summer, however there is a possibility it could be finished for this fall. Yet to be done is the wiring, insulation and and dry walling.
The siding will be the same style as the replica fire hall and Fred Light garage already there, but the colour will be white with green trim, says Floyd.
Of course, he says, new construction always has to be done to current code, but the plan is to give the building as authentic a look as possible. So the shop door will feature vintage-style double doors that swing out to open.
The first of the family to take up residence in Battleford was Anders Anderson, Floyd's grandfather.
Born in Denmark in 1878, he arrived in Canada in May of 1911 as a farm labourer. His wife Birgitte and four children, aged 13, five, four and three, arrived in Quebec City by ship in November of 1911. From there, they took a train to Kitchener, Ont., where they met up with Anders. Birgitte gave birth to their fifth child three months after they arrived in Canada. They had two more children while living in Ontario.
In 1927, when the two older sons decided to head west, Anders and Birgitte and the children still at home also moved west to set up residence and business in the town of Battleford. Anders, who had learned the cabinet making trade from his father in Denmark, set up a cabinet shop where he worked until the early 1960s.
The family has a clipping of a newspaper story about Anders building a five-piece bedroom suite featuring more than 4,000 individual pieces of wood. The job took approximately 120 days, working six hours a day.
Anders passed away in 1988.
When he and Birgitte had arrived in Canada, Chris Andersen, Floyd's dad, was four years old.
He was 20 when his parents moved west, and he and another brother also moved west to work as farm labourers.
After a time, Chris also went into construction in Battleford.
He married Merle Sayers in November of 1942. Chris and Merle had four children, Nels, Caroline, Melvin and Floyd.
Chris operated Andersen and Sons Construction for many years. He did renovations to several of the landmarks in Battleford. He renovated the Town Hall after a major fire, renovated the post office and removed and rebuilt the stockade around Fort Battleford. He also built several homes and did numerous home renovations in Battleford. In addition, he did some renovations at the Western Development Museum in North Battleford.
All his sons worked with their dad in the construction trade for a period of time before their careers took them elsewhere. Floyd moved back to Battleford in 1979 and continues to own and operate Andersen Construction.
His father Chris passed away 15 years ago.
The tools that belonged to Anders and Chris Anderson will be on exhibit — and used — in the new museum venue, however they will remain the property of the family.
"The agreement will be drawn up if the museum shuts down the tools go back to the family, which I hope it never does," says Floyd, who is also in his first year as chair of the Fred Light Museum board of directors, and second year as a member.
While he's been on the board only two years, he has been involved with the museum much longer.
"I've put displays in here, donated a whole bunch for the scouting display, and all kinds of different things after Mom passed away last year," says Floyd.
He also built a dollhouse as a replica of the main museum building, the former St. Vital School, that was used as a fundraiser for the museum. This year, the board is considering having a dollhouse replica of the fire hall made. Or maybe even a playhouse.
Floyd laughs that he just says to the board, "You draw me a plan, I'll build it."
Joan and Floyd are happy to be associated with the museum, and have good things to say about manager Bernadette Leslie, who's been at the museum since it opened in 1980.
"Bernie's done a marvelous job in there," says Joan, adding, with a laugh, "I went to school there. It doesn't look quite the same."
During the recent Andersen building bee, Joan says nine little nieces and nephews did a scavenger hunt in the museum.
"They loved it."
They also visited the fire hall, "and they all had to ring the bell," she laughs.
