The Deep South Pioneer Museum in Ogema held its Museum Day on July 9. The tourist attraction is an open-air museum with 30 historical pioneer buildings as well as working art galleries and an operational community hall.
The activities for the 35th Museum Day began with a pancake breakfast at the hall. The hall also served a lunch at noon. Throughout the day visitors could tour the historical buildings that reflected life in Ogema and area a century ago. There were old time stores, a church and parish hall, school, doctor and dentist offices, print shop, barber shop, theatre, bank, auctioneer’s office, and post office. Each of the buildings contained historical items to show the use of each building.
The larger exhibit halls contained agricultural and mechanical tools of by-gone days and household items. It holds fossils millions of years old and aboriginal artifacts as well as 150 pieces of farm machinery, and pioneer artifacts.
A number of activities took place on the ten acres of museum grounds. There were demonstrations at the blacksmith shop. Over at the barn local artisan Albert Hanson demonstrated how the pioneers made rope. An old-time band filled an exhibit hall with their lively catchy tunes. A parade of vintage farm equipment and vehicles illustrated the progress of technology through the decades. After the parade, a threshing demonstration grabbed the attention of young and old.
The Deep South Pioneer Museum is the largest community-owned museum in Western Canada. Since 1980, the museum has hosted an annual Museum Day on the first Sunday of July in conjunction with the annual fair of the Ogema Agricultural Society. The event is an unofficial homecoming for many residents.
