By Mike Rainone for the News
I get to visit the Fort Ostell Museum in the Ponoka Lions Centennial Park at least once a week, and I always enjoy browsing through the amazing 10,000 artifacts, photos, and unique and authentic displays of the long and proud history and traditions of Ponoka and surrounding districts as well as chatting over coffee and cookies with Sandy and Sharon and the summer staff, and collecting age-old data for the Reflections and Remember When features in your Ponoka News.
What I really look forward to is the fact that there is always something ‘new’ that has come into the museum courtesy of the kindly donations from generations of former and present town and district families, as well as the Alberta Hospital collection and the exciting and delightful Travelling Exhibits that are available courtesy of the Alberta Museum Association and Alberta Archives.
The Fort Ostell Museum Society was formed by a group of dedicated local volunteers and history buffs as an Alberta Centennial project in 1967 and was followed up very quickly by the completion of a unique log structure in the new Ponoka Centennial Park, which would serve as our first Fort Ostell Museum. As interest grew rapidly in the town and county’s energetic support of gathering and preserving our amazing history for all generations of then and now to cherish and enjoy plans were made to construct the present Fort Ostell Museum, which was opened with a gala celebration in 1981 at the same location. The original structure was then moved to the Ponoka Stampede grounds to serve as a Cowboy Museum and to welcome tourists to our community and still stands proudly beside the magnificent ‘Little Church.’
Serving our growing community for 50 years
Our Fort Ostell Museum is open from the Victoria Day long weekend until the Labour Day long weekend, with summer hours on Mondays to Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and winter hours from Tuesday to Thursdays from 1 to 4 p.m. Throughout the year there are many enjoyable events at the museum for the enjoyment and education of all age groups, and for those wishing to book a casual tour or event at this unique and friendly atmosphere of our long and colourful rural and urban history are welcome to get in touch with Sandy Alsopp at 403-783-5224, or just drop in to set up a date.
On so many days the Fort Ostell Museum is a beehive of activity, with visitors from near and far popping in to bring in a donation, to browse through the displays or to find information on our early ancestors or exciting community history.
The staff also plays host to a number of special events such as teas, club meetings, birthday and retirement parties, the popular cookie sales and pie in the park events, workshops, and on and on. Regular groups who really enjoy coming to the museum are the patients and nursing students from the Centennial Centre, the Ponoka Youth Centre, and countless PCHS and other reunions, who really love to wander and wonder back into their past.
From September to June the Fort Ostell Museum really comes to life with the arrival of the rambunctious Grade 1 school classes from the Ponoka Elementary, Catholic, and Christian Schools, who get a casual history lesson from Sandy Alsopp and then just love to gather in the ‘big room’ to churn some butter or make up a batch of ice-cream or bannock, and then get to ring the big bell at the front door before they head back to school.
Those youngsters are always very excited to learn about what life was about in the ‘good old days’, are in awe of the earliest schoolroom display, and just love to ask lots of questions. The congenial museum staff always ask the young students what they would ever do in a world without electricity, where there would be no T.V., computers, or video games, but that every day after helping their parents with the chores they could look forward to spending lots of time playing outside…..and most think that would be pretty neat..
Everyone is welcome to visit our Fort Ostell Museum, where the long and proud history and amazing families and founders of our Ponoka town and county will unfold before your eyes, where you can admire and touch amazing artifacts that you have never seen before, and then will hopefully really respect the great community legacy that has been put together for over a century of endless hard work, determination and pride for countless generations to always benefit and enjoy.