Be prepared … for new St. Vital Museum exhibit

St. Vital

The Guides and Scouts, part of the fabric of St. Vital life for more than a century, are the subject of a new permanent exhibit at St. Vital Museum.

The idea for the newest addition to the museum’s collection began to take shape a year ago when Shaun Vincent, a leader with the 3rd Winnipeg Scouts — one of the earliest Scout troops in North America — and a Scouts historian, approached museum president John Hindle one day and explained he has lots of memorabilia relating to the Scouts.

“He pulled out a 100-year-old picture of Lord Baden-Powell (founder of the Boy Scouts movement) on a visit to Winnipeg, standing by an old shed, which was literally on this property. It’s so historic,” Hindle said.

Hindle said he’s grateful for Vincent’s expertise and his contributions to the exhibit.

“We also need to recognize and honour the Guides, and it’s a joint display,” Hindle said, noting that Vincent now also sits on the board of the St. Vital Historical Society, which operates the museum. “Shaun can tell me where the different things have come from … and there are lots of old pictures. This has turned into something pretty significant.”

“I’m proud of the museum and the work people are doing here,” Hindle added. “We’re literally protecting the history of St. Vital. Lots of people think it’s just a fire museum, but we also have things like gold records and memorabilia from The Guess Who. We really do have the history that justifies all the work people do to protect it.”

Vincent, whose partner, Jolene, is also involved with Scouts said part of his motivation for the exhibit and the source of his passion for the project came from “the need to solve historical mysteries and to verify old stories.”

“I’ve always found it interesting, the amount of history we have here in Winnipeg, and I started gathering information and artifacts,” Vincent said, citing the significance of the old Scout Hall on Scouters Lane in St. Vital as an example.

“It’s been a voyage of discovery.”

Vincent tried to utilize every square inch of space Hindle afforded him for the exhibit, and the collection “holds an incredible amount of history,” including silver wolf medals, awarded to Scouts for contributions of exceptional character.

Hindle said he hopes the April 11 exhibit opening at the museum will help it introduce a wider audience, spanning generations. The exhibit is housed in a part of the museum previously occupied by an antique truck (another, dating back to 1939, is still there).

“From what I saw, there was a different energy and clientele, which is good for all aspects of the museum, as it’s bringing a younger crowd in,” Hindle said.

Vincent said current Scouts membership is in good shape, adding that the movement provides “amazing lessons for kids,” including many outdoor-focused activities.

“Some programming has changed and become more fluid, but the core fundamentals still exist today,” Vincent said. “It’s about giving kids a safe spot to be themselves, and for them to become good members of community and society.”

Visit www.svhs.ca to learn more about the St. Vital Museum. The 3rd Winnipeg Scout Group can be found on Facebook.