Fort la Reine Museum offers pathway to local history

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This article was published 07/08/2015 (4036 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A soundtrack evoking the constant bone-numbing whistle of the polar north wind plays in the Fort la Reine Museum’s gallery.

It helps visitors understand the bravery and innovation shown by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and his band of six comrades as they navigated the Northwest Passage from 1903 to 1906, including the two years that they lived in Gjoa Haven. The exhibition, Cold Recall, detailing the explorers’ time in Canada’s Arctic, was assembled by Norway’s Fram Museum and shown at Fort la Reine with the help of the Royal Norwegian Embassy.

Fort la Reine’s executive director and curator Tracey Turner said the exhibit highlights a major accomplishment in discovering Canada’s north. Amundsen’s success was partially due to his willingness to adopt the customs of the Inuit.

“The photos are quite compelling,” Turner said, noting that Amundsen developed a series of lantern slides that he later used when holding lectures about his travels that included his success in reaching the South Pole. Photos, some of which were hand-coloured, are shown in the exhibit.

The exhibit also includes Inuit artifacts such as snow goggles and fish spears, with some items on loan from the Manitoba Museum’s HBC Collection.

Cold Recall is on display until Sept. 30.

The Fort La Reine Museum, Pioneer Village and Tourist Bureau Inc. is located on the eastern edge of Portage La Prairie near the junction of Highway 1A (Saskatchewan Avenue) and the Trans-Canada Highway. It’s difficult for drivers passing by the site to appreciate the scope of the Pioneer Village which contains over 20 restored historic buildings and items, such as Sir William Van Horne’s private rail coach.

Van Horne was president of the Canadian Pacific Railway and he used the car from 1882 to 1885 to entertain government officials and potential railway investors. Turner said the car was discovered in 1976 being used as a hunting lodge on the edge of Delta Marsh.

“It’s a really neat piece of Canadian history,” she said.

The museum gets its name from the first fort built in the Portage la Prairie area by Pierre Gaultier de la Verendrye and his two sons in 1739. The museum was opened in 1967 as a Manitoba Centennial project.

“It’s grown throughout the years,” Turner said, with new buildings and artifacts added regularly.
As well as buildings typically found in Canadian prairie towns, there are two log cabins and an Eaton’s catalogue home. The Allis-Chalmers Museum contains the world’s largest collection of this company’s farm equipment and other machinery. The Southport Building, moved from the
Southport Air Base onto the site in 2001, contains a display of military items that belonged to local veterans and residents. It also houses the Manitoba Softball Hall of Fame opened in 2002 that includes memorabilia dating back to the 1920s.

To keep local residents visiting the museum, which logged over 6,000 visitors in 2014, Turner and her staff organize special events throughout the spring, summer and fall, ending with a holiday light display.

The final concert in the Vega performance series is scheduled for Thurs., Aug. 13, with Paul and Susan Hammer from Winnipeg Beach., Man. performing.

“The series highlights local Manitoba musicians,” Turner said. The series is presented in partnership with Portage la Prairie’s Glesby Centre.

Crafters of all ages are invited to join in what’s called Crafternoons on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 3:30 p.m. until Aug. 27.

The final two Supernatural Site Tours of the year are set for Sat., Sept. 12 and Sat., Oct. 3, offered through Muddy Water Tours.

Turner said the tour company hires a medium to guide participants in a search for spirits.

The popular Mystery at the Museum, which started in 2011, is being held on Fri., Sept. 18 and Sat., Sept. 19. This event features volunteers who are costumed to match the mystery’s theme which is revealed through a guided tour.

Turner said the event usually sells out quickly.

The annual Halloween Ghost Walk is planned on Sat., Oct. 24 and people of all ages are invited to trick or treat in the Halloween Village.

For more information on the Fort La Reine Museum, Pioneer Village and Tourist Bureau, visit fortlareinemuseum.ca

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