NEWS/EVENTS

MUSEUM UPDATE for September 2022

Stavely museum is closed for the season. We will still provide tours. Please email: explore@stavelymuseum.ca to book your tour.

About the Stavely museum

Board Members

Janice Binmore - President
Stan Eckstrand - Vice President
Ian Sundquist - Secretary/Treasurer
Marvin Emann
Lorna Alsgard
Brydon Saunders
Ramona Whittingham
Leo Nugteren
Stephanie Katelnikoff

History of the location

Sited at this location, was one of the first lumber yards in Stavely.  It was called the Stavely Lumber Yard, but had ties to Claresholm Lumber.  In 1910, the manager was G.M. Warren, and in 1911-12, R.G. Free.  In 1912, it became Western Canada Lumber with J.T. Davis as manager until 1916, when Isaac Hooper took over.  Then in September of that year, it became the Beaver Lumber Company which it was until its closing in 1965.

In 1966, the Masonic Lodge purchased the property and converted the office and under cover lumber storage area into the new meeting facility.  The Oddfellows used this as their meeting place as well. When the new community hall was constructed, in 1980, the Masons donated the building to the Community Hall Board and changed their meeting site to the new hall.  This was later sold to the Stavely and District Museum Society for $1.00 and this then became the Stavely Museum as it is today.  It opened its doors on May 6, 1989.

History of the museum

The idea for a museum for Stavely was envisioned following a visit to the Ostell Museum at Ponoka, Alberta.

Jack and Margaret Marshall were the driving force behind the creation of the Stavely Museum.  They entered a float in the 1987 Stavely Homecoming parade to promote the idea.  A meeting was then held and with the help and encouragement of the Alberta Museums Association, there was a decision to proceed.  The former Masonic Hall was donated from the Stavely Community Hall Board.  The Town of Stavely agreed that the Museum would be tax exempt and that it would be responsible for the museum collection should the society disband.  With grants from the Community Recreation and Culture (Government of Alberta) and New Horizons (Government of Canada), interior renovations were made possible.  Filing cabinets, tables and chairs were a gift from the Willow Creek Auxillary Hospital.

Axel Sundquist, Bill Malchow, Gladys Nelson, Ruth Strang, and Jack and Margaret Marshall signed for the corporate registries, establishing the society as a charitable organization.

The initial Board of Directors was Gladys Nelson, Christina Malchow, Myrna Richards, Ian Sundquist, Ruth Strang, and Jack and Margaret Marshall.

In 1991, another building was erected to house a donated 1903 Altman Taylor threshing machine, using Alberta Community and Tourism Action funding.

The society is proud of the community support for this project that has continued to grow and improve with each passing year!