Taking a "walk" through local history
- Details
- Published on Friday, June 2, 2017
Kate Jackman - Atkinson
The Neepawa Banner
Neepawa has a rich history and on June 10, area residents will have a chance to step back in time. Organized by the Beautiful Plains Archives and the Neepawa Guiding Unit, A Walk Through the Past will treat attendees to some historic photos, fashions and food.
The event will coincide with the opening of the Beautiful Plains Archives’ show of historic Neepawa photos. The photos will be on display in ArtsForward’s Manawaka Gallery from June 7 until July 24. Helen Drysdale, A Walk Through the Past organizer, explains that the event was planned as a grand opening for the show and chance to let people know about the archives and the work they do. “I did it mostly to try and get people aware of the Archives,” she said. The event will also be a fundraiser for the Archives and the Guiding Unit.
The event will give people a chance to take a closer took at the heritage photos and there will also be a show featuring historic fashions. The clothes, including aprons, will come from the Beautiful Plains Museum’s collection, as well as Helen Drysdale’s private collection. Drysdale notes that one of the items will be a nightgown, made in 1913. Coinciding with tea time, attendees will be treated to old fashioned desserts, including Saskatoon pie, coffee and tea.
The Neepawa Guiding Unit, which includes 31 girls, ranging in age from 5 to 14 years of age, have partnered on historic projects in the past. Contact leader Kay De’Ath explains that working with other community groups helps the members meet their community service requirements. She added that the girls have fun at these types of events, as they essentially get to play dress up. Some of the members of the Guiding Unit will be modelling the clothes and aprons, as well as serving drinks and desserts.
Drysdale explained they’re finding it increasingly important to let people know about the services provided by the archives. “We’re finding people are throwing away old photos, [the archives or the museum] would love to have them,” she said. The Beautiful Plains Archives covers not just the Town of Neepawa, but the whole region, including communities such as Glenella and Franklin. She explains that they would especially like photos of farm scenes and buildings, as well as photos of children and women at work and play on the farm, subjects for which there is little local photographic documentation. Drysdale adds that anyone who wishes to keep their photos can still bring them to the Archives, where they will be scanned and preserved as part of the regional collection.
A Walk Through the Past will be held on Saturday, June 10, at ArtsForward in Neepawa. The event will start at 2 p.m. With limited tickets available, it won’t be hard to get up close and personal with some local history. Tickets are available at the Neepawa Banner office, or by calling 204-476-2723.
