A ‘Re-imagining project’ is in the works for the Michener House Museum.
“This has been an ongoing project for quite a while,” said Melissa Blunden, executive director of the Lacombe & District Historical Society.
“And with the fact that we have moved a lot of our offices and collection over to the Flat Iron Building, it has created more space inside the Michener House that can be used for a variety of things,” she explained.
“I like the word ‘re-imagined’ because it evokes a level of excitement and maybe the revitalization of a space.”
The Lacombe & District Historical Society (LDHS) has secured government funding for the Michener House project, which is also the oldest residence in Lacombe - having been built in 1894.
According to the Museum’s website, the house is historically significant as the birthplace of Roland Michener, former Governor General of Canada, and as the parsonage of his father, Edward.
The house also illustrates the important first phase of the town’s development, pre-the Great War.
“It’s very exciting - as mentioned, it’s been a long-awaited project,” said Blunden. “I think that it will really allow us to bring our vision to life, by modernizing and revitalizing the space.
“But the whole point is to better serve our community,” she said, adding that to that end, the team is still seeing community feedback.
“We want to make those (suggestions) come to life for the community,” she said, adding that the Michener House has been designated a Historical Resource both through the City of Lacombe and the Province.
“Our whole project in the last year or two has been to really re-envision the whole heritage experiences that are occurring in the Lacombe region,” she said. “This is just another part of that overall goal.”
Based on years of community feedback, the project will include the creation of immersive storytelling exhibitions, updates to the museum’s infrastructure, and improved accessibility for all visitors.
Meanwhile, the Museum is hosting ‘An Evening with Terry Jones’ on March 9 at the Lacombe Memorial Centre.
Legendary sports journalist Terry Jones, formerly of the Edmonton Sun, will highlight his career in sports journalism exploring his many highlights and talking about the theme of overcoming adversity through sport.
Jones, a native of Lacombe, began his career with the Lacombe Globe in 1963 writing local sports stories.
In 1967 he joined the Edmonton Journal and later the Edmonton Sun where he remained until 2020.
He has written five books and has been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, and the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame.
Jones has also been awarded a Canadian Sports Media Lifetime Achievement Award.
The event will be held in the Lacombe Memorial Centre County Room. Limited seats are available. The event is free to attend, but any donation is appreciated.
Those interested in attending are asked to register via Eventbrite.
“It’s also happening in conjunction with our (current) ‘Winter Sports in Lacombe’ exhibit,” said Blunden.
A bit further down the road, the Lacombe Museum and the Lacombe Performing Arts Centre are hosting a Whiskey Tasting Fundraiser on March 24.
Doors open at 7 p.m. at 5227 - C&E Trail.
Tickets for this event are also available via Eventbrite.
Meanwhile, LDHS will be providing regular updates and progress reports on the Michener House Museum Reimagination Project on the Museum’s website and social media channels.
LDHS is committed to community engagement throughout the project and is planning multiple open houses over the spring and summer of 2023 to gather additional feedback.
There is also an online feedback form available on the website for those who cannot attend the open houses.
For more information on the project, visit the Lacombe Museum’s website or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, or LinkedIn at www.lacombemuseum.com/reimagined.