Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village Manager Trish Carleton addresses EDC

KBPV General Manager Trish Carleton

Trish Carleton is the new General Manager at Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village (KBPV), which is run by the Pincher Creek and District Historical Society (PCDHS).  She introduced herself to Pincher Creek's Economic Development Council (EDC) during a meeting on Thursday, April 24.

Carelton has a BA in Cultural Anthropology with a minor in Museum Heritage studies and a MA in Interpretation, Representation, and Heritage from the University of Leicester.  A few of the places she has worked in the industry over the last nine years include the Aerospace Museum, Nickle Arts Museum, Leighton Arts Centre, and Claresholm and District Museum.



Carelton explained the role that a museum plays within our culture and how Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village represents our past to the public now.  KBPV features a display that incorporates 24 buildings and over 22,000 artifacts on their grounds. In addition to the regular care and maintenance of the grounds and artifacts, the museum will be holding a number of themed weeks, special events and upcoming projects in 2014.  "Museums are in a unique position to fulfill community needs because museums and archives are the only institutions that collect. There are no other public institutions that do that.  So we can make a unique approach as to how we  fulfill community needs using our historical access."

The themed weeks that are going to be featured during 2014 will include military, gardening, railway, and quilt displays.  KBPV is looking at history as an ongoing process.  According to Carelton "We have done an excellent job of representing the original pioneer story, and now it's time to keep moving along and tell you the story of the 1920's, 30's, 40's and so on," explaining the plan to expand and incorporate the 20th century into the history to be preserved and presented there.

In addition to the many special events that are planned for the site over the next few months Carelton is facing the challenge of the renewal for the Recognized Museum Status that is currently held at KBPV.  "We fit the internationally recognized definition of what is a museum," she explained.  According to Carelton it is an achievement to gain the status.  "At the end of 2015 we're due for a renewal, and the next phase they up the ante, so we have to do more things to keep our status."

Carelton is looking forward to engaging the community, identifying needs to be met, and working collaboratively with the community.  "We want to be that go-to place that the community thinks of."

Carlton answered questions about staffing, existing community partnerships, funding, and future plans for marketing the museum.  Two members of the EDC expressed that they thought it was a fantastic museum, but that that it was under-marketed.

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