Southern Nights at KBPV

Alli Price and Dave Gabert

• Note: The Country Classics Wild West Show planned for Friday July 27 has been postponed to Saturday August 25, 2018, 6:00-8:00 pm. KBPV will honour any passes for that evening and rainchecks are available for the August 25 event.

Toni Lucas - Southern Nights at Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village is an ever-changing cornucopia of music, education and entertainment throughout the summer on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights through September 1.  On Friday, July 20, the 'Hangfire Gang' Player-Improv Theatre from Lethbridge sent two of their players our way to entertain.  The duo did skits and improvisational comedy.  They posed as town pioneer A.E. Cox and his daughter Millie.  They involved the audience in their free wheeling fun.  along with many other skits the two improvised a wedding skit with a volunteer from the audience, and did a bit about buying a medicinal tonic from a traveling salesman.

The entertainment was funny, family friendly, and had some historical references thrown in. Actors Dave Gabert and Alli Price said this was their first historical improv attempt. Price said it was an inspirational setting.   Gabert had visited the area previously and enjoyed that the weather allowed them to range outdoors, taking the play to two different areas of the grounds for stages.

KBPV Curator Farley Wuth explained the set up for Southern Nights for the summer is to have a speaker on Thursdays, Fridays are more about arts and culture, and Saturdays are generally musical.  Almost all of the nights have children's activities planned.  "These are family-friendly events, meant for all ages or the whole family to enjoy".

Southern Nights schedule

Second annual Fathers Day Cruise and Shine a fun event for the whole family

Toni Lucas - Mark and Ashton Goss each attended the second annual Pincher Creek Cruise and Shine event on Sunday, June 18th, Father's Day along Main Street.  "I had to drag dad out," admitted Ashton.  They each went in their own show cars, parked side by side and indulged their love of vehicles while spending the day with each other and talking about their own cars and poking fun at each other.  That was only one of many stories about how this Father's Day car show brought families for a pleasant afternoon.

Lethbridge filmmaker wins funding for Kootenai Brown short film "Western Steele"

• Project features Kootenai Brown Village locations

Press release - There's a new sheriff in town, and on local screens, thanks to a Lethbridge filmmaker and the funding he received from Telus in a recent province-wide competition. Local radio broadcaster Ryan Mennie created, wrote, directed and stars in the pilot episode of "Western Steele," one of 15 Alberta projects each awarded $10,000 to bring their ideas to life on the screen. Mennie is the only recipient of funding in the Lethbridge region in the latest Telus Storyhive web series competition.

History Week coming to Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village

KBPV Education Coordinator Gord Tolton

Toni Lucas - Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village KBPV will host a Southern Alberta Museum Association Symposium the week of February 11-16. "I like the idea of networking, getting like-minded people to sit down and have more than coffee," explained KBPV Education Coordinator Gord Tolton.  The event is a chance to network, promote local museum and interpretive sites, and engage with experts about the challenges faced by museum professionals while showcasing the area to others in the museum and tourism field.

Cookies and quilts drew crowds to Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village

 KBPV President Colleen Casey-Cyr

Toni Lucas - The doors to Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village (KBPV) were open wide on Sunday, December 3 , with people streaming in and out hauling away all things sweet and sugary.
It was the fifth year for the event, hosted by the Pincher Creek and District Historical Society.  The money raised will go to various Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village projects.  Billed as 'The Largest Christmas Cookie Sale in Pincher Creek History', the museums administration building hosted tables of treats for the public. "It was a sell out," said KBPV President Colleen Casey-Cyr.  Starting the day with thousands of cookies, at 2:30  pm staff and volunteers were down to three dozen.  "It was so busy all day," said Cyr. Another 'draw' to the day was the draw for a quilt raffle.  Winners of the quilt raffle were:  Cabin Quilt and pillow - Ann Cisar, The Garden Quilt - Denise Simon, Quilted wall hanging of Kootenai Brown's Cabin - Colleen Kindt of Nanton.

Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village celebrates area authors

Toni Lucas - Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village in Pincher Creek celebrated 15 local authors during their Countdown  to Christmas celebrations on December 1.  People looking for a unique one of a kind gift could come in and get a signed copy of a book to give to someone special just in time for Christmas.  This seemed a perfect venue for this event as two members of the staff, Curator Farley Wuth and Education Coordinator Gordon Tolton are both authors themselves.

Livingstone Cemetery tour hosted by KBPV Curator Farley Wuth

KBPV Curator Farley Wuth

Toni Lucas - Talking Tombstones was a graveyard tour of Livingstone Cemetery led by Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village (KBPV) Curator Farley Wuth on the evening of Monday, August 21. Over 300 people are interred at the Livingstone Cemetery. The tour highlighted the lives of 24 pioneers that helped shape the beginnings of Lundbreck and area. The tour moved from marker to marker under the cover of night. Standing beside the grave sites, volunteers gave a summary of the life of early settlers. Wuth tried to create a tour that had a wide ranging representation of early life in a then fledgling community.

New brews part of the fun at Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village event

Kyle Baines

Toni Lucas - Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village hosted a 'Beers to You' event on Saturday July 22 in Pincher Creek.  The event was in conjunction with Andrew Hilton Wine and Spirits (AHWS) from Lethbridge.  AHWS Owner Kyle Baines brought a number of different beers for the 100 people attending to sample.  He has experience in hosting tasting events covering the spread from beer, wine, scotch, tequila and gin. "... Whatever people want,"  he explained,  For this event the theme was Alberta based brews.  "We actually have a nice little microcosm of really good brewing, just in Alberta."  Brews came from Lethbridge, Lacombe, Calgary, Red Deer, and Medicine Hat.  People were laughing, sharing, visiting, and enjoying the musical stylings of country musician Jim Peace.

Scotch tasting event held at Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village

Steve Firth

Toni Lucas - Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village (KBPV) held a Scotch tasting event on Thursday evening, March 2.  Taking close to 40 people on this journey of the palette was Steve Firth from Andrew Hilton Wines and Spirits in Lethbridge. Firth is also a member of the Lethbridge Scotch Society.

Christmas in the Village fun despite frigid weather

Santa at KBPV

Toni Lucas - Christmas in the Village took place at Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village Saturday, December 10.  Even though the weather was below -20 degrees celsius over 100 people came to make Christmas decorations, play games explore the many decorated trees on site.  Near a roaring bonfire with roasting chestnuts was an outdoor decorated tree with Jolly Old St. NIcholas in his sleigh ready to visit with all the kids    The new cafe is not fully finished, but gave people a warm and festively decorated place to sit and sip hot chocolate and enjoy the festive setup on the historical grounds.

KBPV cookie sale draws a crowd

Brenda Sorge with Danika and Grayson

Toni Lucas - The doors to Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village were open wide with people streaming in and out hauling away all things sweet and sugary on Sunday, December 4. Billed as 'The Largest Christmas Cookie Sale in Pincher Creek History' the front building hosted tables of treats for the public. Over 15 people contributed to the baking, and 51 different cookies were presented. President of the Pincher Creek and District Historical Society Colleen Cyr said the funds with go to help KBPV open a coffee shop in the spring which will be attached to the Beere Hall on the grounds.

Pincher Creek and District Historical Society receives Alberta Facility Enhancement grant

Deputy Reeve Terry Yagos, MLA Pat Stier, Colleen Casey-Cyr, Mayor Don Anderberg

Chris Davis - The Pincher Creek and District Historical Society (PCDHS) was recently awarded a $18,349 Government of Alberta Community Facility Enhancement Grant, which will allow the society to continue work on the 1905 CIBC/Turcott building at Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village (KBPV).  According to KBPV administrator Laura Korbett "This includes finishing the building, adding heat to be able to have a volunteer workshop area in the basement. The building can then be used year round as a workshop space and meeting space along with having all the exhibits in there."  Livingstone Macleod MLA Pat Stier presented the cheque to PCDHS President Colleen Casey-Cyr on Friday November 4.  Also on hand for the ceremony were Town of Pincher Creek Mayor Don Anderberg and MD of Pincher Creek Deputy Reeve Terry Yagos.

Man of a Good Heart

Father Albert Lacombe (photo courtesy KBPV archives)

Joyce Sasse - Father Albert Lacombe was among the early missionaries who arrived in Alberta in the 1800’s. He settled in the vicinity of St. Albert for a while. What many do not realize, however, is that the Oblate priest spent a great deal of his time in Southern Alberta.

Pincher Creek and District Historical Society celebrates 50th anniversary

Prohibition Gala

Toni Lucas - The Pincher Creek and District Historical Society celebrated their 50th anniversary with an adults-only Prohibition Gala on Friday, September 2 and a family friendly Harvest Festival on Saturday, September 3.  Each event was hosted at Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village (KBPV) and was totally different than the other except they each celebrated history and were designed for everyone in attendance to have to have fun.

Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village hosts 2016 Canada Day celebrations in Pincher Creek

Josh Davis - Hundreds of Pincher Creek residents celebrated Canada at the Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village, on July 1 2016. The action packed day started at 10 am, with opening ceremonies held at the North West Mounted Police Building at 11:00 am. 3 bouncy castles were set up near the front, along with a face-painting station, balloon animals, and other crafts and games, provided by Children's World Daycare Actives. Concession, beer gardens provided by the Pincher Creek Rotary Club, and a barbeque lunch were made available to the throng, along with a cake cutting at noon, and homemade cookies at the new Village Bakery. A rope-making course was also taught behind the Cyr School in the afternoon.

Grade 3 Canyon School students goes back in time at Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village

Farley Wuth talks about the items the class has 'dug up' from history

Toni Lucas - Grade 3 students from Canyon School were finding out more about history and what life was like for students a hundred years ago. They attended the School Program at Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village on Monday, June 27. The students found out more about historical buildings in town from Curator Farley Wuth on the walk from school. They made lanterns from tin cans, made their own journals, and worked on a mock archaeological dig site.

Saint Michael's celebrates Heritage Day at Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village

Sandra Lamouche (left) teaching hoop dancing

Josh Davis - On a sunny Wednesday, May 25, St Michael’s School hosted its annual Heritage Days at the Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village in Pincher Creek. A celebration of First Nations and Metis culture, students from kindergarten to grade eight spent Heritage Day playing traditional games, making bannock, practicing hoop dancing and Metis jigging, and learning from aboriginal historians. A tepee was set up towards the rear of the museum grounds, for use as the storytelling station. The Metis Association offered a horse and carriage ride to those in attendance. Native Liason for St Michael’s School Nikki Whitecow explained that the Pioneer Village was chosen as a location for the celebration as a result of the construction happening at the school. “It’s going well. You can see that the students are learning about the culture,” said Whitecow. “Some of the students from the reserve don’t grow up with it, so it’s for them too.”

Tales of Kootenai Brown: book launch held at Pioneer Village

MC Bob Westrop

Josh Davis - On Tuesday, May 17, over 30 people attended the debut of the Pincher Creek and District Historical Society’s new photo book, celebrating 50 years of historical preservation. The authors for 'Tales of Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village', Farley Wuth, and Gord Tolton and photographer Jessica Maunsell, signed copies of the book. Master of Ceremonies Bob Westrop auctioned off the first copy of the book, along with a lifetime Historical Society membership. Ray Degan won the auction with a bid of $700. James VanLeeuwen also paid his own high bid for a copy of the book.

Celebrating 50 years of the Pincher Creek and District Historical Society

Historical Society volunteers in 1973

Front row (l-r): Gladys Taylor, Millie Cox, Laura Freebairn, Fred Huddlestun, A. L. (Scotty) Freebairn, and Margaret Bastian. Back row: Myrtle Marcellus, Nellie Godfrey, Jean Tucker, Mabel Sykes (sister of Millie Cox), Carl Bastian and Earl Ward 

Farley Wuth, Curator, Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village

Community enthusiasts and local history buffs are encouraged to mark their calendars. This year – 2016 – marks the Golden Anniversary of the Pincher Creek and District Historical Society. Exciting opportunities abound over the next several months for our friends in the Pincher Creek area and tourists alike to recollect our recent chronologies and to participate in a series of community events honouring that milestone in local historical preservation. Stay tuned for our innovative plans and details.

Scotch tasting event at KBPV well attended

Scotch expert Steve Firth

Toni Lucas

Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village (KBPV) held a Scotch tasting event on Thursday evening, February 11. This was an evening of adventure in learning more about the drink, and how to truly appreciate its finer qualities. Taking close to 50 people on this journey of the palette was Steve Firth from Andrew Hilton Wines and Spirits in Lethbridge. Firth is also a member of the Lethbridge Scotch Society.