The Boundary Museum and Interpretive Centre has had a busy summer so far.
On July 17, the centre hosted a fun day which included baking fresh bread in the outdoor wood-burning stove and churning fresh butter. On hand were several Russian ladies with authentic period clothing.
“We had plenty of comments from people who were here saying how good it was,” said Joe Tatangelo, president of the Boundary Museum Heritage Society. “It was very nice to have the Russian ladies up here with the authentic dresses. It really added to it.”
The centre, which is open from Monday to Saturday, bakes fresh bread every Thursday. Tatangelo said the flour is made locally at the flour mill and the wheat for the flour is grown in Rock Creek. “So we’re using all local stuff to make the bread,” he said. “How much better can you get than that?”
New manager
The museum also has a new museum manager: Charlotte Murray.
Murray started at the centre on April 15 and she says she is delighted to meet so many wonderful people.
“Grand Forks and the Boundary area are a rich tapestry of cultural diversity and have a multitude of historically significant locations to discover,” she said.
Before coming to Grand Forks she worked at the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel in Cranbrook.
Murray said the museum has been very busy throughout the summer and she hopes to have more of a presence in the community in the future.
“Our ladies enjoyed a wonderful Canada Day in City Park and our historic quilt display at the Christina Lake Homecoming was very well received,” she said. “Additionally, we are running a museum history program at the Christina Lake Welcome Centre where every Friday in July and August children ages 6-12 can learn about Aboriginal history and culture while spending time in the tipi and doing crafts.”
She said they also plan to have table at the Park in the Park car show, and the Grand Forks Fall Fair.
Solar powered
The centre’s solar powered display building is up and running. The building is believed to be the first fully solar-powered building in the Boundary.
“We got the funding through the gas tax funding,” said Tatangelo. “We’re just waiting for the heat pump. We eventually want to put lighting up outside.”
He said the building is not currently hooked up to the “grid,” but Tatangelo hopes that eventually the building can be hooked up and the centre can actually sell power to FortisBC.
Murray said the centre is still working on the building but when completed it will cover the centre 150 square metres of new exhibit space.
Pictured are Anne Makortoff and Joe Tatangelo churning fresh butter for the freshly baked bread
