The Dufferin Historical Museum is working on accessibility.
The museum in King’s Park includes a small historical village with a house, a school, and more. According to the Manitoba Historical Society, the original museum was built in 1959 and replaced in 1967 by the current structure. The former Sexsmith House was built in 1875 by local farmer and municipal official George Sexsmith and reconstructed in 2002 using original house materials and logs from the Henry Morgan house. In 2013, the Boyne School from 1988 was also moved onto the site.
Right now, the Dufferin Historical Society is working on making the museum on-site more accessible, and they’re starting with the bathroom. President Irene Stevenson said the museum’s bathroom is quite dated and needs an upgrade for a while, especially for accessibility reasons.
Right now, the bathroom is small, and a wheelchair can’t fit in it. The historical society will make the doorway larger so wheelchairs, walkers, and everything else can fit through. They’ll also be putting in new toilets, sinks, and bars for those needing them to have something to hold onto. After getting three quotes, the project will cost between $30,000 and $38,000.
The project will be paid for, Stevenson said, through grants and fundraisers, which they’ve already started on. The annual duck race will add funds for the project, upcoming fundraisers and any grants the group is approved for. Stevenson said they have some money put away for the project already, and they’re hoping it’ll start happening within the next few years.
Also, part of the museum’s renovations is the kitchen space. The Dufferin Historical Society is adding a kitchenette to the museum so the volunteers, staff, and group members have a place to make food and drinks for events and to enjoy coffee time. The kitchenette will go where the old outdoor washrooms were—they’ll leave the washroom doors, put up drywall, add insulation, and make a workable kitchenette in the area.
“It’ll just make things more accessible and certainly add a place to work out of that’s clean and new,” said Stevenson.
She said fundraising has been slow so far, but she hopes more donations will start coming in as more people learn about the project. Stevenson added accessibility is important, especially for the museum, as Boyne Lodge residents often come to visit, and many of them require a more accessible bathroom.
