Christmas at the Museum planned for Dec. 6
The Dufferin Historical Society highlighted a year of upgrades, community support and ongoing preservation work during its annual general meeting on Nov. 17 at the Legion Auxiliary Hall. More than 20 people gathered for reports, elections and a special presentation celebrating the region’s rural school history.
The AGM followed the society’s regular monthly meeting, where president Irene Stevenson and vice-president Lori Keith reviewed ongoing projects. Keith said the past year has been one of the museum’s most productive in recent memory.
“There are many things we’re proud of,” she said. “We were able to complete our renovation, we increased our attendance, and we’ve entered about three-quarters of our artifact information into our database.”
That increase amounted to 634 guests through the doors in 2024–25, supported by more than 1,700 recorded volunteer hours — a level of community involvement Keith called “remarkable.”
Earlier this fall, the society received a $5,000 operating grant from Manitoba Culture, Sport and Heritage, part of a series of investments that helped advance several priorities.
Keith said two recent grants made a tangible impact.
“The grant from the Carman Area Foundation allowed us to purchase a new computer and new dehumidifiers to replace our aging equipment,” she said. “The grant from the Province of Manitoba allowed us to hire someone to assist us in entering information into the database.”
The board is also seeking two to three quotes for a large mural on the front of the main museum building.
“We’re thinking about having pictures of buildings or structures that were originally part of the town but are no longer here — the water tower, the grandstand, things like that,” Keith said.
Electrical upgrades are planned for the historic Boyne School after volunteers encountered issues during a fall evening program.
“We used the Boyne School one evening in October when the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts came to visit, and we noticed the front area was quite dark,” Keith explained. “We’d never used the school in late fall before, so we didn’t realize how dark it was. The humidity is also high, and we need a second dehumidifier — but we had nowhere to plug it in. Having lights at night will allow us to use the school for evening tours if needed.”
Volunteers have been reorganizing displays throughout the fall, efforts that have not gone unnoticed by visitors.
“We received a great response to our wedding dress display,” Keith said. “We also moved scrapbooks that had been in the workroom out to the front so people can now read them.”
Board members also reported that only 35 copies remain of the 1,000 calendars printed for 2026, with final sales planned for the Nov. 22 Shop at the Hall event.
“Our community support has been great,” Keith said. “It shows that the community does feel we are an important part of the community.”
Plans are also underway for the annual Christmas at the Museum on Dec. 6, including horse-and-wagon rides generously sponsored by an anonymous member.
“Each event gives the community an opportunity to come to our museum and see what we have,” Keith said. “It’s important to maintain the history of the area.”
During the AGM, members approved the 2025–26 budget and held elections presided over by Mike Kippen. With no nominations from the floor, Stevenson was acclaimed for another term as president, while Bob Wilson was elected as a new director, replacing outgoing director Elaine Owen.
The 2025–26 executive includes Stevenson, Keith, secretary Sandra Kippen, treasurer Cheryl Young, and directors Dennis Young, Stan Reitsma and Wilson.
Annual reports highlighted progress in operations, collections and property management, including donations made to the Legion for hall use and in memory of Violet Morgan, whose family co-donated the museum’s log cabin.
Keith said the new board is setting an ambitious agenda for the year ahead.
“We’re going to be reviewing our displays this winter to get ready for our opening in the summer,” she said. “We hope to bring out items that haven’t been seen before or rearrange items to make them more visible. We’re also taking pictures of each artifact and uploading them into the database.”
The board has also committed to raising enough funds over the next two years to launch an endowment fund to support long-term operations.
“We would always like an expansion, and we’re in the early stages of looking at whether that might be possible,” she added. “We’re also working on creating QR codes to give visitors more information during their visit.”
Volunteers remain essential to everything the society accomplishes.
“Our museum is totally operated by volunteers, except for the summer student we hire,” Keith said. “Like many community organizations, we could not operate without volunteers.”
Memberships remain open to the public, and residents are encouraged to get involved.
“Check out our website and contact any board member,” Keith said. “Meetings are held on the third Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. Memberships are $10 per person or $25 for a family.”
To close the evening, guest speaker Della Heaman, a former Boyne School teacher, delivered a presentation introduced by Kippen — one of her former students. Heaman shared stories of rural education, describing how teachers instructed eight grades at once and how older children helped younger classmates.
“Her stories were very interesting and brought back many memories for people who attended,” Keith said. “The school was a big part of the community.”
Her talk, accompanied by her original desk, school bell and the strap, was warmly received and underscored the society’s commitment to preserving local history.
