Nineteen communities across Saskatchewan have been approved for Canada 150 funding.
This includes Original Humboldt who was approved for a $15,000 grant for the Original Humboldt site to get ready for Canada’s 150th birthday.
The funding approval was announced on Nov. 25 by Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and Member of Parliament for Regina–Wascana on behalf of Minister of Canadian Heritage, Mélanie Joly.
“This federal funding for 19 Saskatchewan organizations will help celebrate the achievements of a broad cross-section of people in Saskatchewan and their invaluable contributions to Canadian nation building,” says Goodale.
“Thanks to these projects, both Canadians and visitors from abroad will be able to enjoy activities organized throughout Saskatchewan,” says Joly.
With Humboldt being included in this announcement, this means that Original Humboldt will be getting some new additions to the site in time for Canada’s 150th birthday celebrations.
Humboldt and District Museum and Gallery Director, Jennifer Fitzpatrick, says they are pleased to be one of the projects who was selected for funding.
The new additions for Original Humboldt will include additional art installations in the style that is currently on sight, including installations dedicated to the Governor General’s Horse Guards and the Whitecap Dakota First Nations.
“Chief Whitecap was held at the site during the 1885 Resistance. So we really want to ensure the Whitecap Dakota First Nation tells their story on the land.”
Fitzpatrick says they want to bring in that voice through local people of Metis decent to ensure their stories are told through their voices.
“We know the land is important to them as well so we want to have the opportunity for them to tell their story as well.”
Fitzpatrick says that their job is to ensure everyone has a chance to tell their story and especially with the ties to Canada’s 150th birthday, these stories are the ones that created Canada.
Fitzpatrick says they are also looking into creating vignettes with local actors to be able to bring the stories to life, both on the site and through other 150th celebrations as well.
“We’ll be doing that through education and public programs in the spring and summer of 2017.”
Fitzpatrick says they will also be putting on a large event to culminate the stories and new additions to Original Humboldt as well as continuing to work on replanting native grasses to the area.
All together that makes for a full 2017 for the Original Humboldt site.
“We’re really excited about it and, as we progress with our plans, people can watch for further information about the projects.”
If people have stories they want to share, they can contact Fitzpatrick at the Humboldt and District Museum and Gallery.
