Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society is Reactivated

In 2004 the Society was given a mandate to develop a community museum. They have since been restoring an old log cottage built circa 1935, situated nearby the Old Pinawa Dam for use as a museum. It is a fine and rare example of log construction, built by a Norwegian immigrant named Hans Erickson

Erickson was one among many men hired to build the Pinawa Hydroelectric Generating Station between 1903-06. (The generating station closed down in 1951, and then for years the property was used as a training site by the Canadian Army. In the mid 1980’s the Manitoba Government declared it the Pinawa Dam Heritage Park, commonly referred to now as the Old Pinawa Dam.)

The cottage is currently being referred to as the Erickson Cabin, or the Hans Erickson Log Cabin; but it will eventually be called the Lac du Bonnet District Museum. It was designated a historic site and is listed on the Canada’s Historic Places website. It originally received Municipal Heritage Building status through the Provincial Government in 2005; that status was re-assigned once the building was placed on its new foundation in Halliday Park in 2009.

Renovations began at the original site, and continued after the building was moved unto a new foundation at Halliday Park, located nearby the town of Lac du Bonnet. During the summer of 2010 a frame extension was added to the back of the building and sided with log siding, and the log front porch was re-assembled and cedar shingles adjoined all the roof sections. Then a fresh coat of paint, and new windows and doors have given the outside of the old log building the dignity it deserves. Work on the interior of building will be ongoing during the summer months.

The had hoped to celebrate completion of the renovations by hosting a party for the community on the Civic Holiday, September 4th., 2010. Plans are to have a fully functioning community museum during the summer months of 2011.

ANNUAL REPORT LAC DU BONNET AND DISTRICT HISTORICAL SOCIETY Inc.
PRESIDENTS REPORT G. C. Emberley; March 4th 1992

The society has always struggled to achieve its goals with a small nucleus of dedicated members. What we seem to lack is more active support from our local community. To this end a Press Release appeared in the January 7th issue of the Lac du Bonnet Leader requesting the public to take a more active role in the Society and its projects. This netted one enquiry but no increase in interest at our following February meeting. Consequently the Annual Members Meeting of March 4th reflected on our situation and agreed to revert to an inactive status and the following Press Release was issued.

In the spring we successfully installed our new display cabinet in the local library reading room. The unit provides adequate space to house our files and small collectables. However, the larger storage facility to have been located in the RM of Lac du Bonnet enclosure was not constructed. The building is still required. For the storage of our large artifacts as the current location is temporary at best.

The only other activity was the addition of a number of photographs to the collection.

It is hoped that the action taken by the Board and its members in placing the Society in an inactive state will ensure that when the community responds to the need to preserve its history that the Society can be reactivated and that what we have done will not be lost.

G.C.Emberley President.