Jennifer Cowan recently went to the trouble of setting up an organizational meeting for a Slave Lake historical society, but nobody came. Undaunted, Cowan says it’s only a matter of time before Slave Lake gets a museum of its own.
“There’s no reason for Slave Lake not to have something,” she says.
In fact a lot of the work has already been done. In her research, Cowan found that two earlier versions of the historical society collected a fair amount of artifacts and stories, which are available for display. There’s plenty of history worth preserving and showing off she says.
“It’s here. We don’t need to look elsewhere. The two previous historical societies did a phenomenal amount of work, but they couldn’t get a building.”
What did they collect?
“We’ve got Rennie Hall’s (early homesteader, after whom the downtown plaza is named) trunks and Charlie (‘Mr. Slave Lake’) Schurter’s stuff. Dave Borzel has hours of tape (of interviews with pioneers).”
Cowan plans to try another meeting.
Cowan hopes to start a discussion about what sort of displays in what kind of museum might be appropriate or possible in Slave Lake. She says she plans in the meantime to talk to some Slave Lake area elders, to find out their views on the matter.
“They seem to be the only ones interested in the past,” she says.
Cowan says she’s heartened by news that the Town is considering the offer of the Boisvert’s building for use as a cultural centre. She thinks it could include space for a museum, and plans to bend a few ears on the subject over the next weeks and months.

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