Binscarth and District Gordon Orr Memorial Museum

08/29/2026

Well , season 2026 for the museum is officially complete. Tara Michalchuk , our summer student, did an outstanding job and we were glad to welcome her on board for the season. So much happened this year as in previous years. Our cataloging system is running well. All items in the building downstairs has been mostly cataloged except for items without tags. Working on that. Upstairs in the storage area we did a major clean and finally started working on cataloguing rural schools in the area and filing that information downstairs. Regarding public involvement : we did June school tours, participated in the homecoming: doing lunch , museum opening and parade , and did a Binscarth quilt raffle , which we hope to repeat next year, Other activities included a children’s day attended by 19 children ages 5-12 and a very in depth scavenger hunt coordinated with the senior service coordinator, Joy Tool and Tara. It was so enjoyable ! We had 616 people pass through the museum this season. Last but not least, thx to the museum board. We r small but quiet and mighty. As mentioned numerous times we have people who work quietly behind the scenes. Also, public support is a strong factor. When asked for help , people in the community always respond. On behalf of the board , thank you to everyone who made this a very successful season. I think we have lots to offer Binscarth and area. We have lots of plans for 2027. Keep in tune. Thx from Robin , on behalf of the board.

08/28/2026

08/28/2026

Today is the last chance to check out the museum for the season! Come take a look while we're still open!

After today you can contact a board member to request a tour.

08/24/2026

This week is our last week that the museum will be open! We are open Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 4:30. If you haven't had a chance to check out the museum yet this is your last chance for the season, come check it out while you can!

Once we are closed you can contact a board member for a tour in the off season.

08/17/2026

I've been going through and sorting boxes of old papers from storage and I found this cool little piece of history!

This is a Ration Book that belonged to Robert Bamford when he was 3 years old, it is dated for March of 1943 during the Second World War, and it comes with some interesting fun facts like:
1. The penalty for misuse of the book or false connection to the book was a $5000 fine (worth about $96,000 today), 2 years in jail OR BOTH!!
2. It was illegal for a storekeeper to accept a coupon that wasn't torn out of the book in front of them
3. The ration books were good to use anywhere in Canada

This book is on display with many others now, feel free to come check it out for yourself!

08/15/2026

Summer is almost complete as we enter cool days and shortened daylight hours. We, at the museum , have been very busy behind the scenes. Thx to all our members who contributed quietly . This includes updating our digital system as we welcome Renata to the team as Erin has moved on to a new location ; but still in touch virtually, cataloging items on a rotating basis for the next few years, and updating displays . We recently did a deep clean of the upper level of the North American Lumber building. This includes building shelves and hooks for items to be rotated and adding more space. We have a massive collection of school material upstairs from the schools from the surrounding area which we are currently cataloging. Our summer student, Tara Michalcuk , has done a fabulous job of all the above plus adding her signature as a summer student which , most outstanding, was a scavenger hunt for people on an in-depth level which kept people searching for 2 hours. We have a scavenger hunt planned for August 18 th in coordination with the senior center. As a board member, I enter the building almost daily and find more hidden gems and they are brought to light. Our last day of operation is Friday, August 28 th. After that date is by contact. through Rene 204 532 2432 or Robin 204 532 2049. Thx all for a very successful season once again. We do our best to serve the area.

08/13/2026

Our Kids Day was a success!!

We had a great turnout with even more kids than we expected! Thank you to everyone who came down to help out and have fun for the day. The kids had so much fun with all of our old timey activities, crafts, and games too! A special thank you to Sheila from Jethro's Bites & Brews for letting us finish off the day with a free ice-cream for each kid! And another thank you to Twin Valley Co-op Ltd for donating our hotdog lunch. And thirdly, thx to all the volunteers who assisted with activities.

Thanks everyone for the awesome day, we had a great time!

08/12/2026

Senior Scavenger Hunt Round 2!

Since the last scavenger hunt went so well, and there were so many people who wanted to try it but missed it, we will be running it again! It will be the same questions as last time, so if you were already here the first time don't share the answers! If you missed the first one this is your chance! Come on down to the museum on Tuesday, August 18th at 1:30 to give it a go and see if you can beat the last groups high score!

08/12/2026

Our spots for the children’s day on Thursday are now filled.

08/11/2026

We still have 3 spaces open for our kids day on Thursday!

If you think your child would enjoy a fun filled day at the museum please contact us! We will be trying out many old fashioned activities like butter churning, rope making, clothes washing, cow milking and some fun artsy activities too! At the end of the day we will also be playing games!

Contact the museum by phone at 204 532 2217
Or call Robin at 204 532 2049
Or email us at [email protected]