Mortlach, Saskatchewan Museum Page

08/30/2026

Another great day at our Museum. Today I (Heather) was adding this map from 1893 to our collection and was astonished at what I didn't know about Canada.

I had no idea there was a "NorthEAST Territory" (it never occurred to me that NWT wasn't just "NT".. there was a NET!") and I've never heard of Keewatin, and didn't know that part of what I know as Saskatchewan was called Assiniboia!

In a time when the names of places are at the forefront, this map is extra interesting (note Lake Ontario 😉).

08/22/2026

From the archives... A little more about the Midland Motel and Service Station. Built by the Sawyer family during the construction of the TransCanada Highway in 1955, owned and operated by Millars Dec 1958-1961, then Moens 1961-1975, and Goalens 1975-2000. There was a fire at the service station while Golens were in operation - the garage was rebuilt but the restaurant was not. In 2000, a private resident purchased the property and the motel was demolished.

The name Midland came from the original owner, Bill Sawyer, who was born in the "Midlands" of England (Birmingham). Bill served at the airforce base in Caron where he came to love Canada. He married a Mortlach girl, Lexie Cahill, and they settled in Mortlach.

(Photos and Sawyer Family History provided by Bill's daughter Marilee Sawyer).

08/21/2026

Look at that face!! Our raffle is coming to a close in just 2 weeks! This summer has FLOWN by. Please consider supporting our raffle (e-transfer is available!) and please share this post. We have only 2 more weeks to sell tickets!

Artist Faye McMaster (Sharpe) is a Saskatchewan artist who was active in the 1940's-1960's.

Your support ensures the Mortlach Museum can continue to keep Mortlach history alive! Open Thur-Sat Noon-4pm until September 5. Come be a part of our history!

Thanks to Darla Wilson for this fabulous donation! 🥰

08/09/2026

Heather here. Had an inquisitive young man visit me in the museum yesterday asking what I was doing cataloguing this item. We wondered what was kept inside, and Google said it was for an emergency coin or two. The young man remarked, "why would you need a coin?!". And I got to explain payphones and, the thought just occurred to me, I've heard of pay toilets.

Did you carry an emergency coin? Did you ever call home collect with the name "I'm ready, come get me!"? Our distant times don't seem so distant! 😆

07/31/2026

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07/25/2026

This week I had the pleasure of learning about the Smith family. This is a photo of Charlie Smith and wife Doris Smith (Birlie). Charlie's son Roy and his wife Pat visited the museum 2 years ago looking for information on these Smiths who lived here from 1930-1950, with the children born and schooled here, but there was nothing about them in our book.

Roy passed last year and Pat came to visit us again. We found Charlie's parents and siblings in the Parkbeg Reflections book and found Charlie, Doris, and children on the 1931 census for Mortlach. These folks missed our history book, but now have a file in our museum as being part of our history, where they belong. 💚

07/25/2026

Perspective is everything... I have only ever known this spot as our village square, home to Christmas carols for the last 17 years that I've known it. How strange it looks as a cleared lot! This once held the Red and White Store, and before that a Blacksmith. How do you remember this spot?

07/12/2026

How I love our museum. Last week we had several visits from family members of various former Mortlach residents.

This gentleman, Robert Seargeant, told me that his father, Kenneth Walter Seargeant, was born in Mortlach in 1909. While I looked through old records and our fabulous History book for information, you can imagine our surprise when he found a picture of his Grandparents on the wall in Nelly's room (they were parents of the bride in the long photograph).

We found the Seargeants family in the history book as well, and Robert smiled as he recalled that his father had mentioned there was an "s" at the end of their last name at one time but it was dropped for some unknown reason. Robert also recognized family names listed in the book.

What a great testament of the treasure that is the Mortlach Museum. The preservation and display of photos and items from the people of this wonderful place keep important memories alive.

06/20/2026

Fantastic photograph of threshing c1910

05/23/2026

Come check out the Mortlach Museum with new hours! Thursday - Saturday Noon - 4pm. First Nations projectile points and lots of local memorabilia from the people of the Village of Mortlach, established in 1906!