An afternoon of storytelling, hands-on demonstrations, and connection drew families through the doors of the Western Development Museum in Moose Jaw on Feb. 21 for its annual Community Heritage Day.

Running from 1 to 4 p.m. in the museum’s lobby area, the event brought together local and regional organizations to share their work, traditions, and upcoming programming.

Erika Warkentin, programs and volunteer co-ordinator at the museum, said the event served as a platform for smaller museums and community groups to expand their reach.

“Every year we host it to give organizations around Moose Jaw and surrounding communities another opportunity to share their message and reach a broader audience. As a larger organization, we have the attention of the public in a different way than many of these smaller museums do,” she said.

Warkentin, who began her role at the WDM in November, described this year’s Heritage Day as the first major event fully under her direction at the museum.

“It’s been good. It’s definitely been a lot, but I was very lucky that the previous programs co-ordinator took extensive notes, so it’s been pretty easy to get into it,” she said. “It’s been a great way to kick things off, especially since there have been a lot of people who are really excited about it.”

Unlike traditional heritage events that focus solely on artifacts and pioneer history, Warkentin said the scope extended to ongoing arts and cultural initiatives in the region.

“We like to emphasize arts and culture in the community. It’s nice to be able to provide insight into what’s going on and what people can get involved in that they may not have known about before.”

Participants included Prairie Hearts Quilters’ Guild, New Southern Plains M?tis Local No. 160, Saskatchewan Festival of Words, Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village and Museum, the Moose Jaw branch of the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society, the Assiniboia and District Museum, Avonlea Heritage Museum, and the Moose Jaw Public Library (MJPL).

By the midway point of the afternoon, Warkentin estimated attendance at approximately 150 people, with more still arriving.

At the public library’s booth, staff highlighted regular services and upcoming events, including Indigenous Storytelling Month programming.

“It’s always nice to get out into the community, talk to families and let people know what we’re doing, and just to have that connection. We want people to come see us,” said Naiomi Setter, community outreach librarian at the MJPL.

Warkentin said one of her favourite aspects of the day was the opportunity for visitors to interact directly with presenters.

“I really like the interaction between the public and those who are behind the scenes. There isn’t necessarily one big takeaway — I think they’re all doing something meaningful in different ways.”

Encouraged by early feedback, she’s already looking ahead to her next big event.

“I’ve been getting a lot of good feedback from people who’ve been coming in, and I’m really excited to move forward and do it again next year, improving on what we’ve been doing,” she said. “I just started about four months ago, so I’m excited to take what I’m learning right now and apply it next year, and hopefully reach an even bigger audience.”

For more information, visit WDM.ca/moose-jaw. The Western Development Museum is located at 50 Diefenbaker Drive.

Aaron Walker

Reporter

Moose Jaw Express