Melfort Museum. (file photo/northeastNOW Staff)

By Cam Lee

Melfort museum update

Melfort and District Museum to reopen July 6

Jun 26, 2020 | 10:28 AM

The Melfort and District Museum will be open for tours again soon.

The second half of phase four of the province’s Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan permits museums to open their doors Monday, June 29.

Melfort museum curator Gailmarie Anderson told northeastNOW they will take a little extra time to reopen, choosing to welcome visitors Monday, July 6.

“We are in the process of getting ready still,” Anderson said. She said they’ve been doing other work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Now that we know we are going to be open, we’re getting our tour guides getting ready. We have tour manuals for self-guided tours, we’re cleaning all of our buildings and getting them ready for opening, so we need a few more days,” Anderson said.

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The museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, and they will offer tours from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Anderson said visitors can take advantage of the self-guide manuals to do their own tours. Tours will be staggered to maintain social distancing, and visitors will enter through the picnic area instead of the museum building.

“There will be a few changes, but not too many,” Anderson said. One of the changes this year involves the summer barbecue program. Unfortunately, the barbecues will be postponed for the time being.

“Because of our space over here, we can’t socially distance people for a barbecue, or offer the food as a buffet line,” Anderson said. She added they hope to be able to offer barbecues later this summer.

There is other work being done on the museum grounds which includes erecting a Chinese cafe and laundromat. Digging is currently underway for that project, and the area will be roped off.

Anderson said they are set up for two different tours.

“People can tour the settler village or/and they can tour the agricultural/machinery and more side,” she said.

There is also a brand new hardware building set up for display on the far side of the museum grounds.

Anderson invited everyone to come back to the museum.

“We’re anxious to be open and we’re happy to have a summer now that is sort of normal,” she said.

The museum is located at 401 Melfort Street.

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cam.lee@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @camlee1974