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Museum of Cariboo Chilcotin catches council up on 2024 events

An update to council on Jan. 14 highlighted some of the action at the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin in 2024
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Amber Nehring and Patti Gerhardi were at the Jan. 14 regular meeting to provide an update to council on activities hosted in 2024 and coming in 2025.

Williams Lake city council heard from Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin representatives at their regular meeting on Jan. 14.

Amber Nehring and Patti Gerhardi, president and vice president of the museum society, appeared at the city hall in council chambers to provide an update on the action and event-packed year the museum had in 2024.

"We want to see the museum thrive and we've got a terrific bunch of volunteers who are helping us do that," said Gerhardi.

They said the museum saw some commercial tours come through as the building and museum itself grow as draws to the community.

Each year, the museum hosts a range of events and 2024 was no exception, including a BC Cowboy Hall of Fame awards and tea event. The hall of fame highlights those contributing to cowboy culture, lifestyle and history from across the province. Families and honourees attended a tea to celebrate the year's inductions into the hall of fame.

A saddle cleaning event saw some skilled cowboys share their knowledge with the public at the museum while also dusting off and shining up some donated saddles full of Cariboo Chilcotin history. The saddle cleaning then allowed the many donated saddles in the archives to be added to museum displays to show off the variety of historic saddles featuring skilled leatherwork which the museum has.

A little later in the year, a branding exhibition then gave people a chance to see brands in action, and the many brands which have also entered the museum archives. While the Cariboo Chilcotin is still home to many ranches, ranchers have moved to electric brands and retired their old style of branding irons. They said the event was fun for people to get involved in and see a brand in action, though it is very different using the brands to mark wood rather than the flesh of stock animals.

Phyllis Webstad attended a painting donation at the museum this year as well. The founder of the Orange Shirt Society and Every Child Matters was at the museum in person to help receive the painting. Webstad is featured in the painting, which honours Chief Jean Baptiste Lolo and celebrates his descendants, of which she is one.

The city of Williams Lake also celebrated the city's 95th birthday at the museum in 2024, with community members and dignitaries having their cake and eating it too at the museum.

A Williams Lake Stampede royalty tea was held over Stampede weekend in 2024, honouring Stampede queens and princesses from throughout the ages. Members of the past royalty also participated in the Williams Lake Stampede Parade.

There were old royalty memorabilia and photos on display at the museum, as women of all ages wore their cowboy hats and boots to get in the spirit of things.

Other events included an evening with Evan Fuller and Carmen Davis and a Cowboy Christmas craft market, both part of plans to grow the museum's highlighting of the area's cowboy culture and hall of fame.

The museum is looking to take up some of the void left after the society supporting the cowboy festival in Kamloops became too sparse and the local museum took it on. 

“If we don’t celebrate our culture, who is going to do it for us," said Gerhardi.

There was also a Paws and Claws photo event, inviting the community to come and get their pet photographed with Santa.

They also highlighted some of the other activities the museum is offering and some which they are planning for 2025 including hosting a BC Historical Federation conference.

Council commended the museum on the work they have been doing.

 



Ruth Lloyd

About the Author: Ruth Lloyd

I moved back to my hometown of Williams Lake after living away and joined the amazing team at the Williams Lake Tribune in 2021.
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