Hailey really wanted to see the abandoned museum, so I took her on September 11th. Helena decided to come along with us. Annelise and Margarit stayed home. Once again I obtained permission from the owner before setting out.
I had a list of subjects from my first two visits that I wanted to shoot on this final one. Mostly small detail stuff that I overlooked or didn't have time for originally. There were portraits of the Queen in the Railway Station and the Community Hall, along with some of her husband and various Governor Generals. I didn't pay much attention to them previously, but as the Queen just passed away a few days prior to our visit, they held a little more interest.
Its really sad to see what has become of this place. It was opened over 50 years ago, around 1967. It functioned as a museum, and based on some of the brochures and stuff left lying around, it was a busy place over the summers. Since the 1980's it has fallen out of interest and eventually got shut down. The province seemed to direct their funding towards the Ukrainian Village near Elk Island National Park, and largely ignored this place. Every time that I visit, something else has disappeared. The sign on the train station disappeared after my first visit. And hundreds of jars full of seeds disappeared from one of the sheds after my second.
The owner is dismayed and disappointed at the attitude of trespassers and vows to demolish all the remaining buildings so that he can just get rid of what has become a headache. At least I have been able to document it extensively to preserve a bit of a record of the place.
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