Settlers, Rails & Trails facts for kids

Settlers, Rails & Trails Inc.

Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Former name	Argyle Prairie Museum
Location	Argyle, Manitoba, Canada
Type	Historic Regional Museum
Accreditation	Association of Manitoba Museums
Collections	Canadian Flag Collection, Veterans of Brant-Argyle, Brant-Argyle United Church, Brant-Argyle School 100th
Collection size	1,500 artifacts, 1,100 flags, 10,000 digital files in archives

Settlers, Rails & Trails Inc. is a cool museum in Argyle, Manitoba. It's run by the community and doesn't aim to make a profit. This museum shows off local history, old railway items, and farming tools. It's also where you can find the amazing Canadian Flag Collection. Argyle is a small place about 28 kilometers northwest of Winnipeg, in Canada.

Ekhart Railway Station in Settlers, Rails & Trails Museum

How the Museum Started

The museum began in 1991 as a school project. It was first called "Argyle Prairie Museum." It displayed old items and local history in the basement of the Brant-Argyle School. This school is a special historical site in Manitoba.

In 1993, the museum grew bigger. It added the Ekhart railway station. Soon after, a general store and a blacksmith building were also included. The museum was open to visitors in the summer. It was also open during Argyle’s Homecoming 2000 celebrations.

Over time, keeping the museum running became a lot of work. So, the museum kept collecting items. But it showed fewer things and offered fewer tours.

A New Beginning for the Museum

In February 2010, some people from the Argyle area had a great idea. They wanted to run the museum as a community project. In November 2010, the museum got a new name: Settlers, Rails & Trails. It also became a non-profit group with the Manitoba Government.

SR&T joined the Canadian Heritage Information Network in March 2014. This means they can show virtual exhibits online. You can see some of their displays on the Canadian Virtual Museum website.

What's Happening Now

In 2019, the museum got its own big property. It's 12 acres north of the village. Volunteers have been working hard to improve the land. They've added fences and planted a special prairie area. They also moved three old heritage buildings to the site.

There are plans to build a small museum village. They also want to create walking trails. A new building called a Pavilion will be built. This will be the museum's main office and open all year.

Since 2014, the museum has used a space in the Argyle Community Centre. They have changing exhibits there for everyone to see. Some past exhibits include:

• Veterans of the Brant-Argyle Region
• Brant-Argyle School 100th Anniversary
• Canadian Flag Collection
• Brant-Argyle United Church
• Farming in the Brant Argyle region
• The Manitoba Brick and Block Collection

In 2021, the museum started something new. It's called the Art and Culture Exhibition. This show celebrates local artists. It was the first time an art gallery appeared in Argyle.

As the museum grows, it keeps collecting more items. It also helps people with research. Plus, it offers educational tours to visitors.

Museum Events and Programs

The museum doesn't just have exhibits in Argyle. It also takes its displays to other places. The famous Canadian Flag Collection has been shown many times. It has been at Manitoba's legislature seven times. You could also see it at Winnipeg's Millennium Library. It was even at Princess Auto's main office in Winnipeg.

A history book called We Will Remember Them - History of Veterans of Brant-Argyle Region came out in 2016. A play called Voices of War was written just for the museum. It toured in 2015. It was performed in Domain, Stonewall, Selkirk, Teulon, and Argyle. A DVD of the play was released in 2016. The uniforms and items from the play are now in the museum's main gallery.

SR&T often holds events for National Flag of Canada Day. This day is celebrated every year on February 15. The museum also sets up exhibits at local schools. They have created two displays in the Manitoba Legislature's main hall. In 2016, the museum made an exhibit about Manitoba's historic flags. This was for the provincial flag's 50th birthday.

What's in the Museum's Collection

Local History and Artifacts

The museum has over 1,500 items in its collection. These items cover many topics. They include local history, farming, education, religion, business, and railway exhibits. The Ekhart railway station still holds Canadian railway items. The general store building shows items popular from the 1920s to the 1970s.

A blacksmith shop holds farming tools. It also has items used by local blacksmiths. Outside, you can see a section of railway track. It has four small railway cars called jiggers.

War artifacts.

The Veterans of the Brant-Argyle Region exhibit honors 173 local veterans. It shows items from different wars. These include the Fenian Raids (1860s) to present-day Afghanistan. You can see photos, medals, uniforms, and other items.

In 2015, the museum created a live play called Voices of War. Now, a DVD and a history book tell the story of this play.

The Canadian Flag Collection

The Canadian Flag Collection at Settlers, Rails & Trails is very special. It has many old and new flags. These flags show different parts of Canadian heritage and culture. There are separate areas for Canadian history, businesses, sports, regions, and special events.

Canada's centennial flag, 1967.

Settlers, Rails & Trails has the second largest museum collection of flags in Canada. As of February 2021, there are over 1,600 flags! Because of this collection, the museum is considered a regional museum. It shows flags and items from all over the country.

The Canadian Flag Collection has been talked about by CBC Radio. It has also been in the Winnipeg Free Press, Stonewall Tribune, and Teulon Times. It was even featured in Flagscan, a journal about flags.

Canadian Flag Collection's corporate flags.

Manitoba Brick and Block Collection

In 2017, some old masonry bricks were moved to Argyle's museum. Over the past few years, this special collection has grown. It now includes many brick samples from all over Manitoba. They have also added raw samples of clay and shale.

The museum wants to collect two samples of every brick ever made in Manitoba. There were almost 200 historic brick-making sites in the province. The museum has also collected bricks from important old buildings in Manitoba.

In the next few years, the museum plans to build a special building. This building will be just for the Manitoba Brick and Block Collection.