Category: Museum

Museum, Our Stories

1969 Event Advertising

Clayton McLain Memorial Museum

TOMAHAWK PARK: PART 4

The 1st Annual Rodeo-Tomahawk Days fell on October 21 & 22, 1969. It was a very exciting time. The residents, businesses and organizations of the Town and R.M. of Cut Knife, in conjunction with the communities of Little Pine, Poundmaker and Sweetgrass, were doing everything they could to launch tourism in the area.

The Tomahawk had yet to be built, and the CMMM’s Ovenstown building had not yet been relocated, but this first event would feature an assortment of activities and tourist draws, anyway. Included in the 2-day festival was a parade, contests and competitions, a kangaroo court, the wooden nickel fundraiser and, of course, the rodeo. An important part of the mix in the lead up to the rodeo was the advertising.

Here are a few examples of local businesses and their promotions for Rodeo-Tomahawk Days, Highway 40 Courier, Oct. 16, 1969, pages 6 & 7:

October 1996 CK Agencies Jim's Barber Shop and Beauty Salon and Lucerne Hotel with Rodeo Tomahawk Days promotions
Cut Knife Agencies, Jim’s Barber Shop & Beauty Salon, and Lucerne Hotel Rodeo-Tomahawk 1969 promotions.
October 1996 Dion's and Margot's stores with Rodeo Tomahawk Days promotions
Dion’s Store and Margot’s Store Rodeo-Tomahawk 1969 promotions.

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To be continued…

~ Debbie M.

vintage water wagon
Museum, Summer

All Plots Taken This Year

Clayton McLain Memorial Museum

2024 COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTS AVAILABLE

Plots are approximately 10 ft. x 20 ft, running east / west. They have been tilled and are ready to go, weather permitting. Two still available.

Contact a CMMM Board member or email cmmmcutknife@gmail.com to arrange for garden space.

BONUS: We expect to have water onsite this year via a water wagon, kindly donated by Glen Brebner. We are confident it is functional.

Guidelines are as follows:

  • Plant rows east / west.
  • Plots are free but you must care for your plot throughout the season. This includes weeding and harvesting.
  • If your plot is not maintained, you will be refused a plot the following year.
Water wagon onsite

Produce is not to be harvested by anyone other than the grower. It belongs to the person who planted it.

~ Debbie M.

pair of geese with goslings at the pond
Board, Events, Museum

So Many to Thank Today

Clayton McLain Memorial Museum

TOMAHAWK PARK CLEAN-UP

We had a great group of volunteers show up at 10am. We worked through the wildfire smoke and the 30+ km winds taking at least 8 loads of tree trimmings to the Transfer Station. The Duvall House, the Station, and the Exhibit buildings were dusted and swept. Some leaves were gathered. The leaf catcher on the mower will take care of the rest. We finished up with hot dogs and squares from Cut Knife AG Foods – which were delicious!

Many thanks to the community members, former and current Board members, and staff members who took time out of their Saturday to help with spring clean-up. I wish I could name everyone who was there today but I didn’t write down names, and I also forgot to take pictures. What I can do, though, is show you a few photos of Tomahawk Park all spiffed-up for Canada Day.

Friends of Tomahawk Park bricks swept clean with sign in the background
The Friends of Tomahawk Park bricks swept clean of leaves and other debris, with its sign in the background.
About 8 loads of trimmed branches from the walking path trees went to the Transfer Station.

Again, from all of us at the Museum, thanks so much for your support.

~ Debbie M.

Marriage photo 1928, Ovide and Hughenna (Rutley) Bertrand
Archives, Museum, Our Stories

1928 Wedding Attire

Clayton McLain Memorial Museum

Currently on display at the Cut Knife Library (113 Broad Street):

Ovide & Hughenna Bertrand on their wedding day

This outfit was worn by Hughenna Rutley at her marriage to Ovide Bertrand, August 8, 1928. Their children: Mary, Clare, Evelyn, Lorraine, Arthur, David, and Lucille.

Worn by Hughenna (Rutley) Bertrand, August 8, 1928

~ Debbie M.

Museum, Our Stories

Wooden Nickels

Clayton McLain Memorial Museum

TOMAHAWK PARK: PART 3

Remember this quote from a couple of days ago in Cut Knife Goes Western with Wild Rodeo?

Thousands of souvenir “wooden nickels” will be manufactured and redeemed during the days of the rodeo…

~ from Wild Rodeo

Tomahawk Days wooden nickels
Genuine Cut Knife Tomahawk Days wooden nickels

This past Saturday, during the Museum’s annual spring walk-thru, I found some! This is what they looked like.

Notice that the nickel back (bottom left) is stamped with Cree syllabics. Syllabics are symbols that represent either a combination of consonant and vowel, or just a consonant, or just a vowel. The Cree language was spoken by many First Nations in Saskatchewan historically, and continues to be spoken, and taught today, including in the neighbouring communities of Little Pine First Nation, Poundmaker Cree Nation, and Sweetgrass First Nation.

The October 9th, 1969 Courier Editorial described how the Town residents were working together with the three neighbouring First Nations communities on a joint economic endeavor to benefit the district. The goal was to establish an annual rodeo, and construct a giant tomahawk recognizing “the important part” these First Nations “have played in local history”.

The rodeo and the tomahawk will provide Cut Knife with its opportunity to cash-in on the tourist trade – one of the northwest’s fastest growing industries.

~ from Industrious People (page 2)

Don’t miss an installment of this local story. Click the FOLLOW button in the right side bar. Then enter your email address to receive post notifications.

To be continued…

~ Debbie M.