SUNDRE – Operating on a shoestring budget compounded by mounting maintenance costs, the Sundre and District Historical Society is searching for sustainability funding to ensure the doors stay open at the Sundre and District Museum.
Providing temporary relief to get the museum and historic village grounds through what remains of the summer season, the municipal council agreed to approve $25,000 on July 10 during a special meeting.
The motion to allocate the funding from the community services stabilization restricted surplus account was carried 6-1 followed by a second, unanimously supported resolution directing administration to work alongside the society to compile a report that will be brought back before council. Both motions came after a closed-door session with advice from officials.
“Because of the nature of their situation, we had to do a closed meeting because they divulged to us a financial picture,” said mayor Richard Warnock.
The mayor said the museum is an important part of the community’s cultural tapestry that provides invaluable insight into the area’s past.
“When you got a museum as good as ours, I do believe it adds that cultural background and history that not only our schools need, but that we all maybe need,” he said.
“It brings in tourism. It brings in visitors. They do a lot of outdoor activities,” he added. “It’s not just the museum, it’s the grounds.”
Recognizing the society’s need for help and the museum’s overall value as an asset to the community, council decided to extend a lifeline until the volunteer board of directors can present a proposal in the fall, he said.
“They’re going to have to come up with – as I’m sure they will – a business plan and how they’re going to work through it and work with us and, hopefully, with others to go forward,” he said.
“They have a lot going for them, and we're looking forward to a plan.”
Coun. Owen Petersen, who sits as council’s rep on the society’s board and brought forward the motion to provide a funding boost, said the museum is “going to go through a big change.
“The museum needs some revamping. It needs some ways to be sustainable,” said Petersen, adding the funding will help ensure it remains open for the busiest part of the year.
“I want to make sure that they can keep going for our tourist season before we take a bigger look at the museum and its role in our community,” he said.
Looking a bit farther ahead, the councillor said he hopes there will be a healthy community-wide conversation that reflects upon the value placed on different institutions.
“This funding that council decided to provide them, it’s just a temporary three months’ worth of funding,” he said, noting the timing lines up with the upcoming municipal election.
“I would like the bigger discussion about the museum to happen during the election campaign because I think it needs to involve the community more.”
Ken Walker, the society’s chair, told the Albertan the non-profit organization is “in a tight bind” and has “been struggling for quite a number of years.”
Exacerbating the situation is the increasingly scarce availability of funding programs through support groups such as the Alberta Museum Association that offers an annual staffing grant.
“For the last two years, there have been 48 applicants, and they only had money enough to give to 19 museums,” said Walker, adding the society was last approved for that grant three years ago.
While there are some restricted funds, those savings are intended as reserves for projects, he said.
“We’re not supposed to be using them for the general day-to-day operation of the museum,” he said.
There are other types of grants available, which are also becoming more difficult to obtain, but those programs are geared toward events or programs. Walker is of the opinion that societies should be allowed to allocate a percentage of those grants to help cover operational costs.
The Sundre museum, he added, runs up daily expenses of almost $400, which emphasizes the importance of securing sustainability funding.
That adds up to approximately $146,000 a year.
“It’s a concern for me. I don’t really want to see the museum close, but we’re to the point where we almost have no other alternative because we’ve been struggling for months to even make payroll,” he said.
“If it was any other private company, they would have been shut down, probably bankrupt quite a while ago. I mean, I hate to throw that word out there, but it’s been a difficult time.”
Walker expressed appreciation for the outpour of community support that spurred an “excellent response” to an online auction that generated a higher-than-expected $13,000.
“God willing, if we continue on, we’re planning to do another one of those auctions next year,” he said.
He also recognized financial struggles are a hardship shared by other non-profit organizations that are hurting for money.
“It’s signs of our times,” he said, also going onto lament the lack of younger volunteers stepping up.
“We don’t seem to have younger people that are interested in continuing and looking after the museum,” he said.
“I’m 82 so I’m about the end of my tether here. I mean, don’t get me wrong – I don’t begrudge what I do there. I love doing things for the museum.”
Reducing hours at the museum would have a limited impact on the annual $100,000 budget’s bottom line as certain bills that come in would be the same regardless since the heat and electricity need to stay on, he said.
“We’re way behind on our maintenance on our buildings,” he said, adding the list of projects includes roof repairs on the barn as well as the ranger station house, which needs a complete overhaul.
“There’s underlying things on that budget number that have been shaved to the bitter bones.”
The society’s board planned to meet with Barry Mjolsness, son of the late Chester Mjolsness, who had left an endowment for the world of wildlife exhibit that is housed at the museum, which remains near and dear to the family’s heart, he said.
Meanwhile, the municipality contributes $10,000 every year, so the amount approved earlier this month more than doubles the regular annual allotment.
“We really, absolutely appreciate them stepping up and helping us out,” said Walker, who is also grateful for Petersen’s advocacy.
“He’s got a real heart for the museum,” said Walker. “It’s great to have him there as well.”
Walker also praised the museum’s executive director, Carrie Couch, the sole employee who oversees a team of volunteers.
“She has done such an exceptional job in the three years that she’s been there,” he said. “That job, basically it should be a two-person job.”
The board met on July 17 to further discuss potential plans.
“If we can come up with some funding, we’d love to keep that place open.”
