Training Courses

The Western Development Museum is committed to preserving traditional crafts and skills from pioneer days and annually offers four training courses:

Course information letters and registration forms are in PDF format and require Adobe Reader to view.

Steam Traction Engine Operation

steam traction engine This course is designed for people with mechanical knowledge and handyman skills who are interested in learning to operate and maintain steam traction engines.

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Blacksmithing - Introduction

anvil The introductory blacksmith course is offered in a weekend format during the winter season. It is held at the WDM Curatorial Centre in Saskatoon. Basic forging techniques are taught, including flattening, squaring, splitting, bending and welding.

Early graduates of the course formed the Saskatchewan Chapter of the Western Canadian Blacksmiths Guild.

Find out more about the Introduction to Blacksmithing Course -->

Blacksmithing - Advanced

anvil
Advanced Blacksmithing Courses are not hands-on courses. Participants have the opportunity to watch and learn from master smiths.

This is not a beginner course and is restricted to graduates from the WDM Introduction to Blacksmithing course and those who have equivalent blacksmithing experience.

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Wheelwrighting

Man working on wooden wagon wheel Offered annually in January at the WDM Curatorial Centre in Saskatoon, this one-week wheelwright course teaches the basics of repairing and rebuilding wooden wheels. The class is taught by two wheelwrights, Roy Musgrove of Saskatoon, and Doran Degenstein of Lethbridge, Alberta. It has attracted participants from across Canada, including other museum employees and horse-owners interested in restoring heritage horse-drawn equipment.

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Buggy Seat Upholstery

The Buggy Seat Upholstery course is offered for three days each January following the Introduction to Wheelwrighting course.

The course teaches all aspects of buggy seat re-construction, padding and upholstering. Tufted upholstery will be the style taught. The class deals only with foam rubber padding, not springs.

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