Celebrating International Volunteer Day 2024: A Tribute to WDM Volunteers

Volunteers like Mike drive WDM vehicles in local parades like the Moose Jaw Hometown Parade, promoting the Museum and celebrating with the community.

Volunteers like Karen and Carol share their love of learning and history with the WDM Moose Jaw's lucky visitors and staff. Both support the A Christmas Long Ago program which is offered as a school and a public program.

“I absolutely love the A Christmas Long Ago program,” says Carol. “Being 80 lets me say that it really is authentic. Children at Christmas are always interesting but children attending this program are true gems. My reason for helping is truly selfish. I’m glad that it also helps with appreciation of Saskatchewan history.”

Wondering about volunteering? Check out Karen and Carol advice on page 15 of the October-December 2024 issue of our Sparks newsletter.

History isn't just inside Museum walls! Volunteers like Trevor and Sharayah helped our summer student Alex bring the Museum into the community at events like the Mortlach Berry Festival and the Moose Jaw Farmer's Market.

The K+S Potash Canada Short Line 101 at the WDM Moose Jaw is operated and maintained by qualified Museum volunteer engineers like Andre (in the window - check out his hat!). Conductors like summer student Alex and volunteer Jerry get to ride in the train car and share their love of trains and Saskatchewan history with visitors.  

A whopping 12,600+ students visited a WDM or participated in a WDM school offering during the last school year.

This spectacular impact is only possible because of the dedication, skills, patience, and enthusiasm of volunteers like Lynann and Wendy, who explored topics like housing sustainability with Grade 7s in our award-winning partnership program Smarter Science Better Buildings.

WDM events like our once-in-a-lifetime 75th Anniversary Celebrations at all four WDMs and our annual Halloween Hurrah at the WDM Moose Jaw wouldn't be the same without volunteers like Aaron making sure everything looks spectacular or volunteers like Lydia bringing their their 'spooky spirits' to the witch ring toss.

Not all volunteer roles are glamourous, but they are all important. Parking attendants like Gerald are the unsung heroes of events like the Thunder Creek Model Train Show, setting the stage for great Museum visits before a guest even reaches the front door.

Behind-the-scenes volunteers like Sharayah support our Program staff in researching and creating Gallery tours and engaging programs on all kinds of Saskatchewan topics, like the planes that flew in our province's air space as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan during the Second World War.

As any event planner knows, food is often key to making an event a hit. At our 75th Anniversary Celebrations, volunteers Lynann and Lloyd handed out special locally-sourced cupcakes to eager visitors. At other WDM events, food is part of the learning experience - specifically how it's made. Karen and Jason "shook things up" at the butter making station at Heritage Day in February.

Volunteers bring history to life by operating agricultural equipment like this hay rack and threshing machine at History in Motion at the WDM North Battleford.

Our talented blacksmith volunteers and interpreters, 'spark' interest and share the history of the trade in our province. Rob demonstrated for crowds of onlookers at History in Motion at the WDM North Battleford this summer.

The Heritage Farm and Village at the WDM North Battleford comes alive at our History In Motion summer event thanks to volunteers like Allan parading early cars from our operating equipment collection down the 1920s era streets.

Thanks to volunteers like Lorne and Hudson, this year's Great Pumpkin Masquerade at the WDM North Battleford was a Halloween hit with local families.

It takes skilled and dedicated volunteers to maintain and run our operating equipment collection, including stationary engines like this one. Without them, visitors wouldn't be able to experience the sights and sounds of agricultural history.

Volunteers like Bill also work on a variety of engines from the WDM’s operating equipment collection, which are the machines used in demonstrations. When asked what his favourite thing to do at the WDM is, Bill was clear, “Definitely working on and getting to drive the old Rumely tractor.” The 1915 Rumely Gas Pull tractor (WDM-1973-NB-48) was donated to the WDM in 1953.

Find out why Bill started volunteering with the WDM >>

Summer day camps connect Saskatchewan kids with our province's rich history. Campers get 'hands-on with history', from doing old-fashioned farm chores to designing their own mini exhibits. Volunteers are key to camp success, bringing skills, expertise, and, of course, enthusiasm!

At the WDM Saskatoon's 2024 Summer Fun Day event, kids of all ages had the chance to 'meet our machines,' thanks to volunteers like Bruce. Volunteers not only helped kids up into the driver's seat for this event - they also keep equipment like this Case steam traction engine in tip top (and safe!) shape all year long.

People come to the WDM to volunteer for a variety of reasons. For Val Wright, the reason was her son, Terron. Train-enthusiast Terron was very interested in the steam-powered traction engines at the WDM Saskatoon. As he was only 14, Terron could not officially join the Pioneer Threshermen's Club to work on the engines until he was 16 but they agreed 14 that if Val joined their club, she could bring Terron along if she supervised him. Soon, Val's daughter, 10-year-old Aspen was signed up to volunteer, too, and volunteering became a part of their homeschool curriculum.

Even though her children are now young adults, Val continues to volunteer. As Val put it, "I think all the volunteers create a community - a positive, welcoming community."

Read more about Val and her family's volunteer experiences in the January-March edition of our Sparks newsletter.

WDM events like the Boo Town Ball at the WDM Saskatoon are legendary in their communities because of committed volunteers like Charlotte, Kerry, and Scott. Volunteers help decorate the Museum, hand-out candy and treats, act in our famous 'Museum Mystery' - and then help un-decorate in the days after Halloween. They also come dressed in fabulous costumes!

Volunteers give more than just their time during a shift — they often attend training or spend time 'reading up' on their role beforehand to ensure they're ready to dive in. This group of volunteers got to pretend to be Grade 3-4s as part of their training for the new Boomtown Shopping school program at the WDM Saskatoon. During this program, students learn about life in the early part of the 20th century by participating in a "make believe" shopping trip to four stores in the 1910 Boomtown exhibit.

Getting 'hands-on' with history is a common theme at WDM events and programs. Trying out 'new' old chores like clothes washing with Janny or sewing with Gwen gives today's kids a taste of life in early 20th Century Saskatchewan, before electricity made many hand-cranks and foot pedals obsolete.

"How'd they make that?" It's a natural question asked by curious folks of all ages. At the WDM, we ask it, too - with a twist. We wonder about how things were made in the past, before electricity and factory assembly lines.

Volunteers like Rachel and Bob help visitors understand the 'how' behind common household items like rope and flour, even if today's processes involve less elbow grease.

At the WDM Saskatoon, blacksmith volunteers and interpreters, 'spark' interest and share the history of the trade in our province all year long. In our indoor Blacksmith Shop on Boomtown Street, volunteers like Bryan, Arlene, Zach, Brent, Jon, Rob, and Ashlie practice their skills and work to pass along their love of it.

As Jon shared, “Any art or trade that is hands-on has a steep learning curve. Without past generations, we can’t learn. You must keep passing it [knowledge] on or else it will be forgotten.”

Read more about blacksmithing at the WDM Saskatoon >>

New to the WDM event line up this year: WDM Yorkton's Halloween "Ghoul Times at the WDM." Events like this are supported by the energy, creativity, and enthusiasm of volunteers like Bruce, Sheila, and Reese.

There are many things to experience at the Threshermen's Show & Seniors' Festival at the WDM Yorkton, including bread baked in a wood-fired clay oven. The clay oven was built in 1975 and volunteers have been baking delicious treats in it every since.

Taking home a souvenir from your visit is great, but taking home the memory of making your own souvenir is even better! Volunteers Louis and Milton helped a young visitor do just that at our 75th Anniversary Celebration at the WDM Yorkton in April.

Members of the York Colony Quilters gather together to practice and showcase their craft at events like the Threshermen's Show & Seniors' Festival at the WDM Yorkton.

Steam traction engines like this one are maintained and operated at WDM events by volunteers certified by the Technical Safety Authority of Saskatchewan (TSASK). Come out to events like the the Threshermen's Show and Seniors' Festival at the WDM Yorkton to see these giant machines in action.

Volunteers like Grieg demonstrate one step in the farm-to-table pathway - grinding grain into flour. Greig started volunteering with the Yorkton Threshermen’s Club when he was 14 or 15 years old.

At the time, the Museum was still located at the Yorkton airport. He volunteered with his family who operated the flour mill at the Threshermen's Show and Seniors' Festival. He has volunteered on the flour mill ever since – learning from his parents how to use the mill and then teaching his own children and grandchildren to operate it.

Read more about Grieg's volunteer experiences, including taking on the role of a special holiday character >>

Sometimes volunteers bring along four-legged friends to help with harvest demonstrations. Horses played a big role in Saskatchewan's agricultural past and we're grateful to them and their owners for helping us showcase that at events like the Threshermen's Show and Seniors' Festival at the WDM Yorkton.