Ensuring our history has a bright future

Meeting discusses way to keep B.P. Museum from closure

By Eoin Devereux Neepawa Banner & Press

Surrounded by its’ celebrated history, a large group of concerned citizens recently gathered at the Beautiful Plains Museum to discuss its’ uncertain future.

A public meeting was held on Thursday, Oct. 9 in the museum’s main foyer to talk about the urgent need for new board members and volunteers. Beautiful Plains is at risk of permanently shutting down, if new supporters don’t step forward immediately.

How did we get here?

Currently, there were only five of ten board positions filled on the B.P. Museum. On top of that, those five individuals are stepping down on masse by the end of October.

The mass exodus is not as a rejection of the Museum, but rather a case of those involved having served their tenure…and then some. Several of the board members are dealing with health issues as of late and are stepping aside to look after personal needs. In response to the board member’s decision, a call to action to the community was made to measure the amount of interest there was in keeping the Museum operational.

About three dozen people attended a meeting at the Beautiful Plains Museum in Neepawa on Thursday, Oct. 9. The gathering was to discuss the need for more voluteers and board members to get involved to ensure the facility can remain open.

Solid public response

As for the meeting itself, a little under three dozen people filled the building to learn a little about the museum’s history, and more importantly, it’s future. Beautiful Plains Museum Board Chair Helen Drysdale and Neepawa’s Economic Development Officer Marilyn Crewe moderated the gathering. They explained some of the needs for the museum to remain operational. They stressed that the museum is not a major time consuming initiative, and that even a small sized board of directors, with a few extra people on a volunteer list, would be more than enough to keep the doors open.

While a few individuals did volunteer on this evening, there is still a need for board members. Anyone interested in supporting the Museum is asked to attend the Annual General Meeting on Nov. 4.

The Beautiful Plains Museum was established in 1976 to collect, preserve and exhibit historical artifacts from Neepawa and the adjacent municipalities of Langford, Rosedale and Lansdowne.