Coyote Flats Pioneer Village in Picture Butte is preparing to re-open one of its historical buildings that was lost in a fire almost two years ago.
When the Bohne Building, a heritage building onsite used for storage, burned to the ground on September 18, 2015, it was a sad day for the museum.
But it didn’t start off that way, says general manager Pieter van Ewijk.
By afternoon, the building was engulfed in flames, and the cause remains unknown.
Donated by a southern Alberta ranch, the building itself had historical significance, but it was what was kept inside that mattered most: four horse-drawn carriages, including a 1930s horse-drawn school van used for the museum’s school program.
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Last year alone, nearly 900 children visited the historic village.
Thanks to donations from the community, including $24,500 from Richardson Oilseed Ltd., through their annual charity golf tournament, the Bohne Building is close to being rebuilt, almost doubling in size to accommodate more storage.
Van Ewijk says the new structure will look right at home in the 20th-century pioneer village and is expected to be open by this summer.
Fundraising efforts are still underway to rebuild the horse-drawn school van. Van Ewijk is hoping to have it restored in time for the 2018 season to help more kids re-live the past.
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