Settlers, Rails & Trails

Settlers, Rails & Trails Inc.
	Argyle, Manitoba
Former name	Argyle Prairie Museum
Location	Argyle, Manitoba, Canada
Type	Historic Regional Museum
Accreditation	Association of Manitoba Museums
Collections	Canadian Flag Collection, Veterans of Brant-Argyle, Brant-Argyle United Church, Brant-Argyle School 100th
Collection size	1,500 artifacts, 1,100 flags, 10,000 digital files in archives
Website	www.settlersrailsandtrails.com

Settlers, Rails & Trails Inc. is a community-run, non-profit museum located in Argyle, Manitoba. It exhibits local history, railway and agricultural artifacts and historical information, and it is also home to the Canadian Flag Collection. Argyle is governed by the Rural Municipality of Rockwood, and is located approximately 28 km northwest of Winnipeg, within the Manitoba Capital Region.

History

Began in 1991 as a school project under the name "Argyle Prairie Museum", the museum exhibited artifacts and local history in the basement of the Brant-Argyle School. The school is a provincial (Manitoba) historical site. In 1993, the museum was expanded to include the Ekhart railway station, and soon afterward a general store and blacksmith building. The museum was open to the public in the summer months and during Argyle’s Homecoming 2000 celebrations. Due to ongoing maintenance and operational demands, the museum continued collecting artifacts, but reduced its exhibition space and tours.

In February 2010, a group of motivated citizens from the Argyle area began exploring options for operating the museum as a community entity. In November 2010, the museum changed its name to Settlers, Rails & Trails while incorporating as a non-profit organization with the Manitoba Government.

SR&T became a member of the Canadian Heritage Information Network in March 2014 and hosts virtual displays at the Canadian Virtual Museum website.^[1]

Present day

While the museum awaits acquisition of a permanent home, it has opened to the public in the Argyle Community Centre. The museum has four permanent exhibits on show: Veterans of the Brant-Argyle Region, Brant-Argyle School 100th Anniversary, Canadian Flag Collection, Brant-Argyle United Church. As the museum grows, it continues to collect artifacts, provide research and educational tours to visitors.

We Will Remember Them - History of Veterans of Brant-Argyle Region (history book) was released in summer 2016. Voices of War theatrical production was specifically written for the museum and toured in fall 2015 including performances at Domain, Stonewall, Selkirk, Teulon and Argyle, Manitoba. The DVD version of the production was produced and released in Fall 2016 to coincide with Remembrance Day. The uniforms, props and artifacts from the production are on display in the museum's main gallery.

SR&T regularly holds events to mark National Flag of Canada Day each year on February 15. The museum conducts exhibits at local schools, and has created two displays in the Manitoba Legislature's rotunda. In 2016 the museum produced an exhibit highlighting the historic flags of Manitoba for that provincial flag's 50th anniversary.

Museum’s collection

Local artifacts and history

There are over 1,500 artifacts in the museum’s collection in categories ranging from local history, agriculture, education, religion, business and railway exhibits. The museum continues to use the Ekhart railway station to house the Canadian railway artifacts and the general store building to display the items popular during the 1920s to 1970s. A blacksmith shop houses the agricultural artifacts as well as those familiar to the local smithy. Outside exhibits include a stretch of 60 lb rail containing four small pieces of rolling stock known as jiggers.

Veterans of the Brant-Argyle Region is an exhibit that honours the 173 veterans of the area. Artifacts from the Fenian Raids (1860s) to present-day Afghanistan, including photos, medals, uniforms and other artifacts, are on display.

In 2015 the museum wrote and produced a live theatrical production called Voices of War. A DVD and history book now encompass the story of this play.

Canadian Flag Collection

The Canadian Flag Collection displayed at Settlers, Rails & Trails is a gathering of old and new flags that represent a variety of components of Canadian heritage and culture, in galleries separately dedicated to Canadian history, businesses, sports, regions, and special occasions.

Settlers, Rails & Trails holds the second largest museum collection of flags in Canada. As of February 2017, the collection contains over 1,300 flags. It is due to the CFC that the museum holds regional museum status, exhibiting flags and artifacts from across the country.

The CFC has been covered by CBC Radio, the Winnipeg Free Press, Stonewall Tribune, and Teulon Times.^[2] It has been featured in Flagscan, the journal of the Canadian Flag Association.