guide2museums.comJan 30

Chinatown in Montreal: A Fascinating Historic Site

Whether you’re looking for traditional Asian cuisine, the constant bustle of shoppers, or late-evening fun, Chinatown is the perfect destination. Only steps away from Old Montreal and downtown, this historic Quebec Chinatown adds an interesting dimension to a visit to Montreal.

Tree with Chinese paper lanterns in front of a Buffet restaurant in Montreal Chinatown. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.

Linda’s Pick in Chinatown

I love the bright colors of Chinatown — but love the tastes of Chinatown even more! Of course, I was lucky on this visit to be with an Asian friend, Ruby, who could guide me through the amazing range of choices in bakeries and restaurants from various parts of Asia.

Display case in a Chinatown Bakery. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.

We started by going through a bakery. From buns to tarts, there were literally dozens of things I’d have bought if I hadn’t been leaving the city in the morning. So, I could only imagine the tastes!

When it came to lunch though, Ruby picked out a restaurant she assured me I just had to eat at — Sammi & Dumpling.

Soup Dumpling at Sammi & Dumpling in Montreal Chinatown. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.

Their specialty was Xiao Long Bao. What’s that? A steamed dumpling filled with savory broth and meat, or soup dumpling. Yum!

What’s the history of Xiao Long Bao?

Let’s start by breaking down the name. Xiao means small or little, long means a basket, and bao is a bun.

In the dish, the bao, or bun, isn’t what you’d expect. I, of course, first thought of bread, but that wasn’t quite right. The bao is a thin-skinned steamed dumpling with the wrapper, or outside, made of unleavened wheat dough like a very thin bun skin. Traditionally, the bao is stuffed with ground pork and pork aspic jelly. However, modern versions use everything from crab to chicken.

And what about the basket? It’s the steamer used to make the soup dumplings.

The steamer is made of bamboo. To make the utensil, bamboo skin is peeled off, soaked and softened, then bent into a ring. The rings are then finished with nails or rattan. And finally, a base and tight-fitting lid are added to finish the cooking utensil.

Steam cooking utensils date back to Neolithic China. They evolved into today’s forms by the time of the Han dynasty in southern China. During the last 2000 years, the steamer has become a standard utensil for buns and dumplings.

Why? Bamboo absorbs some moisture as well as letting excess steam escape through the woven lid. That’s important as it keeps dumpling wrappers from becoming soggy.

In xiao long bao, the dumplings sit on something such as parchment inside the basket. Then, the basket is steamed over boiling water so the wrappers cook. The basket goes directly to the table, keeping the soup dumplings steaming hot.

At first, I thought eating the dumpling without losing the broth would be difficult, as I don’t use chopsticks. However, I managed quite well with the spoon.

I give the dumplings an A+, so do try them the next time you’re in Chinatown.

What’s in Montreal’s Chinatown?

Entrances into Chinatown in Montreal are marked by four paifang gates. What’s that? Arches with various styles of decorations. While gates are common into Chinatown areas in many cities, Montreal’s four gates stand out as the city has the most paifang gates of any Chinatown in Canada.

Gate in Chinatown in Montreal. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.

Chinatown covers an area about the size of a city block, although it’s on several streets: La Gauchetière Street and around Saint Urbain Street and Saint Lawrence Boulevard (boul. Saint-Laurent).

Montreal’s Chinatown dates back to the late 1880s. Why? That’s when Chinese immigrants who had first worked on the Canadian Pacific Railway began to build communities of their own.

Pedestrian Mall in Montreal Chinatown. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.

As the city grew, more and more Chinese opened businesses in the area. In 1902, this part of Montreal became officially known as Chinatown, leading to continued growth.

When urban renewal and gentrification started to threaten Chinatown, a group of activists lobbied to have Chinatown named a heritage site. The Quebec Government signed a notice of historic classification for it on July 20, 2023, retroactive to January 24, 2022.

Fast Fact: Montreal's Chinatown has a unique linguistic and cultural mix. Indeed, it's the only French speaking Chinatown in North America.

Ten buildings and 14 lots were named in the classification. They include the historic Wings Building and the Place Sun Yat Sen.

The buildings reflect different periods of community life including religion, industry, education, and social organization.

Fast Fact: Montreal's Chinatown began to be a tourist attraction during Expo 67 in Montreal. Pagoda Park was built to symbolize peace and harmony and to identify the Chinese community.

Together they make Montreal’s Chinatown a leading example of “living heritage” where social history is as important as the bricks and stones of the architecture.

Linda’s Road Trip Tips

I got to Chinatown using Montreal’s Metro. Indeed, Chinatown sits right beside two major metro stations: Orange Line (Place-d-Armes) and Green Line (Saint-Laurent). The Orange Line is the closest and most commonly used.

Pin me!

Together, this access makes Chinatown incredibly central to the city, even though it’s a small area.

Outside the boundaries of Chinatown, you’ll find entertainment venues, offices and courthouses.

Inside Chinatown, you’ll find a cultural hub that’s a place where Montrealers and visitors gather.

Chinatown also sits directly above sections of Montreal’s Underground City (Montreal’s RÉSO network). You can access the Underground City at the Place-d-Armes metro station.

Who Should Visit Montreal’s Chinatown?

Chinatown is a great place to enjoy traditional Asian foods from dim sum to bubble tea to soup dumplings.

Indeed, its close proximity to Old Montreal means many visitors can readily explore the area as an easy stop to grab a meal.

Traditional Chinese culture and architecture is everywhere within the boundaries of the four gates, so visitors interested in cultural exploration will find this well-preserved area fascinating.

And if you’re looking for selfies and bright photos, you’ll find lots of backdrops!

The core of Chinatown has a central pedestrian mall that runs about 300 to 400 metres (328 to 437 yards) or over a quarter of the area.

Pin me!

All of this make Montreal Chinatown an easy visit for walking, sightseeing, eating, and shopping!

How Do You Visit Montreal’s Chinatown?

Chinatown is in the Ville-Marie Borough. The location is central to Montreal, near Old Montreal and the downtown core.

Parking: There's very limited metered street parking in Chinatown. For those taking a car, parking garages outside Chinatown are the best option. You may want to pre-book to be sure you get a spot.

Learn more about Chinatown on the city of Montreal’s official website.

Take a virtual tour of Montreal’s Historic Chinatown with Discover Montreal on YouTube.

Learn more about what’s happening in Montreal’s Chinatown with their unofficial Facebook page.

Plan your trip to Montreal Chinatown with Google maps.

Read More Quebec Museum Reviews

Check out all these museum reviews for the Canadian province of Quebec!

Explore More Historic Sites

#Canada #cultures #history #museums #Quebec #TransCanadaHwy #travel
guide2museums.comOct 31

Maple Creek’s Intriguing Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre

The first shipment of cattle from western Canada left Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, for eastern markets in 1884. Thereafter, the town became known as “The Old Cowtown of Maple Creek.”

Today, Maple Creek’s location just twenty minutes from the Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, along with its old west history, make it an important Saskatchewan destination. And the Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre museum does a fabulous job of archiving its intriguing history.

Hudson’s Bay Company jug, western boots, buffalo coat, and shot dispenser (centre box with holes) for dispensing different size shot pellets when making shot gun shells. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.

Linda’s Pick of the Exhibits

My favorite spot in the Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre Museum was where we started our tour in The Old West Room.

Charlie Russell collection of prints along with vintage saddles. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.

It’s home to a bright, dynamic collection of painting prints by Charlie Russell. The room also contains a collection of vintage saddles donated by local ranchers.

The 110 piece collection was put together by Rodger Newby, a rancher in the Maple Creek area.

Over the years Newby had collected the prints from vintage calendars and magazines. Then, he framed them.

Charlie (C.M. Russell or Charles Marion Russell) was born in 1864 in St. Louis, Missouri. In the 1880s he traveled west to Montana, where his first painting was commissioned in 1885 by a saloon owner in Utica.

Russell created more than 2000 paintings of cowboys, Native Americans, and landscapes set in the western U.S. and Canada, before passing away in 1926 at the age of 62.

Pin me! Fast Fact: Ranching in southwest Saskatchewan got established after 1882/83. Why? Indigenous peoples were moved from the area to reservations. As well, the North West Mounted Police or NWMP, (forerunners of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or RCMP) headquarters moved from Fort Walsh in the Cypress Hills to Regina. Division "A" headquarters were established near Maple Creek on the newly constructed C.P.R. rail-line. ~Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre

What’s in the Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre?

The Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre is located in the former Jasper Street School. It was built in two sections, 1910 and 1914, using local bricks. After being closed as a school in 1986, it opened as a museum on July 1, 1988.

Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre Museum in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.

Today, the museum provides around 20,000 sq. feet of exhibition, meeting, and programming space. Ceilings are still finished with the original molded-tin and hardwood floors. You can almost see children rushing up the well-worn stairs and through the long hallways.

Fast Fact: The museum has an Eaton's Beauty doll from 1908 in its original dress. Cost at the time was $1. This beauty doll was one of the first dolls that closed its eyes when it was laid down. ~ Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre

The museum is divided into a number of smaller galleries beginning with the original Fleming Collection. The Fleming collection was from Irvine and Phoebe (Tootsie) Fleming. They were local ranchers who had originally displayed the collection on their ranch.

Now, the Ranch House Room is set up with artifacts from the 19th century.

Household items including a wood stove, collection of sad irons, copper pots and kettles, dishes, butter press, and more. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.

More Galleries & Rooms

Altogether there are nearly 20 different galleries and rooms covering different periods in Maple Creek and area history, as well as art collections. They’re organized by theme, ranging from a NWMP room to a Victorian Parlour with a dining table originally from the NWMP “A” Division Barracks.

Fast Fact: The museum has the skull of a Plains Grizzly shot in the 1800s in Southern Saskatchewan. It is often accepted that they were wiped out at about that time. However, rumours of Grizzly Bear sightings from the 1930s and 1960s are documented. ~ Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre

With our family history of rodeo, we spent a lot of time going through the Bert Ingram Rodeo Room. It included information about regional rodeos, the cowboys, and the rodeo stock providers.

Moving on, the Boardwalk Room contained many artifacts from the Dixon Brothers’ Department Store.

The cash register built in 1885 was one of my favorites!

The People

The strength of local museums is always in the histories of those who built the community.

From the Post Office Room with artifacts donated by 1976 to 1986 postmaster, Bill Colquhoun, to the Geraldine Moodie (first professional female photographer working east of Winnipeg and into the Arctic) Women’s Gallery, to the Michel Oxarart Western Gallery (Oxarart was the first official rancher in the Cypress Hills area), its a history rich in story.

Pin me! Fast Fact: Molly Smith arrived in Fort Walsh in the 1870s after making her way from St. Louis to Fort Benton following the Civil War. She left a life of slavery behind her, working as part of a bull-train then establishing a laundry outside the Fort. As well as working as a domestic and nanny, Molly operated a legendary bootlegging business. She even designed a special bra and bustle to smuggle bottles of liquor! Eventually, she was caught, fined, and put in jail in Maple Creek. However, that didn't alter her quick-wit to survive! ~ Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre

Linda’s Road Trip Tips

Maple Creek is located a few miles south of the Trans-Canada Highway in southwest Saskatchewan. It’s a great day-trip destination.

Maple Street in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.

These are some of my favorite places to check out in town:

Fast Fact: The fastest trains across Canada were the silk trains that ran between 1925 and 1932. How fast? Up to 90 miles per hour! Bales of raw silk, priceless and perishable, arrived on fast ships from Japan. The train run from Vancouver to the East Coast hosiery mills and manufacturers took 74 hours.

We also recommend the Jasper Lounge & Liquor Store for a cold one or meal. It’s the oldest tavern in Saskatchewan with 120 years of history!

Who Should Visit Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre?

The Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre Museum is a must-see stop for those interested in how the “west was won” in late 1800s Saskatchewan.

Grieta Krisjansons sculpture from her Wilder Art Studio. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.

Ranching was a hard life, and the museum explores the lives of cowboys and the women who managed the ranch house.

Due to the arrival of train service in early 1883, just months after it reached the capital city, Regina, the area was settled early in Saskatchewan’s history.

Displays are spacious, so there’s lots of room to see and explore. Historic information is provided about each grouping of artifacts, along with many individually identified items.

The museum has an elevator and stairs between the floors.

We spent a couple of hours in the museum. However, those who have less familiarity with ranching and rodeo will likely need longer.

How Do You Visit the Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre Museum?

Maple Creek is around 100 km from Medicine Hat, Alberta, just a few minutes from the Trans-Canada Highway.

Parking: There's lots of free parking on Jasper Street.

Street Location: 311 Jasper Street, Maple Creek.

The museum is open year-round. Check the days and hours at the Jasper Cultural and Historical Centre website.

Learn more about the museum and keep up to date with what’s happening on the Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre Facebook page.

Take a virtual tour of the museum with The Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre video on YouTube.

Or, check out the opening for the Geraldine Moodie Women’s Gallery on YouTube.

More Places to See in Saskatchewan

Check out all of guide2museum.com’s reviews of museums in Saskatchewan.

Read More Reviews of Heritage Museums

#Canada #cowboys #history #lifestyles #museums #pioneers #Saskatchewan #TransCanadaHwy #travel

guide2museums.comJun 4, 2025

Little Known Saskatchewan Transportation History: Moose Jaw WDM Museum

Saskatchewan is home to four Western Development Museums (WDM), with the one in Moose Jaw focused on transportation. It covers the province’s amazing history of travel across land, air, water, and rail.

Vintage cars and trucks in the Land Gallery at the Moose Jaw Western Development Museum. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.

Linda’s Pick of the Exhibits

I’ll be the first to say that I discovered many fascinating stories unfamiliar to me at the WDM in Moose Jaw! After researching and writing the nonfiction picture book, L is for Land of Living Skies, a Saskatchewan Alphabet, I thought I knew a lot.

It turns out there was a lot of transportation history I’d missed.

So…I tossed a coin and came up with the Vickers Vedette Airplane as my pick for favorite. This airplane was, wait for it, basically a flying boat!

Vickers Vedette Airplane recovered from a bush in Northern Saskatchewan in the early 1990s. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.

The Vickers Vedette airplane was built by Canadian Vickers, a boat-building company in Montreal, in 1924. This type of machine was needed by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) for aerial mapping and forest fire patrols in Northern Canada.

Looking more like a boat with wings than a biplane, it had a wooden hull and open cockpit. Effective at short take-offs and water-landings, 60 more planes in five versions were manufactured until 1930.

Most people think of Saskatchewan as flat prairie, so why did the province need a plane that could land on water? Because Saskatchewan has 100,000+ lakes, mostly in its north. Indeed, all of the northern part of the province is in the Canadian Shield region.

Fast Fact: The RCAF set up a base at Ladder Lake, near Big River, in 1927. The base was equipped with four Vickers Vedettes and one Vickers Varuna.

All five planes being used by the RCAF were purchased by the province of Saskatchewan for $1 in 1930. Why 1930? Because that’s when Saskatchewan got control of its natural resources from the Federal Government.

The airplanes fought fires and took aerial photos until 1936. Then, a Vickers Vedette CF-SAE crashed on Delaronde Lake. The plane burned, taking the life of the passenger. This opened a Court of Inquiry that grounded all Vedettes until safety belts could be installed. However, none ever flew Saskatchewan’s northern skies again.

What’s at the Western Development Museum Moose Jaw?

The Moose Jaw Western Development Museum is a spacious facility. With over 100,000 square ft of space, its extensive collection is easy to see.

There are 10 galleries and exhibits, ranging from the Aircraft Gallery to Winter Travel to the Rail Gallery.

Wagons in the Land Gallery — the Gallery also includes 40+ cars and 16 trucks. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.

Here are some of the highlights of machines at the museum.

  • During World War II there were twenty flying training air units in Saskatchewan, spread across fourteen communities. Trainees included 33,142 aircrew graduates.
  • Saskatchewan had the first publicly-funded air ambulance service in North America. The air ambulance flew its first mission on February 3, 1946, using two Norseman airplanes, CF-SAH and CF-SAM. The museum has a Cessna 195 Airplane once used as an Air Ambulance.
  • The Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA) turned a 1959 IHC Travelall station wagon for use as an ambulance. It was used during The South Saskatchewan River Project building of a dam on the South Saskatchewan. The ambulance’s first trip was November 3, 1960. Now, it’s in the museum.
  • The Buchinski Caboose in the museum was a horse-drawn, enclosed cutter. Buchinski patented the caboose in 1934 and built 200+ cutter gears and complete cutters on his farm.
  • Robert Fudge built and sold about 400 “snow sedans” or Fudge snowplanes from 1929 to 1956. The museum has a 1949 Fudge Snowplane.

More Exhibits

As well as the more standard range of machines, the museum is also home to “Blowtorch.”

“Blowtorch,” the mechanical horse, and ARIES B Sounding Rocket Payload rocket. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.

Blowtorch was, according to its inventor, W.J. McIntyre, “The only horse in the world you have to choke to start…!” Indeed, the mechanical steed and its inventor appeared across Canada in various parades and exhibitions.

Fast Fact: Coal Oil is a thin oil distilled from coal. It was the most common fuel in North America in the late 1800s. In 1909, Imperial Oil opened a store in Saskatoon that used a team of horses hitched to a four-wheeled tank as a coal delivery wagon. A Coal Oil wagon is part of the museum's collection

Tractor pulls gained popularity in Saskatchewan with the National Tractor Pullers Association‘s first event in Saskatoon in 1972. Moon Rocket, a tractor used in competition by Fred Summach, is in the museum.

It’s a modified International turbo diesel that competed in the Super Stock class.

Moon Rocket, a competition tractor. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.

The museums’ water transportation exhibits are interesting. While the majority of Saskatchewan’s water bodies are in the North, the South Saskatchewan River flows through Saskatoon.

Fast Fact: Saskatchewan's worst marine disaster occurred in Saskatooon in 1907, when the SS City of Medicine Hat boat was swept into the concrete piers of the 19th Street bridge. You'll see the lifeboat anchor and photos in the museum.

Linda’s Road Trip Tips

Moose Jaw is a great destination for visitors to Saskatchewan. Situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, it has many attractions that keep locals like me — and visitors — coming back.

I’ve got a few favorite spots!

Pin me!

If you’re looking for a relaxing, pampered stay, book a night or two at the Temple Gardens Hotel & Mineral Spa.

Its geothermal mineral pools keep my writers’ group returning on a regular basis.

The mineral waters come from an ancient seabed and contain sodium, potassium, magnesium, and various other elements.

Water comes into the well-head at about 45°C (113°F)!

After your soak, treat yourself to dinner at Hopkins Dining Parlour, one of Saskatchewan’s most unique restaurants.

This Victorian era, three-story house converted to a restaurant, is all about the experience. Rumors are there may even be a ghost or two around — not that I’ve ever seen one there.

To complete your adventures, be sure to check out the Tunnels of Moose Jaw. What are they? Three interactive underground experiences:

  • The Chicago Connection – learn the ropes of becoming a bootlegger with Al Capone (and all about the gangster’s connection to Moose Jaw).
  • Passage to Fortune – learn the story of early Chinese immigration to Canada.
  • Bunker 24 – go back to 1958 and Canada’s Cold War experience.

Who Should Visit the Moose Jaw Western Development Museum?

The Moose Jaw Western Development Museum is a great stop for families. Kids will love all the space to roam around — and the machines. It’s a spot locals return to on a regular basis.

While museums all archive history, some tell stories of the past that bring history to life. The Moose Jaw WDM is one of them.

Every piece of machinery is identified, many with fascinating tales to go with them.

So, it can take a few hours to get just an overview of the collection.

For visitors passing through Saskatchewan, there’s a lot to learn about the province by looking at transportation over the past century and a half.

You can even ride the K+S Potash Canada Short Line 101 over its 400 m track during the summer!

It’s the only operating steam locomotive in Saskatchewan.

Pin me!

The museum is all on a single floor, so accessible for wheel chairs and strollers. Outside, you’ll even find picnic tables for a relaxing road trip stop.

How Do You Visit the Western Development Museum Moose Jaw?

The Moose Jaw Western Development Museum is located right off of the Trans-Canada #1 Highway in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

Parking: There's lots of free parking in front of the museum.

Street location: 50 Diefenbaker Dr. at the junction of Highways #1 and #2, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

The museum is open year-round. Check days and times at the Moose Jaw Western Development Museum website.

Keep up-to-date with what’s happening with the WDM Moose Jaw Facebook page.

Take a virtual tour with SaskTel on YouTube.

Plan your visit now with Google Maps.

More Places to See in Saskatchewan

Check out all of guide2museum.com’s reviews of museums in Saskatchewan.

Read More Reviews of Transportation Museums

#1 #2 #airplanes #Canada #cars #history #museums #Saskatchewan #TransCanadaHwy #travel

guide2museums.comOct 18, 2024

Medalta Museum: Ceramic Arts in Medicine Hat, Alberta

The Medalta Museum is a ceramic arts museum is Medicine Hat’s historic clay district. Indeed, during the early 20th century, the facility was the centre of the clay products industry in western Canada. Today, it’s an attraction enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.

Crockery display at the Medalta Museum. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.

Linda’s Pick of the Exhibits

The Medalta Museum is one of the most fascinating museums in Western Canada. And that’s not just because I had to work with clay in art classes.

Back in the day, making a clay cup was part of the school curriculum I think. Like my classmates, I remember fussing over rolling clay handles and trying to stick them in place.

So, I loved the Sanitas cups one-step process!

Display of cups with handles made in one process. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.

I can’t imagine big brass worrying about getting germs from a flaw where a cup handle joined the cup body. But apparently they did in WWII.

And Medalta came up with a solution.

Fast Fact: Medalta was the largest supplier of hotel ware in Canada. This became possible when Phillipson discovered semi-porcelain clay (it's harder than regular clay) at Willows, Saskatchewan.

Ed Phillipson, superintendent of the Medalta Plant from 1937 until 1957, invented the Sanitas Handle Cup Machine. What did it do? It made handled cups in one operation. This not only meant no germs could hide out anywhere. It also made the process faster and the product stronger.

Win-win for everyone. I don’t know about you, but I’ve drank coffee in a lot of restaurants from cups that looked exactly like these ones!

Hotel ware manufactured at Medalta from 1938 to 1954. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.

What’s at the Medalta Museum?

The Medalta Museum is a focal point in Medicine Hat’s historic Clay District. Indeed, the clay industries that ranged from bricks to sewer pipes to pottery were the foundation of the city.

Poster titled What is Clay? Western Canada has several types of clay, some of which handle very high temperatures. This is what helped Medalta. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.

Operating from 1916 to 1954, Medalta Potteries is also on the Alberta Register of Historic Places. At its core, the Medalta Museum is an industrial museum preserving the tools that helped build western lifestyles. It’s also an arts facility, art gallery, and community hub.

Fast Fact: Between 1928 and 1950, Medalta produced 67% of all Canadian pottery.

Visitors are able to go through the complete manufacturing process in the Ol’ Factory. You’ll see original equipment and tools, along with kilns, in either a self-guided or guided tour. You can even take an amazing virtual tour of the Medalta Museum!

Once you finish the manufacturing area, you’ll see the Collector’s Gallery and many different collections of original stoneware.

From Clay to Products

The Medalta Museum illustrates the various steps in the manufacturing process of stoneware. Some of the machinery and processes were innovative and had a major impact on ceramics technology.

Stoneware manufacturing equipment. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.

As you walk through the manufacturing area you can almost hear the machines and feel the heat. The day I visited, there was a guide on hand to ask questions. However, the signage does a good job of explaining each step.

Chart outlining steps in making a bowl using the traditional jigger method. The signage also shows all of the trademarks used by Medalta over the years. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.

You’ll read about sponging and stamping, slip casting, jiggering and more!

From the machine area, you move to the Collector’s Gallery. It’s a fascinating area that shows some of the major changes experienced by Medalta.

Significant Parts of the Collection

You’ll learn about those lil’ brown jugs you’ve likely seen in antique shops and old farm sales.

Fast Fact: Until 1927, stoneware crocks with those top brown finishes were used for shipping bulk wine, spirits, preserves, even shellac.

During WWII, Medalta turned all production to the war front. The Canadian Armed Forces had Medalta ware in mess halls, trains, ships, hospitals and POW camps.

Later, the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Railways became Medalta’s largest customers. Medalta made many specialty items for serving their guests.

What are ramekins, petite marmites and cocottes?

The short answer is that they can all be used as individual serving dishes. And here’s the long answer.

Ramekins – small ceramic dish used for baking traditional French desserts like  soufflé or crème brûlée. These were small, straight-sided dishes meant to go from preparation to baking to serving.

Petite Marmites – small traditional crockery casserole vessels known for their pot-belly shape. The pot may have two finger-grips on each side.

Cocottes – stonewear small pots with lids used for individual servings.

Television and Medalta’s Demise

Are you wondering how television could possible be related to the closing of a stoneware manufacturing facility?

Pin me!

While a lot of management stayed with Medalta for decades, ownership changed several times. In 1952 it was acquired by W.G. Pulkingham.

Pulkingham decided to change direction from the lucrative hotel china and artware market. Phillipson disagreed.

However, Pulkingham re-tooled the plant to produce a product to sell movie theatres to give away to their patrons.

Re-tooling took longer than expected. It also cost more than expected. But the icing on the cake — or the final nail in the coffin — was that rather than going to movies, people started staying home watching television.

Linda’s Road Trip Tips

Medicine Hat is located on the Trans-Canada Highway, so I drive through regularly on my way to Calgary.

It’s a great stop whether you’re looking for a hotel or a restaurant or to spend a little time.

As you can imagine, with the abundant clay the city has a lot of historical brick buildings.

You’ll see a lot of them on a walking tour of the historic downtown.

Pin me!

Another great thing about Medicine Hat is that its winters are warmer than Saskatchewan’s — it also has an average of 330 days of sunshine. You’ll find lots of outdoor fun patios and bars once the snow is gone!

Who Should Visit the Medalta Museum?

Pottery lovers should put the Medalta Museum at the top of their lists to visit! From the process to the artistic aspects, you won’t be disappointed. Of course, there’s a lot of western Canadian history in general in the museum that many people will find interesting.

As well as the museum collection, you can also see their nationally-recognized archeological excavations.

Displays at the Medalta Museum. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.

When you’re going through the museum, it’s important to keep children close by. There are a lot of breakable artifacts within reach of little hands!

If you can, it’s wise to plan your visit in advance. The museum hosts a lot of events, so the Collector’s Gallery and kilns may sometimes be unavailable.

The main floor and washrooms are wheelchair and stroller accessible. However, the basement area isn’t. There’s one wheelchair available for public use, and service animals with identification are allowed.

How Do You Visit the Medalta Museum?

Medicine Hat is located on the Trans-Canada Highway that crosses Canada, making it easy to visit the museum.

Medalta Museum in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.

Street Address: 713 Medalta Ave SE, Medicine Hat, Alberta.

Parking: There's lots of free parking in front of the museum.

Check days open, visiting hours, and admissions costs online at the Medalta website.

Keep up to date with what’s happening on the Medalta Facebook page.

Take a virtual tour of the Medalta Museum on their website.

Plan your visit with Google Maps.

More Places to See in Alberta

Check out more things to see and do in Alberta with all of guide2museum.com’s reviews of museums in Alberta.

Explore More Technology Museums

#Alberta #Canada #history #lifestyles #museums #TransCanadaHwy #travel