The Lacombe and District Historical Society’s archives and collections storage will be getting some upgrades thanks a Community Builder Partnership grant.
Lacombe City Council awarded the $20,000 grant to the society where it will be used to help develop their archive and collections storage in the historic Flatiron Building. The project calls for proper shelving and a permanent publicly accessible research workspace.
“Lacombe City Council is proud to provide this grant to the Lacombe and District Historical Society,” Mayor Grant Creasey said. “Our community is a provincial historical treasure, and the Society’s development of the iconic Flatiron Building into a safe and secure place to preserve our history is welcome news.”
The grant approval comes after the Lacombe & District Recreation, Parks and Culture Board reviewed and recommended the Society’s application for Council approval at their May 18 meeting.
The development of this space will coincide with the Society’s current operations at the Michener House Museum & Archives and the Blacksmith Shop Museum.
“Currently, our collection and archives storage is in the basement of the Michener House Museum, the oldest residential building in Lacombe, and many of the objects and records stored there are at risk of deterioration,” Executive Director of the Lacombe Museum Melissa Blunden said. “Moving our precious items to a facility that is better equipped to house the items is paramount to our continued work at preserving them for generations to come.”
The Society aims to pair City funding with a potential matching grant from Lacombe County and $40,797 in Federal Government support through the Canada Community Revitalization Fund and Museum Assistance Program Grant, to develop the proposed archive and collections space.