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Success Stories
Willow
Bunch Museum and its Celebrated Historic Figures
The unique history of a Francophone Saskatchewan community
Despite its tiny population of 1200, the rural community of Willow Bunch, Saskatchewan boasts a unique and fascinating history. Willow Bunch was founded in 1870 by fur trader, Jean-Louis Légaré who helped facilitate Métis and federal government negotiations.
Since then, other individuals have also put Willow Bunch on the map. These include: The Beaupré Giant who grew to be eight feet tall, the Campagne family whose musical talents include Carmen Campagne and Hart Rouge, Sitting Bull, a Sioux Indian chief who sought refuge from the US government in Willow Bunch in 1876 and finally, Charles Skinner, a Canadian test pilot pioneer.
In collaboration with SchoolNet Digital Collections, an Industry Canada initiative, the Willow Bunch Museum, one of the few Francophone museums in western Canada, decided to digitize some of its holdings in order to share its unique history with all Canadians.
The Digital Collections program, funded by the federal Youth Employment Strategy, has enabled over 1400 young Canadians (ages 15-30) to gain valuable work experience in the multimedia sector. By converting significant Canadian content for display on the Information Highway, Canadian youth have not only gained skills for knowledge-based employment but have provided greater access to Canadian holdings located in archives, libraries, museums, associations and other sources.
Under the direction of Mr.
Steeves Tremblay from the ? The real challenge for
the youth was having to work with archival documents and research material
in two languages. Although all team members are bilingual, they do not
have formal translation training. Consequently, the history of Willow
Bunch was awkward to write at times. Nonetheless, the team persevered
and produced a web site that is completely bilingual and tells the very
interesting story of Willow Bunch in a charming manner.
As in many Digital
Collections, projects, the benefits to the youth and community
were numerous. Since the project was conducted in a small rural community,
the students had the unique opportunity of gaining web design and Internet
skills that are slowly emerging in Saskatchewan. "This type
of work experience is new in our community. Most young people have experience
in retail or agriculture. This gives them an opportunity to have a working
experience in a new and competitive field," says Mr. Tremblay.
Next, the museum was able
to increase its advertising power. Since the completion of the site,
the museum has hired a marketing agency to maximize the site's exposure
and the potential tourism opportunities that can be derived from such
exposure.
Finally, the project allowed
the francophone students to work in a French-speaking environment, an
unusual and important opportunity for the students. "Being a
francophone minority in Saskatchewan, these opportunities are rare.
It was an important work experience for the students because it permitted
them to work in French which helps them preserve their culture and their
first language." explains Mr. Tremblay.
The Digital Collections,
project was a satisfying experience for all members involved. The students
really enjoyed digitizing the museum's collection and some were delighted
to discover that their grandparents played a significant role in Willow
Bunch's history. And Mr. Tremblay found it refreshing to work with the
youth. "It's always nice to work with new blood who are curious, motivated
and interested in the project." Mr. Tremblay was so pleased with the
students' performance that two of the students have continued working
at the community centre.
The team members, Denise
Grégoire, Jessica Boisvert, Jaxon Deshautels, Michael Monteyn and Jordan
Dosch are all returning to school in the fall.
Visit the SchoolNet Digital
Collections World Wide Web Site at http://collections.ic.gc.ca
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