Rebecca Watson, Author at Manitoba Museum

Posted on: Monday December 9, 2024

Charitable giving isn’t about charity, it’s about community.

I often think back to my childhood after we arrived in Canada. It wasn’t quite as expected. Starting over in a new country, not knowing the language, struggling to make ends meet, and not having a community was very hard.

I don’t remember being poor, per se. As a child, I’m not sure I would have understood what that even meant. We had what we had.

What I do remember is how much I loved the times we went swimming at our local pool, how proud my mama was of me when I got a good grade on my English homework, how excited I was to unwrap gifts from under our little tree, and how beautiful the table looked on Christmas Eve when we sat down together to enjoy a delicious feast.

I didn’t know at the time that we only went to the pool when it was free swim time, that the people who stayed after school to help me do my homework were volunteers, that the gifts came from a hamper, and our meal from the food bank.

What I did know, is that my life was made better, easier, and more joyful because of all of those things. Because people like you, who didn’t know my family, gave of their own savings to make sure we felt welcomed, supported, and loved in our new home.

My childhood was enriched by the kindness of strangers.

Fast forward a few decades, and now I understand it all. I’ve spent the majority of my career working in community organizations; I’ve personally witnessed the joys experienced by families who receive help from strangers. And I’ve come to understand that when we give to charities, we’re actually giving to our neighbours, the kids sitting next to our own in class, the families enjoying the local pool, the visitors entering the Manitoba Museum to see their stories honoured.

So when I say, charitable giving isn’t about charity, I mean it, I lived it.

Giving to causes close to our hearts it about extending a warm hand of friendship to others, it’s about reminding them that in their moments of hardship, they are not alone.

This year, I donated to a few community organizations whose work changes lives… those who care for our houseless relatives, help Indigenous women escape violence, encourage new Canadians to rebuild their lives, rescue, rehabilitate, and release wildlife in our beautiful province, and of course to my favourite museum (😉). I gave what I could because every gift makes a difference.

I invite you to join me in giving to our community.

If you would like to support the work the Museum does as a vibrant centre of community connection, research, and learning, you can click here to give. Through the generosity of the Johnston Group, all donations made up until December 31, 2024, will be matched dollar for dollar—up to $20,000. Every donation helps us build a stronger, brighter future for our community and beyond. Thank you for being part of our journey and for supporting the Manitoba Museum’s mission to preserve, educate, and inspire!

The name "Dorota," handwritten in blue ink, next to a formal headshot of Dorota Blumczyńska with a bright light shining from behind her.

Dorota Blumczyńska
Manitoba Museum CEO

P.S. In case I haven’t said it enough, thank you. Thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way. I will forever be grateful for your kindness.

A smiling child sitting in the interior of the Nonsuch, a wooden sailing vessel.

P.P.S. This is me on the Nonsuch, about a year after we came to Canada. Then and now, I’ve always loved the Manitoba Museum.

Posted on: Tuesday December 3, 2024

(Winnipeg, MB: December 3, 2024) – The Manitoba Museum has a brand-new, permanent exhibit, and we invite visitors to pounce on the chance to see this exciting addition to our Museum Galleries. The Cougar – Manitoba’s Big Cat is an extraordinarily in-depth look at one of the most enigmatic creatures to roam our province.

Many are surprised to learn that cougars are found in Manitoba at all. Though they’ve likely existed here for thousands of years, confirmed records are only available from the last 50 years. These elusive cats are seen across the southern half of the province, with most records from forested regions like Duck Mountain, Riding Mountain, and Turtle Mountain.

Face on view of a taxidermized cougar skin. The cougar is wearing a tracking collar and prowling through tall grasses.

The Cougar – Manitoba’s Big Cat is unique because it tells the story of one cougar, known as SK-10. In the spring of 2010, a cougar was born in Saskatchewan’s Cypress Hills. When he was just over one year old, he was given an ear tag, labeled SK-10, and fitted with a satellite tracking collar as part of a study by the University of Alberta. This study would reveal his remarkable 10-year journey through the prairies.

SK-10 was destined to wander, but he traveled farther than any other cougar documented in the study. In just 100 days, he covered an astounding 750 kilometers, roaming through Montana before reaching Moose Mountain in Saskatchewan. His tracking collar malfunctioned that spring, but SK-10’s journey was far from over. From 2016 to 2018, he reappeared, caught on trail cameras in Riding Mountain National Park—a rare park visitor! He had traveled another 300 kilometers, reaching his final stop near Duck Mountain, where, in early February 2020, SK-10 was found accidentally caught in a legal coyote snare. This is where his journey to the Manitoba Museum began.

“The Museum partners with Manitoba Wildlife officials and the Assiniboine Park Zoo to study and preserve any accidentally killed cougars,” said Dr. Randy Mooi, Curator of Zoology, adding, “Placing the skin and skeleton in a museum gives the animal a second life of sorts, a lasting legacy by making it available for scientific study to better understand cougars in Manitoba and to tell their story to the public.”

Because SK-10’s story is so extraordinary, the Manitoba Museum was determined to bring it to visitors as a permanent feature of the Parklands Gallery. The Cougar – Manitoba’s Big Cat features SK-10 dramatically lit as if by a full moon; his fully-mounted skeleton, which provides an incredible and unique look at the inner-workings of this powerful predator; illustrated interpretative panels; and interactive and touchable elements such as paw prints, scat (poop), and cougar purrs and screams, which provide a glimpse of cougar life in Manitoba.

Members of the media are invited to a behind-the-scenes tour of the new exhibit at 9:30 am on Wednesday, December 4. To RSVP or if you would like to arrange a one-on-one tour with Curator of Zoology, Dr. Randall Mooi, please reach out to the media contact below.

The addition of The Cougar – Manitoba’s Big Cat exhibit was made possible with generous funding from the Thomas Sill Foundation and The Manitoba Museum Foundation, and in cooperation with the Manitoba Wildlife Branch, the Assiniboine Park Zoo, researchers at the University of Alberta, and Parks Canada.

Click here for a Image Gallery

Click here to watch Dinosaur Valley Studios’ Reconstructing SK-10 video

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Media Contact: 

Brandi Hayberg
Manager of Marketing & Communications
204-988-0614
BHayberg@ManitobaMusuem.ca

Posted on: Wednesday November 13, 2024

Winnipeg, Manitoba – November 13, 2024 – The opportunity to see Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon planetarium experience is quickly coming to an end. As of December 31, 2024, Pink Floyd and NSC Creative – the firm behind the visual production of the show – will be permanently retiring all licenses for the digital planetarium show. The planetarium program originally opened in 2023 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic album, which was first released in a London planetarium in March of 1973.

With the help of modern technology, Pink Floyd’s planetarium show transports you through space and time. The show combines breath-taking views of the solar system and beyond, played out to 42 minutes of The Dark Side of The Moon. Each song has a different theme; some futuristically looking forward and some a retro acknowledgment to Pink Floyd’s visual history, all relating to a time and space experience, embracing up to the minute technology that only a planetarium can offer. The show is a truly immersive and all-encompassing sound and visual treat that will transcend reality and take you way beyond the realms of 2D experience.

“This isn’t the old-style ‘laser show’ of the past,” says Scott Young, Planetarium Astronomer at the Manitoba Museum. “The show was produced to use the latest digital planetarium system, and Winnipeg is one of only a handful of planetariums in Canada equipped to show it.”

The Manitoba Museum Planetarium has had the pleasure of hosting multiple sold out runs of the show since its launch in 2023. This November the Planetarium’s schedule will include the final run of shows before the license expires in December.

“While the Planetarium is looking at other music-based shows, the Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon 50th anniversary experience will never be seen again,” says Young. “We literally have to delete the files. This really is the last chance to see the show.”

For music lovers looking for a more hands-on concert experience, come early and you’ll get the chance to explore the universe with an adult twist! Show attendees can enjoy beverages at a pop-up bar prior to showtime in the Museum’s Science Gallery and relive the explorations of their youth with hands-on science fun!

Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon plays at the Manitoba Museum Planetarium for select showings starting November 14. Doors will open one hour prior to the show to give attendees a chance to enjoy a beverage and explore the Museum’s Science Gallery.

Visit ManitobaMuseum.ca/DarkSide for show times and information.

View the image gallery here: Pink Floyd Images and Trailer

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Media Contact: 

Brandi Hayberg
Manager of Marketing & Communications
204-988-0614
BHayberg@ManitobaMusuem.ca

Scot Young
Planetarium Astronomer
204-988-0627
ScYoung@ManitobaMuseum.ca

Posted on: Saturday November 9, 2024

This Veterans’ Week, as we approach Remembrance Day, we wanted to share a couple videos highlighting the Hong Kong Veterans Collection at the Museum. In this video, Cortney Pachet shares the love story of Private James Brady and Eleanor Geib, highlighting items in the James Brady Collection that were preserved by Eleanor and her family for over half a century.

Posted on: Friday November 8, 2024

First developed in 1974 as the “Urban Gallery,” this visitor favourite has undergone some major changes over the last four years. The gallery was always meant to represent Winnipeg in 1920, when it was Canada’s third largest city. Our goal with the transformation was to introduce more real history to the gallery, populate it more thoroughly, and explore the diversity of Winnipeg’s population at the time.

View down a street in the Winnipeg 1920 Cityscape of the Manitoba Museum. In the left foreground, a storefront identified as the Sing Wo Laundry, a male mannequin irons a shirt.

Ukrainian, Black, Chinese, Métis, and Jewish historical communities are all touched upon, as well as the important events of the 1919 Strike, women’s voting rights, and immigration. New businesses are included, such as the Ukrainian Booksellers, Darbey Taxidermy shop, Foote and James Photography Studio, the Colcleaugh Pharmacy, Strathcona Restaurant, Tribune Newspaper, and A & M Hurtig Furrier. To help bring these stories alive, we’ve included four video projections, three audio stations, twelve new mannequins, and hundreds of new artifacts.

Image: The Sing Wo laundry was once located on Euclid Ave. Discover the stories of hard work and dreams of family during a period of discrimination and Chinese exclusion. ©Manitoba Museum

People love this gallery because there is so much to explore, and it’s completely immersive. That hasn’t changed! You will still discover something new (or old) around every corner.

Here are some fun things to look for the next time you visit: a bizarre bison horn inkwell; a restored version of the 1920 HBC documentary film “Romance of the Far Fur Country”; an engaging discussion about women’s voting rights between Mrs. Garvin and her maid Alma; footage of a busy Portage Avenue filled with cars, trucks, bicycles, and pedestrians, but lacking any stop signs; Winnipeg Tribune grotesques (look up); and Hattie Colcleugh, one of the first female graduates from the Manitoba College of Pharmacy.

Edward Darbey’s Taxidermy shop, once located at 223 Main St., has been recreated and showcases numerous historical taxidermy specimens of the period. ©Manitoba Museum

The Hudson’s Bay Company documentary film “Romance of the Far Fur Country” was premiered at the Allen Theatre in Winnipeg in 1920 (now it’s the Met). We provide a short, edited version as an option, along with all the old Chaplin and Buster Keaton favourites. ©Manitoba Museum

Special thanks to The Manitoba Museum Foundation, the Province of Manitoba (Heritage Grant), and the Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund for their support in making these exciting changes possible.

Explore Winnipeg 1920 and more at the Manitoba Museum! Click here to plan your visit today.

Dr. Roland Sawatzky

Curator of History

Roland Sawatzky joined The Manitoba Museum in 2011. He received his B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Winnipeg, M.A. in Anthropology from the University of South Carolina, and Ph.D. in Archaeology…

Meet Dr. Roland Sawatzky

Museum Stories: DYK Discovery

DYK Discovery

Friday April 11, 2025

Posted on: Wednesday November 6, 2024

This Veterans’ Week, as we approach Remembrance Day, we wanted to share a couple videos highlighting the Hong Kong Veterans Collection at the Museum. In this video, Cortney Pachet tells us a bit about the Hong Kong Veterans and shows us some of the artifacts in the collections that tell us about their experiences in prisoner-of-war camps during WWII.

Posted on: Tuesday November 5, 2024

In profound sadness, we honour and remember Senator Murray Sinclair – “Mazina Giizhik” (the One Who Speaks of Pictures in the Sky), a towering figure in history, whose legacy of courage, resilience, and fight for justice will endure for generations. Senator Sinclair stood as a true warrior, believing that through truth we could find our way to reconciliation, and that as a nation, we were not beyond redemption or unable to heal. We send our deepest condolences to Senator Sinclair’s children and grandchildren, his home community of Peguis First Nation, and all the communities who share in the grief of this immeasurable loss.

Senator Sinclair laid a path for us to continue on this journey; he was ever unwavering in his determination to change the course of history and to make right all the ways Canada had wronged Indigenous peoples. The Manitoba Museum Board of Governors, staff, and volunteers wish to express our deepest gratitude to Senator Murray Sinclair for the depth of knowledge and guidance he gifted to the Museum in the creation of its Indian Residential School exhibition. We will be forever indebted to this incredible leader, fearless advocate, and monumental Manitoban.

Image: Material republished with the express permission of: Ottawa Citizen, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.

Posted on: Tuesday October 22, 2024

It’s that time of year! People are buying, creating, or dusting off their Halloween costumes. In this video, join Cortney Pachet in one of the storage rooms to see some of the Halloween costume pieces in the Museum Collection. Would you wear any of these?

Join us for Halloween Takeover, October 26 & 27!

Find event details here

Posted on: Tuesday October 15, 2024

Eyes on the sky, stargazers! Manitobans have a chance to see a bright comet in our evening skies this week. In this video with Planetarium Astronomer Scott Young, find out how to spot Comet Tsuchinshen-ATLAS yourself!

Learn more in his blog, here.

Posted on: Friday October 11, 2024

By the time you read this, Earth will have not just one but two comets visiting our corner of the solar system. These objects remind us that our planet is part of a solar system that is dynamic and still has new objects awaiting discovery. With luck, both of these objects will be visible to the average person with the unaided eye.

A close look at an embroidered tapestry showing a small group of people pointing up towards a comet streaking across the sky.

Comets are small, icy bodies in our solar system which are left over from the formation of the solar system, kept “fresh” in the deep freeze of deep space. Occasionally, collisions or the gravity of an outer planet will push one in towards the Sun on a long, looping oval path. Closer to the Sun, the ice melts and releases a long tail of dust that can be seen from Earth. At any given time, there are a half-dozen or more comets in the sky, but most are invisible without a powerful telescope.

Image: Bright comets have been seen throughout recorded history, and have often been seen as evil omens. Comet Halley was visible in 1066 and was immortalized in the Bayeux tapestry.

Comet 2023 A3 (Tsuchinshen-ATLAS) was discovered last year and has put on an amazing show in the southern hemisphere in late September and early October. When it becomes visible from Canada in mid-October it should be an interesting sight for Manitobans throughout the fall. Meanwhile, a second comet called 2024 S1 (ATLAS) was recently discovered that may pass very close to the Sun at the end of October, perhaps becoming very bright… or disintegrating in the Sun’s heat.

A star map showing the orbit of Comet Tsuchinshen-ATLAS as it moves through our solar system.

The Orbit of Comet Tsuchinshen-ATLAS dives down from above the solar system (on the left of the image), passes close to the Sun, and then heads back up between Earth and Sun. Manitobans will see it as it passes above the Sun this month. © NASA SSD

A comet with a long, bright tail streaking through the night sky, perpendicular to the ground.

The Sky isn’t just starry wallpaper and Supermoons – there is a lot going on up there. You can find out how to see the planets and other celestial events by following the Manitoba Museum’s Astronomy blog at ManitobaMuseum.ca/Stories or taking in one of our exciting planetarium shows.

The stars belong to everyone, so join along as we explore the beauty and wonder of our universe.

Image: A sungrazing comet like Comet 2024 S1 (ATLAS) can put on an amazing show if it survives its passage around the Sun. This image shows sungrazing Comet McNaught, also known as “the Great Comet of 2007”.

Scott Young

Planetarium Astronomer

Scott is the Planetarium Astronomer at the Manitoba Museum, developing astronomy and science programs. He has been an informal science educator for thirty years, working in the planetarium and science centre field both at The Manitoba Museum and also at the Alice G. Wallace Planetarium in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Scott is an active amateur astronomer and a past-President of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.