The street outside the new Tool Museum in Big Valley was all but shut down to traffic as tool enthusiasts, supporters, members of the community and county and others blocked the road during the grand opening of the building.
The Sunday, May 29 event was long in coming, as the project has been in the works for about five years, according to Big Valley Mayor Lois Miller.
She said that in preparation for the day, she went back in records to discover the exact time fundraising began, which was in 2011, though she noted that discussions about where to house the tools, which belong to Big Valley resident and tool enthusiast Rod Miller (no relation).
Until the opening of the museum, a small fraction of Rod Miller's collection was on display in one of two train cars that make up part of the museum. However, the train car wasn't nearly large enough to display the tools, which filled almost the whole new museum on custom-built displays.
"This means one more wonderful tourist attraction," Lois Miller said about the museum. The town, the stopping point on the Alberta Prairie Railways tours, has several attractions from the shops of the Jimmy Jock boardwalk to multiple museums along the main stretch. "It fits in beautifully with the country, settler theme."
The cost of the museum came in over $200,000, money which was fundraised through events and grants, Lois Miller said. The building itself and the land cost about $180,000, while the rest of the money, about another $30,000, went to the interior and exhibits.
The car which housed the exhibit is empty at the moment, and will be undergoing repairs and refurbishment before a new display is put within, Lois Miller said.
"It's not insulated so it gets very hot in the summer," she noted. "We want to fix that before we use it again."
About 200 people gathered for the opening, hearing speeches from Lois MIller, County of Stettler councillor Dave Grover, councillor Les Stulberg (who represented the recreation board), and Gerald Elliot, president of the Central Alberta Vintage Auto Club (CVAC).
CVAC supported the museum to the tune of $5,000 a year for three years, and presented the final cheque at the presentation.
"I've known Rod (Miller) forever, and he's been gathering these tools for years," Grover said. "I don't even know what some of them are. It's great that the community of Big Valley and area could put up such a fantastic building."
He said the tools will be preserved for coming generations, as will the memory of the person and persons involved with the project after they, too, are gone.
"I only wish his wife, Ione, had been able to see it," Grover said.