canadianenergymuseum

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Say hello to our little friends. We are so excited to re-release our gopher money banks as part of a new fundraiser! Every gopher has a unique name and personality recorded on ID cards, and are eager to find new forever homes. One can join your family for just $15 and all proceeds go towards the upkeep of the museum and towards improvements. Only 30 left and then they are gone forever!

Visit us in person at the Canadian Energy Museum to snag one, or contact us through phone or email to arrange purchase and delivery!

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Oil Patch Kids

This is an example of one of the novelty dolls, The Oil Patch Kids. These toys were produced in Edmonton, Alberta, between 1985 and 1987. They were modelled after the very popular Cabbage Patch Kids, and came in both girl and boy varieties (denoted by hairstyles). The dolls came as a set including the doll, a smokey-black translucent storage/display barrel, a 'license' slip, and a small plush oil drop 'Oil Patch Pet'. This example is missing the 'license' slip and the 'Oil Patch Pet', however, it does bear a dedication on the lid commemorating the occasion of the August 4, 1990, Leduc #1 Rig Raising (our life-sized replica rig).

The Canadian Energy Museum has at least 4 other examples of these dolls, and I'll share them here as I get to accessioning them.

References "Dolls of Canada: A Reference Guide" by Evelyn Robson Strahlendorf, 1986, University of Toronto Press

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Well, hello there little friend. You are now the newest member of our new exhibit...

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New Merchandise

Because I don't have enough to keep me occupied (thanks ADHD >_>) I've been working on setting up an online shop for the museum website, through Printful.

This is the first of the sample I ordered to check the quality and I'm pretty happy with it, just some small tweaks to the design to be made. So far I only have 7 products up, but I'm working on some new artwork/designs for variation.

You can check out the store at https://www.canadianenergymuseum.ca/category/all-products. I would love some feedback.

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Exhibit Update 4 May 2023

While nothing has changed on the surface, I've been busy behind the scenes making plans, identifying objects to be included in the exhibit, and lined up a potential partnership!

Today I put out a little sign letting people know about the changes to come and a link to this blog for updates. So while I was on the topic I thought I'd let you guys know some of the behind-the-scenes progress.

I've been scouring the collection to identify interesting objects and topics to include in the exhibit, and digitizing photographs and prints that will be framed as part of a gallery wall. There are a few items that I have been told should be somewhere in the museum that I'm keeping an eye out for, including a copy of Imperial Oil's original plans for the Town of Devon.

I'm currently making up a floor plan onto which I can draw up potential layouts for display cabinets and large objects.

And possibly the most exciting of all, we had a great meeting with a team working on creating a VR interactive of our Skid Shack, and we're excited to be pooling resources and incorporating their final product into the exhibit. I will be posting a link to the Beta version of the App soon!

And finally, we have a tentative installation date of late-2023 or early-2024. Looks like I need to knuckle down ;D Good think we have some summer student joining the team soon.

Until next time! Danielle

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Artifact of the Month May

Willys Fire Jeep

A big favourite in the museum, this custom Jeep made for firefighting on the Esso Fort St. John Oilfield (British Columbia, Canada) is located in our lobby. It is equipt with a water pump on the front, a roof rack for holding hosing/piping, and an open back storage with wood paneling.

Vehicle Type: Jeep - 1/4 Ton Four Wheel Drive Vehicle Manufacturer: Willys Motors, Inc (Toledo, Ohio, U.S.A.) Fire Apparatus Manufacturer: Howe Fire Apparatus Company (Anderson, Indiana, U.S.A.) Model number: HJ 10008 Road Speed: Transmission High Range Low Range High 60 m.p.h. 24 m.p.h. Intermediate 38 m.p.h. 16 m.p.h. Low 21 m.p.h. 9 m.p.h. Reverse 16 m.p.h. 6 m.p.h.

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Devon, Alberta c. 1948

This is one of the earliest aerial shots we have in the collection of the Town of Devon. Taken in 1948, this is the progress of the town no more than a year after the initial discovery of Leduc #1, located just south of the township.

Devon was built as a company town by Imperial Oil (the company behind the Leduc #1 oil well), and was know in its early years as "Canada's Model Town". Along the top and upper-right can be seen the North Saskatchewan River, and the top-most cluster of building include the earliest storefronts along the main street. Dimensions: 278 (H) x 355 (W) mm Date: c. 1948 Paper Stock: Kodak photo card Location: Devon, Alberta

The print appears to be a reproduction of an earlier print (the edges of the original print are visible along the top of this print). There is some discoloration, though it is unclear if this is a product of the reproduction or a fault with the original print.

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1948 Alberta Oil Review A Publication of the Alberta Publicity Bureau

It's a quiet Saturday at the museum front desk, so I'm using the time to look through some of our collection's old publications, compiling information I can incorporate into the new exhibit.

This lovely little booklet beautifully lays out the state of oil production in Alberta for 1948. Am I partial to it because of its use of turquoise? Maybe. But beyond that it's a great snap-shot of the impact the Leduc oilfields had on the industry less than 2-years in. And it has graphs. I love graphs.

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A belated thanks to my sweet team at the CEM for a wonderful birthday at the museum on Thursday. I may be old, but I love my job and the people I share it with.

They foolishly let me pick the cake, and Dairy Queen were excellent partners in crime. We ended the work day with a screening of Spider-Man: Far From Home in the CEM's theatre. Yes, I put it off this long. I didn't cry, but I also has mumble-years to process my grief post-End Game. I still had max feel about my boy Tony though.

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New Exhibit for Leduc #1 Gallery 1 April 2023

Hey, Danielle here! Life is ever on the move at the CEM, and I'm excited to be starting the planning stages for a new exhibit in our Leduc #1 Gallery.

As part of a push to utilizing some cool artifacts from the early years of the Leduc #1's operation and to better tell the to story of our relationship to the town of Devon, we're taking the chance to revitalize this sad little corner beside our kid-favourite, the Skid Shack.

Above is the corner in its current state, but we have big plans! Alongside neat artifact posts, I'll be using this blog to document the progress and planning.