Plans to convert the Lodge building into 100 Mile House's museum are on hold this fall.
Earlier this year the District of 100 Mile House entered into a partnership with the revived 100 Mile House & District Museum Society to renovate the old Lodge building into a museum. While initial work to tear down the old Valley Room and add new siding to the back of the Lodge Building has been completed Donna Barnett, the chair of the society, said they're now waiting for their application to the Rural Economic Development Fund to be approved.
"Hopefully we're successful and once we get the funds for that we can start to move forward. Until then, we can't," Barnett remarked. "The floor is old and it's very important to get that done first. The inside doesn't need that much, it's actually in good shape for a historical building. It's the floor that's part of the main structure that has to be dealt with."
Barnett said the funds brought in by the grant will help pay for the estimated $250,000 price tag to replace the ground floor of the Lodge building. Originally built by the Emissaries of the Divine Light, the building is one of the oldest in 100 Mile House and needs a new floor that will be able to bear the weight of the museum's exhibits and visitors.
With the upcoming provincial election just over a month away, Barnett said she expects the society's application to be delayed in being accepted. She is hopeful, however, that it will be approved and that work on replacing the floor could begin in 2025.
"It would be wonderful to get it open, we are one of the very few communities that doesn't have a museum," Barnett remarked. "We have so much history, we've got to save it."
In the meantime, Barnett said the society is preparing to host its annual general meeting this fall. While she doesn't have an exact date set, she plans to hold it before the end of November. She noted several people have approached her about becoming members of the board which she thinks is great. She encourages anyone looking to join or who wants more information about the project to reach out to her at 250-855-9965.
