For $25 anyone can buy a square foot of the roof. Of course, donors are welcome to buy more if they so desire. Joe Couture, historian for the museum society, notes that donors will not get their name on a shingle but they will get a tax receipt.
“Everyone that I’ve talked to thinks it’s a great idea,” said Couture. “They get the privilege of knowing that they have helped us to keep the museum dry.”
The roof area is 5,000 square feet, but the museum is only looking to sell 2,800 square feet for a fundraising goal of $70,000. Already coming to the museum’s rescue, the Jasper Fire Brigade has pledged $10,000 toward the roof repairs, giving the museum a much needed head start.
From March 18 to March 22, museum staff and volunteers will be launching a door to door fundraising campaign to encourage residents to buy a piece of the museum’s roof.
Hugh Lecky, of Tekkara Color Lab, created and donated a thermometer to track the roof fundraising efforts. The thermometer is on display at the front of the museum.
Karen Byers, museum manager, noted that the museum applied for additional funding through the provincial Facilities Enhancement Grant, which is a matching grant meaning whatever funding the museum receives it must match exactly. The museum won’t know until later this spring if its application was successful.
Any extra funding it may receive will be used in ongoing efforts to maintain the building.
“We’ve had all sorts of problems with it [the building],” said Byers. “It’s just an aging building.”
Byers noted the building was the original entrance to the Andrew Motor Lodge, which was moved to its present location and used by the Elks Club before it became the museum.
“The other thing we’ve been doing is the penny drive,” reminded Couture. “That’s gone quite well.”
Byers shared the museum’s appreciation to the community for their generosity. She noted events such as the recent Hops and Scotch, organized by the Jasper Liquor Store, the Sawridge Inn and Conference Centre, and the historical society, who provided manpower for the event, raised over $4,000.
“They did a great job,” said Couture. “They do that every year.”
Anyone interested in helping the museum by purchasing a square foot of roof can either wait for the door to door campaign or they can visit the museum at 400 Bonhomme Street. The museum will also accept cheques sent to Jasper–Yellowhead Museum and Archives, Box 42, Jasper, Alta., T0E 1E0.
For the computer savvy, the museum website has set up a PayPal Donate button at .
