by Evan Matthews | [email protected]
Adding to its own history, the Jasper Yellowhead Museum has unveiled its donor wall. But the biggest news might be the addition of a brand new exhibit.
In the same week the Jasper Yellowhead Historical Society completed the installation of its donor wall, the society announced the addition of a geological exhibit. The exhibit will honour Eric Mountjoy, a prolific Canadian geologist, as president of the society Warren Waxer says Mountjoy鈥檚 estate left a sizeable donation to the museum.
鈥淓ric Mountjoy did extensive and significant geological exploration in the Park and we would like to honour his legacy,鈥� says Waxer. 鈥淢ountjoy鈥檚 wife, Anita, has donated money to establish a geological display both inside and outside the museum.鈥�
Though the geological display is still in the early planning stages, Waxer says the plan is to have an outdoor 鈥渞ock garden鈥� on the west side of the building. The exhibit will also see an indoor exhibit, which he says will convey some basic geological information and brief history of mining in Jasper National Park.
The rock garden will display four or five samples of the region鈥檚 most prominent rock types such as limestone, quartzite or shale, he says.
Where the exhibit鈥檚 rocks will come from is still being discussed, according to Waxer, but ideally they would be taken from 鈥減re-disturbed鈥� boulders.
鈥淚t is donations such as the Mountjoy family鈥檚 that allow us to improve and update our facility,鈥� says Waxer, pointing to the recently unveiled donor wall as a visual thank you.
The museum installed the donor wall as a way to recognize the generosity of the individual and corporate donors helping to build the museum over 30 years ago, and continue to help maintain it today, according to Waxer.
鈥淭he notable donors at the time were the Province of Alberta through its Facility Enhancement Program, CP Hotels 鈥� who used to own Jasper Park Lodge, CN Rail and the Clifford Lee Foundation,鈥� says Waxer. 鈥淥f course we cannot begin to list all the individuals who have made financial contributions of all sizes鈥� But actually we have listed them鈥� on the wall!鈥�
Half of the museum鈥檚 annual revenue comes in the form of donations and municipal grants, Waxers says, saying they 鈥渁re essential鈥� to its operation.
The main rationale for the new donor wall was to correct an out of date list on the previous wall, according to Waxer.
The original design had each donor recognized on an engraved brass blade, he says, but became prohibitively expensive this time around 鈥� with 鈥渆ach blade鈥� increasing from $10 to $70 鈥� so the museum opted to go with a printed format, he says.
鈥淚t鈥檚 attractive, while easy and economical to update,鈥� says Waxer. 鈥淲e hope we have the problem of constantly having to add names.鈥�
