The Cochrane Historical Archival Preservation Society (CHAPS) members received notification in person from Wild Rose MP Blake Richards that they would be receiving grant monies amounting to $18,500 to go toward improvements to the Cochrane Historical Museum that opened in May (the Davies Hospital located at the Historic Cochrane Ranche site).
The funds, which CHAPS applied for through the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure (grant) Program, will go toward the purchase of a new flagpole, a proper sign, a new digital projector (for future student tours/programming), refinishing a display case and the purchase of new display cases (to house medical supplies currently in storage).
The total ticket on all of these items is $37,000 — half of the amount has already been fundraised (as per grant requirements) by CHAPS.
“There is no better way to celebrate our 150th anniversary than to celebrate our common threads — our past — that led us here,” said Richards to the group, remarking that a number of communities in his constituency would benefit from the grant program under the federal government in honour of Canada’s 150th anniversary of Confederation (in 2017).
The museum (Cochrane’s first hospital) was carefully moved from its former 4th Ave. N. location to the Ranche site in the spring, to avoid demolition in the eventual twinning of Highway 1A.
