Frenchman Butte, Saskatchewan

This is a place I used to visit regularly with my Grandparents and a place I wish for my kids to have many fond memories as well. The first place I always visit when arriving is the train station where a small replica of the ferry that my Great Grandpa operated sits. I always love visiting the small log home of Norman (and I apologize I can’t remember his last name!) This year some of his family attended the Heritage Days and it was great to see them all sitting around the table in his old log house telling stories of visiting him and having meals right there at that very table. What makes his house different from other log houses is that he built it with the logs vertical instead of horizontal. Even the family couldn’t say why, but it seems to have held up quite well over the years.

1979. That was the year a small group of residents from the Hamlet of Frenchman Butte got together and made a decision to accept a gift from the local Canadian National Railway. This gift was a train station and would be used as a basis for establishing a heritage museum. Lloyd Furman, part of the original group, offered to add his extensive collection of artifacts and memorabilia. Of the original group, there are only three left. Over the years the museum has grown into a complex of about 10 buildings nestled right in the center of the hillside hamlet just off Highway 797 about 45 minutes Northeast of Lloyminister, Alberta.

In 2013 the center was voted “Best Small Town Museum In Saskatchewan” in the prestigious “Prairie’s North” Magazine. In the last few years, these huge strides forward have been accomplished under the direction of Tom Hougham and a host of willing volunteers. The facility now has a RV Park on the East end which provides services to 10 sites.

Enhancement has been done at the Frenchman Butte National Historic Site of 1885. The battle refugee and warrior rifle-pits that line the nearby valley have all been cleaned up and brushes removed. I hear the results are spectacular. Ol’ Fort Pitt has also received improvements a few years ago and I was told that touring these sites take about an hour each. With 3 tired and hungry kids in tow and the time being 5 pm we weren’t able to see these this year unfortunately. There’s always next year though! It might be worth it to look into a guided tour. The guides are knowledgeable and it would be great to have someone answer all the questions 🙂