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Galt Museum & Archives photo
Galt Museum & Archives
First train load of 100 over the new High Level Bridge, June 22, 1909
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Galt Museum & Archives photo
Galt Museum & Archives
Sir Wilfred Laurier at grand opening of Galt Museum, 1910.
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Galt Museum & Archives photo
Galt Museum & Archives
Galt Hospital Building, 1912 postcard
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Pat Kavanagh photo
Galt Museum & Archives
Galt Museum with moon
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Galt Museum & Archives photo
Galt Museum & Archives
Historic downtown audio tour.
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Galt Museum & Archives photo
Galt Museum & Archives
Museum store.
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Galt Museum & Archives photo
Galt Museum & Archives
Treasure hunt.
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Galt Museum & Archives photo
Galt Museum & Archives
Wine tasting.
By Anine Vonkeman with Belinda Crowson
No longer are museums considered dusty and boring places – and that is especially true of the Galt Museum & Archives in Lethbridge, Alberta. Set on the edge of the coulee landscape, on the boundary of downtown Lethbridge and its abundance of unique stores and multi-cultural cuisine, the Galt as it is known locally offers year-round experiences for visitors of all stripes.
Take this summer for example. One of three times annually that a new special exhibit is unveiled – Arts of China: Glimpses of an Ancient Civilization on loan from the Royal Ontario Museum is showing until May 19 – it is also a time when the grounds come alive with native and historic plants, outdoor chess and patio events.
Programming staff can also be found off-site in the summer leading historic downtown walking tours and evening Cemetery Tours, or full-day Get Outta Town bus tours to Waterton for the Wildflower Festival and a nearby Hutterite colony for an immersive cultural experience. Back at the site, preparations are underway for the annual Wine Tasting in June, and the Whoop-Up Days BBQ put on with the neighbouring businesses and organizations in August.
Weekly afternoon drop-in programs for families, evening lectures (the Galt is open until 9:00 pm on Thursdays), hands-on workshops and multi-day heritage arts experiences for life-long learners are also organized in the summer – a popular time for weekend weddings and photo shoots at the Galt. One area in particular, the 1891 hospital wall in the south garden, is a favourite location for photographers.
This wall is a remnant of the first hospital built by the Galt family in 1891 to support the coal mining industry they spurred in the area. The building included accommodation for staff on the second floor, and up to 15 patients on the first floor. Elliott Galt, son of Sir Alexander Galt, one of Canada’s Fathers of Confederation, donated $30,000 to the city in 1907. These funds were matched and a larger, red brick hospital built to meet the needs of the growing community. Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier, came to the opening of the hospital in 1910.
Things didn’t go as planned. In the excitement of having the Prime Minister attend the auspicious function, the coordinator of proceedings mislaid the front door key. Red-faced and shaken, he finally produced it; Sir Wilfrid Laurier turned the key in the lock and declared the Galt Hospital officially opened. It is this 1910 structure that later became the Galt Museum & Archives.
The Galt Today
Stories unfold at what is now a vibrant community gathering place. Meet the Kainai people and discover the rich story of southwestern Alberta in the Discovery Hall. Marvel at the view from the comfort of the expansive Viewing Gallery – or brave the Chinook winds from the outdoor patio. Enjoy a beverage and light refreshments, look for trains crossing the High Level Bridge, pelicans and bald eagles circling above. Your vista is the coulee landscape of the Oldman River valley and historic Indian Battle Park, site of the last great battle between the Blackfoot and the Cree.
The grounds, with native prairie and contemplative gardens, are connected to the parks and walking paths of the valley – a red shale trail takes you to Fort Whoop-Up below. Set foot in the original 1910 Galt Hospital wing and get hands-on with one of the many events and programs for all ages. Be sure to add time for browsing the Museum Store – it’s stocked with one-of-a-kind gifts and mementos of the area.
The Galt Museum & Archives is an established cultural leader in southern Alberta, having contributed to the fabric of the region since the 1967, and plays a vital role in preserving and interpreting the material culture of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta. Its consistently high-calibre, award-winning exhibits and learning opportunities draw close to 50,000 visitors a year.
The Galt is respected in Alberta’s museum community, has a growing national profile, and is committed to international museum standards. The Galt cares for a growing collection approaching 20,000 artifacts and 600,000 archival documents and photographs which are searchable online. Though the museum and its collections are owned by the City of Lethbridge, the facility is governed by a City-appointed volunteer Board of Governors.
Believe It or Not?
Being one of the oldest buildings in Lethbridge, the Galt is integral to the history of southern Alberta. Many southern Albertan residents were born here; many died here. Some of these deaths have lead to the Galt being one of the most renowned haunted places in Alberta. After all, what’s an old hospital without a few ghosts?
As stories go, the Galt has three resident haunts. The best known is “George.” Though no one knows exactly who George is, he may be the spirit of George Bailey, a 60-year-old farmer from the nearby town of Magrath. In the early 1930s, George came to the Galt to have his appendix removed. He was wheeled to the elevator to go to the upstairs operating room. That’s when everything went wrong. With the doors open on the main floor, someone pushed for the elevator upstairs and the floor started to rise.
The nurse pushing George’s gurney wasn’t paying attention and didn’t see the floor start rising with the bed halfway onto the elevator. The wheels of the gurney got caught and George and the bed dangled above the elevator shaft until he was dropped onto his head at the bottom of the shaft. George was actually up and joking about the accident, but died later of head injuries.
The children’s ward is also said to have two spirits, Sarah and Alexander. No one knows much about them, but they are said to wave out the window to people after the museum is closed and lights have been known to turn on and off when there is no one in the building. Galt staff have also reported feelings of being watched when they’re alone in the building and footsteps being heard in empty hallways. Other ghostly sightings include overhearing conversations in empty rooms, blue lights floating down hallways, and shadows watching people work.
Architecture
Consistent with the doctrine of the Venice Charter governing expansion of historic buildings, the expansion contrasts sensitively with the original building in a light steel and glass construction and is intended to complement rather than alter the surrounding coulee environment. The concrete, glass and metal details mirror the changing colours of the coulee and sky outside. The historic 1909 High Level Bridge spanning the coulees nearby is referenced by metal siding and structural cross bracing, and the horizontal character of the structure reflects the low lines of the prairies.
Lethbridge born and raised design architect Kevin Nyhoff intentionally connected the west and east sides of the city through the Galt’s expansive Viewing Gallery – you can stand in front of the 1910 building and look right through to the west. Even while inside, visitors remain connected with the outside as natural materials try not to compete with the natural majesty of the setting beyond.
Explore the history of Lethbridge and southwest Alberta in the Galt’s rotating world-class exhibitions, special events and weekend programs. Extensive collections, professionally administered archives and a variety of ongoing interpretive programs and events ensure people are compelled to keep coming back to make that important connection between themselves and their regional history. To see for yourself what is planned for the Galt in the near future, visit the comprehensive website www.galtmuseum.com.