The Friends of the Galt Museum are excited to recognize Richardson Oil Seeds for a generous donation to help fund a pe
rmanent interactive installation focusing on the importance of irrigation to Southern Alberta.
They donated $19,000 to build a permanent outdoor exhibit on the south side of the downtown museum, which illustrates the importance of and route water takes from the Rocky Mountains and points east.
They exhibit, which features scale models of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta and the geography out to around Taber, has been operational for about a year.
It features an interactive pump, so you can pump the water and watch the route it takes. you can also adjust the route by opening gates to divert the water’s flow.
“ The pump has already been broken a few times, so it certainly has been well used,” said Friends of the Galt Museum‘s Elisha Rasmussen. Museum staff repair the pump as soon as possible.
“So people have really responded the the project,” she said.
The exhibit also included boxes of grains grown in the area including barley, wheat, oats and canola, though they aren‘t directly connected to the water pump, they just illustrate the types of grain grown in Southern Alberta.
Mary Oordt noted the exhibit helps illustrate the challenges local farmers must face with regards to irrigating the soil.
“ It would end in the Hudson’s Bay,” said Oordt, noting the model doesn’t reflect the route that far away.
The exhibit was designed by local artist Brad Brown.
