One of the Valley’s most iconic men is looking a little on the pale side these days.
The Drumheller and District Museum Society is giving Big John a fresh makeover. The white and black look currently is not a fashion statement and is only the first phase. Soon volunteers will give him a new paint job.
“We’ve taken to calling him our coal mimer,” said Sharesse Thompson, president/volunteer manager of the Drumheller and District Museum Society. “We’re going for more of the authentic look. When he got repainted when we first moved down here, it looked cartoony. Now we’ve got more realistic colours.”
Big John overalls will be a denim blue similar to what coal miners used to wear.
However, there is more in the works for the museum than a fresh coat of paint for Big John.
“Some of our plans include a complete overhaul of the organization. It is our greatest dream to take our existing building and work to restructure the exterior to entice visitors down our street. This will include new murals and drop banners,” said Thompson.
There are plans to address interior of the building as well. The front desk and gift shop were redone several years ago with a fresh new look, but the galleries retain a retro look from the 1970’s.
“Plans for the main galleries are ever changing as we seem to run into some problems along the way. However, we plan on putting in all new cabinets and lighting,” said Thompson.
Another ongoing project is archiving their large collection of historic artifacts.
The museum can be found on 3rd Avenue and 1st Street East and faced some challenges over the years. The organization is run entirely by volunteers and more are needed to help move the museum forward.
Volunteers are needed to help with manning the building during operating hours and with the work planned for the museum.
“It’s an entirely volunteer organization. Even a couple hours here and there would help out a lot,” said Thompson.
Thompson has been volunteering for 11 years and would never look back.
“I was working at the Tyrrell Museum at the time and I was asked one summer to help out here. I fell in love with the place and the history and have been here ever since,” said Thompson.
Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Thompson at 403-820-8544.
It is planned to have Big John, the “coal mimer”, repainted in the next couple weeks and is just the tip of the iceberg of what’s happening at the Badlands Historic Centre.
