‘Open the doors to history’ this Saturday

By Rob Vogt
History will come alive this Saturday in some vintage buildings around Claresholm.
“Open the Doors to History” will run from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., this Saturday, Aug. 24, offering a tour of seven stops at historic locations around town.
The tour culminates in tea at the Claresholm and District Museum from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The tour promises to take all afternoon.
When someone buys their ticket, the route will be laid out in the ticket.
At each house, the owner will be waiting to tour guests through, unless otherwise indicated. In those cases there will only be viewing from the outside.
In addition to historic homes, there will also be stops at the historic Milnes Block, St. John’s the Evangelist Anglican Church, and the Seymour barn located west of the Bluebird Motel.
No photos or video will be allowed on the tour unless discussed with the owner of each building.
The tour is the idea of Britney Robertson who, with her husband Rob, owns one of the homes on the tour.
She got the idea from Medicine Hat where they did a tour of homes along the river.
Britney reached out to the organizer and got some tips on how to host a tour in Claresholm.
“It helps find the history of the homes,” she said, adding home owners have done research on their homes and have accessed resources they might not have otherwise.
There is also a chance people touring the homes may also have stories and knowledge about the houses.
However, some advance ticket sales have been to people from Calgary as well as locals.
“That helps shine a light on Claresholm too,” Rob said.
Proceeds from “Open the Doors to History” will go to the Friends of the Claresholm and District Museum Society.
Tickets are $50 each, including the tour and tea, and are available at the Claresholm and District Museum and the Claresholm Local Press.
Britney invites everyone to think about taking part in “Open the Doors to History”.
“Find out the history of Claresholm,” she said. “and the stories.”
It is also a chance to see the timeline of each home and the renovations that have been done over the years.
“It’s going to be a fun day,” she said.