The Cochrane Historic Museum has some fun new changes lined up for its summer season. One of its new exhibits will be featuring historic toys. Volunteers have constructed scaled versions of Cochrane, including the Cochrane 1883 CPT Station, with the hopes of making various models to demonstrate the changes to Main Street throughout history. Gayle Want, who helped with the idea to exhibit toys, said it is practical approach to showing kids the difference in toys then and now. “You know, now so much is done with technology for kids. When we grew up you made sock animals,” she said. “Much of the toys years ago, you had to use your imagination and make your own story.” The toys also provides context to the time period they were made. “Some of these farm animals are lead,” Want said, motioning towards a toy farm set. “They let us play with lead.” Bernice Klotz, a volunteer at the museum, lent a toy kitchen cabinet built by her grandfather. She remembers growing up and playing with it, and up until its display in the museum, the next generation of her family played with it, too. “All my nieces and nephews and my grand nephews and nieces have all played with it. So it’s been several generations. The neighbour’s kids when they come over for coffee I’d let the kids play with it. It’s just always something that’s been there,” Klotz said. The museum will also be paying tribute to the fire department and are hoping to feature an old fire engine. The hospital exhibit will still be on display at the museum, which was the first home to be used as a hospital in Cochrane. MLA Cam Westhead presented a cheque for $1,666 to the museum on behalf of the province, which will go towards buying supplies and equipment. “Some of the things we try to make a priority is telling stories of Albertans and preserving our history and telling these stories of how we came here and the rich history that we have in these towns,” Westhead said. “I’m really pleased that we’re able to support the work (the Cochrane Historical and Archival Preservation Society is) doing.”
