Oyen’s Lois Bedwell is a dedicated volunteer

By Joan Janzen

“Recreational facilities and clubs all operate with volunteers. If people want recreation, it’s important to volunteer.” Those words were spoken by Lois Bedwell of Oyen, one of many community-dedicated volunteers.

Lois is the secretary for the Oyen Crossroads Museum. “The museum was looking for a secretary back in the ’90s. I was told all you have to do is come and take minutes, and it grew from there,” she chuckled. Now Lois finds herself doing far more than taking minutes.

Along with the museum’s president, Lois interviews students for summer employment opportunities at the museum. She said the museum couldn’t run without the Canada Summer Jobs program.

“One of us is at the museum two or three times a week to supervise the students,” she explained. “Our husbands help out at the museum as well.” The men were busy rebuilding all the panes for the windows for the hospitality house.

The team of volunteers puts in approximately 10-15 hours of volunteer time each week and more during the summer when the museum is open to tourists. “This winter, we put in more time than we normally would because of hail damage sustained during the summer,” she explained.

Lois is also a member of the Prairie Crocus Community Fund, which was formed in 2019. The group offers grants for the community every spring and fall. “The museum benefits from that,” she noted. “I do the grant writing.”

The museum is open five days a week throughout the summer. “We also do school tours. We try to partner with the Ag Society for farm events and with the Lions Club for Canada Day celebrations,” she explained.

“We have a wonderful museum. Most buildings have been moved in from the community. We moved a church in which was going to be demolished,” Lois said. The museum has nine buildings, and they all require tender loving care.

The museum has been running an escape room for the past five years, which opens the long weekend in May. “We have archives, lots of photographs, books and scrapbooks,” she said. They also have a barrel train pulled by a garden tractor.

“We have threshing machines, tractors, combines, four running vehicles and a blacksmith shop. We have beautiful murals that had been done by the Art Club in Oyen. There’s lots to see there,” Lois stated. And it takes a lot of volunteers to keep everything running smoothly.

“We used to have 45 members; now we’re down to ten active ones,” she explained. “Our membership is dwindling. If we don’t have members to continue, it will be the town that will have to look after it. I’m hoping the next generation will see value in their history.”

Lois said she has always loved history and enjoys volunteering at the museum. “It’s the personal satisfaction that you’re helping out. You do it because you care for your community. The biggest thing is you feel good about it, and you’re keeping things operating. I enjoy what I do,” she concluded.

She also started a foundation called “Friend of OAC Libraries.” OAC stands for Oyen, Acadia Valley and Cereal. “We started to support the libraries because they’re not eligible for a lot of grants,” Lois explained. The group does presentations at the school, as well as buying books for their libraries.

It’s another hat that Lois wears, but at the end of the day, volunteering is not about those who volunteer; it’s about the organizations they serve.