Continued deterioration of the historic logging arch at the Creston Museum has come to an end, thanks to the efforts of local supporters, including the Creston Valley Rotary Club.
The arch now sits under a protective shed, and will become part of a larger display about the history of logging in the Creston Valley.
“As one of only a few large industrial artifacts in our collection, and the only one that exclusively reflects the Valley’s early horse logging, the logging arch is an important object and thanks to the Rotary Club’s shed and the support from CBT, we can ensure it is around for generations to come,” Museum manager Tammy Bradford said after the shed’s official opening on Friday.
“Now that we have a roof over it to protect it from the weather and help prevent future deterioration, we can move forward on restoring it. The first step is to take it apart and determine what needs to be done – deal with insect activity, rot, disintegrating wood, and come up with a step-by-step plan to rebuild it.”
The project started out with a plan by Creston Valley Rotary Club members Bill Pfeiffer and Casey Messinger, and most of the work was carried out by club volunteers (252 volunteer hours). Their Rotary club was also the largest financial donor, contributing nearly $14,000. Other donors included Creston-Kootenay Foundation ($10,000), Creston & District Credit Union ($5,000), FortisBC ($2,000), Creston & District Museum and Historical Society ($2,786), and J.H. Huscroft Ltd. and Canfor ($1,000 each).
“Rotary projects usually require help from the community in the way of donations of money, material and labour,” Pfeiffer said. “The need on this project was met by many people and companies who live and work in our Valley. Without them, these types of projects would not happen. The Creston Valley Rotary Club appreciates their contributions and their confidence in our Club’s ability to get the job done.”
With the construction completed, work begins this fall to restore the logging arch to its original condition. Columbia Basin Trust has contributed $4,000 for the assessment.
“The logging arch will become the centerpiece of a brand-new exhibit that looks at several aspects of the local forest industry, from the Ktunaxa use of native tree species and the pioneers’ efforts to carve homesteads and farms out of the forests, to the industry today ad its role in the economic and environmental life of the Creston Valley. This project is also funded by CBT $10,000). We are beginning work on the exhibit now, and hope to have it open for next spring.”
Pfeiffer took the opportunity at the opening to announce that the Creston Valley Rotary Club will begin work to reconstruct the picnic shelter at Centennial Park next year.