Volunteer Opportunities

The Canadian Northern Society is always seeking new leaders, new members, and new volunteers. The society’s efforts in preserving heritage railway depots at Camrose, Meeting Creek, and Big Valley, as well as supporting other related projects have been successful only due to the quality and dedication of its core group of volunteers, and its long-time supporters who have donated cash and supported by way of membership each and every year.

However to keep the society’s efforts moving forward in the future, new visions, ideas, and members are needed. Please, consider getting involved.

Camrose Railway Station and Park

Organizational Tasks

• Filing books and articles in the library
• Data-basing paper articles and books on the Library and Archives computer
• Labelling of costumes, decoration boxes, kitchen items
• Assisting with needed collection updates: double-knit fabric coverings for manikins, placing fine textiles in acid free tissue, covering of hangers with padding and stockinette, taking pictures of new artifacts and those already acquisitioned, writing thank-you cards for donations

Administrative Opportunities

• Volunteer co-ordinator
• Chairperson for the Friends of the Station
• Library and Archives co-ordinator
• Meeting Creek Elevator co-ordinator
• Collections manager Meeting Creek
• Corporate fund-raiser for society
• Children’s Program co-ordinator
• Board member

Assisting with Themed Events

• Helping with one or more yearly events: setting up, clean-up, helping with the tasks during an event, helping with baking bees prior to events, making or delivering posters
• Decorating seasonally in and outside the station
• Driving speeder and running model trains

Garden and Yard Care

• Planting pots or garden, pruning
• Greenhouse and pot cleaning in spring and fall
• Helping put away model buildings in the Garden Railway in the fall and putting out in spring
• Help with repair of model buildings
• Weeding one or more of the Heritage Gardens. Adopting one of the gardens and caring for one only. (Education regarding organic gardening and care of any of the plants is available.) Families welcome
• Cleaning of hummingbird feeder weekly and bird boxes spring and fall
• Summer grass mowing, trimming or weed eating around the buildings
• Obtaining plants from dividing in the spring for the spring sale
• Caring for the Victory Garden
• Fall cleaning of gardens and assisting with mulching

Historical Education of Adults and Children

• Washing and ironing of school program costumes
• Assisting with children’s programming and events in the spring or during the summer
• Researching information for displays, stories or developing displays
• Tour guides of gardens or tour of the station and site

Restoration Projects

Some of these projects can be done in the person’s heated garage in the winter months.

• Restoration of freight wagon and bench at front of station

New Projects and Maintenance

• Maintenance of speeder cars
• Servicing the lawn mower and snow blower in the spring and fall
• Painting outside and inside structures as required: bridge in garden, greenhouse, touch-ups
• Help with fall cleaning of all areas of the station in off season
• Spring cleaning of outside buildings to make ready for tourists
• Handyman tasks as needed
• Redoing barriers around gardens

Tea Room

• Helping in the kitchen or hostessing at various times during the summer
• Preparing food or baking for station events such as the Cookie Walk and Tea, Easter Tea, Founders Day, Meeting Creek, occasional booking requiring food
• Yearly cleaning of freezers, cupboards and station

If you would like to volunteer in any of the above areas call Glenys or Janine at +1 780 672 3099 or e-mail canadiannorthern@telus.net. The society does not put demands on people and respects the time anyone has to offer be it only a few hours per year. We welcome families and young volunteers. Training is available for all volunteer tasks and positions.

Volunteers become members of the Friends of the Station and can meet (if desired) approximately three times yearly for planning and connection.

Meeting Creek Station, Elevator and Grounds

• Write a historical perspective on the Canadian Northern Railway for a large interpretive sign
• Rewrite the welcome sign for the Meeting Creek station and grain elevator
• Rebuild the train order signal for Meeting Creek
• Repair cracked parging around the north side of Meeting Creek station
• Painting floor in Meeting Creek station coal shed
• Painting various trim at Meeting Creek elevator
• Grass mowing and winter snow removal at Meeting Creek
• Repairs to, levelling, and re-siding the outdoor privy at Meeting Creek

Big Valley Station and Grounds

• Repairs to the track motor car
• General maintenance and security help overall for Big Valley
• General maintenance of the Big Valley roundhouse site
• Become a director of the Canadian Northern Society
• The two storage buildings north of the bunkhouse need painting
• Maintaining and developing the interpretive signage at the Big Valley roundhouse
• We welcome those who might like to get involved with carpentry skills repairing windows, doors, and maintenance items that are needed at the station such as repairs to the storm windows (upstairs work needed) and basic interior repairs and upgrades

If you would like to volunteer in any of the above areas call Glenys or Janine at +1 780 672 3099 or e-mail canadiannorthern@telus.net for more information. We’d love to hear from you.