Our Collections
Our Permanent Collection is based on the extensive and varied collection of Mr. Sam Waller. Containing over 70,000 items, the collection includes natural history specimens, human history artifacts, books and library materials, photographs and negatives, fine art pieces and the archives of the Town of The Pas. While our founder collected from the four corners of the world, the Museum now limits new accessions to those items that are pertinent to the history of the community and region. Many items from the collection can be viewed in our exhibits.
Our small Education Collection has been developed with duplicates of items in the permanent collection, in addition to items specifically donated for this collection. These items are used in our educational programming for youth and school groups. A work in progress, we are always looking to expand this collection with interesting items that can be used to tell the stories of our past. Please contact the Museum staff for more details.
Collections Portal
Visit our online collections database here.
The museum is working to update our collections database and make collections items visible online with the support of the Government of Canada and Manitoba Sport, Culture and Heritage.
Archives Portal
Browse our archival holdings here.
The museum has digitized a portion of its archival holdings with the support of Manitoba Sport, Culture and Heritage and Community Futures Cedar Lake. Contact us to learn how you can view archival items.
From the Vault
The Pas Dog Derby Plaque
A plaque from The Pas Winter Carnival, 1929, awarded to Emil St. Godard for the 200 Mile Non-Stop Dog Derby. The first Dog Derby (a
Gateway Drugs Bottle
This amber medicine bottle contains Plaster of Paris from the Gateway Drugs store. Note the Gateway Drugs logo on the bottle, which is a drawing of
Frechette’s Dairy Milk Bottle
A quart-size milk bottle of clear glass. Printed in orange on one side of the bottle is “FRECHETTE’S DAIRY PHONE 42 PASTEURIZED MILK & CREAM
Tree Carving
This gnarled and bent tree is made from a walrus tusk and stands on a wood base. This artefact was collected by Sam Waller. It
Acton Broomball Shoes
These orange, blue and white sneakers from the ’70s were worn while playing broomball. They were donated along with a broomball and two broomball sticks. The brand