Stettler Town Council has voted to maintain its financial commitment to the Stettler Town & Country Museum, holding funding steady at $36,000 for 2026 as the facility prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
Museum representatives Lylas McKnight & Karen Wahlund appeared before council on March 3 to express their gratitude, noting that the community’s support has helped the facility rank among the top five pioneer museums in Alberta.
The museum reported a banner year in 2025, with summer visitation hitting 3,824 people, a significant jump from the 1,678 visitors recorded in 2015.
Canada Day alone saw 1,860 people pass through the gates, thanks to partnerships with Stettler Family & Community Support Services (FCSS) & the local library.
However, the museum’s 50th year brings significant infrastructure challenges.
With 11 historical buildings to maintain, including the aging Nevis Grocery, maintenance needs are outstripping current revenue.
While new initiatives like mini-golf have helped diversify income, the museum continues to rely on “gift-in-kind” projects from the town to manage repairs.
Discussion around the council table centred on whether entry fees at the museum were high enough to support the facility.
The museum noted they recently acquired a significant artifact: the window from the Ponoka hospital through which Robert Raymond Cook famously escaped in 1959.
Cook was later convicted & executed for the mass murder of seven family members in Stettler, becoming the last person to be hanged in the province.
Stettler County council recently approved a $32,000 contribution to the museum for 2026, also noting in-kind contributions over the past few years.
Author: Landin Chambers
Landin Chambers is a news reporter for Hometown Media Stettler. He has a background in broadcast news, with previous roles in Prince George, Red Deer and Calgary. You may also see him as a cameraman for the Stettler Wildcats and Stettler Imperials. Have a story idea? Email: lchambers@htproductionsmedia.ca
