A steel fence showcasing various photos related to the Sundre area was built this fall at the Sundre museum, standing six feet tall and 50 feet long.
Darlene Smee, manager of the museum, said she has received a lot of positive feedback about the fence and that people have been visiting the museum just to see it.
“Everybody that has driven by, they comment on it,” said Smee. People are talking about it. It's an exhibit all in its own.”
The fence took Sundre's Ken Sandor roughly four weeks to build by hand in October.
“We tried to incorporate stuff from around the area more than anything with the pictures,” said Sandor.
There are 68 artifacts within the fence, and eight pictures. The pictures include Russ Greenwood, Jack Nichol, an oil derrick and the former town logo. Also in the fence is a photo of loggers floating logs down the river and a photo of someone pulling a tree out of the ground with an old tractor. There is a steam engine, a man on a horse that's rearing up, and an outfitter on horseback with a packhorse.
Sandor said it's rewarding to hear the comments from people when they see the fence. Being a welder for 28 years, he doesn't always have opportunities to bring out his artistic side.
“It's nice when you get the opportunity to do something like this for a change instead of the day-to-day construction, whether it be welding or carpentry,” he said.
He is happy with the outcome and said it turned out better than what he had hoped.
“Right away as soon as Jack (Nichol) asked me about it about a year ago I sort of had ideas in mind of what we could do with it,” he said.
The fence is being paid for through donations to the museum from the community.
Jack Nichol, president of the Sundre & District Historical Society, said he approached Sandor because he knew he had done similar projects in the Sundre area before.
“It was just exactly what we were expecting from him,” said Nichol.
“For three or four years we've talked about having a fence in that same area but we had never at that time dreamed of this nice a fence.”
The purpose of the fence, which is located next to the main building, is to have control of what's going on in the museum, he said.
“It's another great attraction to our museum. The fence is one of a kind – there isn't another one like it,” he said.
Museum officials are proud to have another attraction at the grounds and plan to continue to expand what's offered.
“The museum is constantly thinking of how we can expand and make it bigger and better,” said Smee.
“If it wasn't for our industrial area in Sundre it would be very difficult for us to carry on and upgrade the way we are,” said Nichol.
