Norman Bower's historic garage at Sunnybrook Farm and Museum had one of its garage doors damaged beyond repair following a break and enter on Sept. 6. (rdnewsNOW / Sheldon Spackman)

By Sheldon Spackman

History Lost

Sunnybrook Farm and Museum the target of break and enter

Sep 15, 2020 | 4:00 PM

A small piece of Red Deer history has been lost following a break and enter at the Sunnybrook Farm Museum over the Labour Day weekend.

Executive Director Ian Warwick says it happened the evening of Sept. 6 when it appears someone backed a truck into Norman Bower’s historic garage at the museum’s north entrance.

“It’s part of the original farm that’s here in Red Deer,” says Warwick. “There’s nothing of value inside. It’s just unfortunate that someone needs money that badly and was probably hoping for some tools that they can pawn, but there was nothing inside it.”

Warwick says what’s most upsetting is that the damage caused can’t really be repaired.

“Those garage doors from the 40s and 50s, they’re no longer made and side springs, and they don’t have the headers on them,” he continues. “So the volunteers have done their best to fix it, but it’s never going to be the same, so that’s too bad.”

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“It’s the time and the frustration that it’s a historic building,” adds Warwick. “It can never be repaired as a garage door anymore, so the guys have bolted it shut. It’s frustrating to have these thefts and vandalism and things taking place in this historic site where we’re just trying to preserve this little piece of history, and what’s upsetting is that they’re breaking things that can never be replaced.”

After Norman Bower gifted the farmstead to the people of Red Deer in 1988, Warwick says they’re simply trying to preserve all the buildings on site as they were given – noting additional challenges from the pandemic this year.

“We were shut down except for July and August where we were partially open I would say, but no events,” he admits. “That’s the big thing for us. Our major events like Pioneer Days, Spring on the Farm and all the fundraising that takes place with the lunches and dinners and all the activities that the Ladies of Sunnybrook Farm do to help fundraise to keep our doors open – none of that happened.”

However, Warwick says Sunnybrook Farm and Museum has thankfully received funding from the Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy and other sources of funding to hopefully remain open into next year.

“It looks like we’re going to end the year break-even,” he remarks. “We managed to still do some programs in July and August. We had some day camps that were open but with limited enrolment and the gates were open at least for a couple of months for people to come in and see the baby animals and explore the museum, but next year will be the challenge.”

Warwick concludes they’re just grateful to be in a position to whether the storm of COVID-19 and a struggling economy, at least for now.

“We’ve had some tremendously generous gifts in the past that are unrestricted donations to the museum that are helping us through this and we haven’t had to dip into those funds yet,” he exclaims. “So we’re just thankful for Red Deerians for supporting us in the limited fashion that we were open this year and are looking forward to next year and hopefully resuming some normalcy I guess.”