As the son of a North West Mounted Police (NWMP) officer, Fred Light likely grew up with a rifle in his hand. Now, his Fred Light Gun Collection is widely known as the largest in Western Canada.
The Fred Light Museum is located in Battleford, Saskatchewan. This historic town grew up around Fort Battleford, which was one of the NWMP’s (North West Mounted Police later became the RCMP) early posts.
What’s at the Fred Light Museum?
The Fred Light Museum is situated in the old St. Vital’s School, which was completed in 1911 to replace the smaller 1887 school.
So, it’s a given that you’ll find lots of historical school artifacts.
Why is it called the Fred Light Museum?
The museum is named after Frederick George Light. He was the youngest son of Staff Sergeant Frederick Walter Light of the North West Mounted Police. Born in 1908, he attended Battleford elementary and secondary schools.
Light was dedicated to preserving and restoring artifacts of Battleford and the early northwest. He worked to restore St. Vital’s School as well as the local Gardiner Presbyterian Church.
Fred operated two service stations before retiring in 1966. He was also an avid outdoorsman, which is evident in the museum collection.
Two-and-a-half stories high, the museum has several collections in addition to the school room.
- Ye Olde General Store
- The Battleford Room
- Auditorium
- Gun Room
Spread out over 9631-square metres (about 2.3 acres), there’s space outside for some displays and for community events. Indeed, when we visited this Municipal Heritage Property historic site, it was the annual Family Fun Day.
Fred Light Museum Gun Collection
The top floor is home to the gun collection. The nearly 400 guns include everything from matchlocks and flintlocks right up to swords and bayonets. Some of our favorites included the following.
- Portuguese Matchlock circa 1600s
- Belgian Flintlock, 64 Caliber, 1762
- London Cap and Ball, 64 Caliber, 1762
- Virginian, Squirred, 38 Calibre, circa 1830
- Winchester, 62A, 22LR Calibre, 1887
Fast Fact: The collection contains a Snyder Enfield rifle, bayonet, and sword that belonged to Robert G. Speers of the No. 2 Company Battleford Home Guard. This rifle was used in the North West Rebellion in Saskatchewan in 1885.
Linda’s Pick of the Exhibits
My favorite display was about the Laurentia Milk Company. A.F. McLaren started bottling Laurentia milk in 1907 in St. Hyacinthe, Quebec. His factory in the Battleford district opened for business on Monday, May 19, 1913. It had been built by S. Toye for $9,464.20.
How much did farmers earn for shipping cream and how much did the products sell for?
And the pay for farmers? It ranged from $1.25 to $2.25 per hundred for cream. Eventually, the factory expanded to include butter, milk, and ice cream.
By November of 1913, the factory delivered milk to the door in Battleford. Milk cost 0.10 cents per quart, 0.10 per half pint of table cream, and 0.15 cents per half pint of whipping cream.
If farmers produced milk within 100 miles of Battleford, they could ship cream to Laurentia Milk.
The neat thing about the Laurentia milk was that it was sold in light purple bottles. Why purple? Manganese was used in pre-1915 glass as a clarifying agent.
Why was this my favorite? Because I remember my parents shipping cream when I was a child. Twice a day my mom and aunt milked 17 cows, separated the milk to collect the cream and feed the calves the remaining skim milk. Then, the cream went into cream cans, which were shipped by train to Regina.
Linda’s Road Trip Tips
Battleford is a scenic spot to visit since it’s located between the North Saskatchewan River and Battle River. The larger city of North Battleford is on the other side of the North Saskatchewan. Together the two communities are typically referred to as the Battlefords.
We’ve been staying at the Tropical Inn in North Battleford since my days as a traveling saleslady for PFAFF sewing machines — and our snowmobile racing days. Our kids loved the waterslides!
On our last visit, I cooled off at The Armoury Brewing Company with a glass of their very fine Peach Apricot. While not a museum, the Armoury has retained its original 1913 brick structure and appearance. The current owners had to sandblast green paint from the bricks to bring it back to its original style.
Fast Fact: You don't have to wait for a tour at the Armoury Brewing Company to see how the microbrewery works, as the area is all open to walk through.
There are also a number of museums and historic spots in Battleford and North Battleford. They include the Fort Battleford National Historic Site of Canada and one of the province’s four Western Development Museums.
Who Should Visit the Fred Light Museum?
The Fred Light Museum is a good stop for anyone interested in the history of this part of Saskatchewan. And of course, it’s the perfect spot for anyone interested in the vintage collection of rifles and guns.
However, there’s no elevator between the three floors. So, anyone with mobility issues will only have access to the outside exhibits and first floor.
How Do You Visit the Fred Light Museum?
The Fred Light Museum is right off the Yellowhead Highway. The Yellowhead Highway, also known as Highway 16, runs at an angle from Winnipeg, Manitoba (it’s part of the Southern Trans-Canada Highway from Winnipeg to Portage la Prairie) to Prince Rupert (on the coast) and Graham Island (after a ferry ride) on the Pacific Coast in British Columbia.
Street address of the Fred Light Museum: 11-20th Street East, Battleford, Saskatchewan.
Keep up-to-date with what’s happening with the Fred Light Facebook page.
Visit the Fred Light Museum virtually on YouTube.
Discover More General Museums
- Largest Museum Rifle Collection in Western Canada
Battleford, Saskatchewan, is home to the Fred Light Museum. Its collection includes nearly 400 historic guns from flintlocks to bayonets, along with school and store collections and vintage fire trucks. - Museum’s 25 Million Artifacts Reveal Hawaii’s Little Known History!
With 25 million historical, cultural, and natural treasures, the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii, is a must-see museum when you’re in Honolulu. It curates history from across the entire Pacific Basin. - Snowmobiles to Paul Bunyan: Wisconsin Museum
The Vilas Historical Museum curates the history and artifacts of Vilas County, including the original first Eliason snowmobile. The collection also includes everything from dolls to lumberjack tools. - Totem Poles to Chinatown: Unexpected Stories in the Nanaimo Museum
From a Snunéymuxw First Nations totem pole to a “boat” from the annual July bathtub race, there’s lots to see in the Nanaimo Museum. This general museum provides a great introduction to the history and culture of Nanaimo. - Fossils to the Frontier in a Montana Museum
The Frontier Gateway Museum has a variety of well-developed displays, From early fashion to farm machinery to dinosaur fossils, there’s lots to see. - Homesteader History Museum in Montana
The Forsythe County Museum preserves the history of this local Montana county. The focus is on pioneer homes and farming.
Reference(s)
Fort Battleford National Historic Site of Canada. (n.d.). Canada’s Historic Places. https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=7611&pid=0
Fred Light Museum. (n.d.). Canada’s Historic Places. https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=6818&pid=0
guide2museums.com 