PARKS CANADA VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

I was asked by Anders Haslestad (Chief Inspector of Inspectorate of Ancient Monuments and Historic Buildings) if I was interested in participating in an exchange programme with Parks Canada. In my view, this was a very interesting proposal, and after some preparation we departed on May 16th 1999.

The Scandinavian participants were: Knut Hamre, Etne, Norway; Bjarne Sunde, Jølster, Norway; Mattias Hallgren, Sweden; Patrik Bommelin, Sweden; and Olav H. Rygnestad, Valle, Norway.

Upon arrival in Winnipeg we had problems with our entry permits/visas. However, with the kind help of Kym Terry the problems were resolved. The first night we stayed with the Jenkins family in Selkirk, and on May 17th and 18th Kym Terry gave us guided tours of Winnipeg and Selkirk. At Lower Fort Garry we got our first impressions of life in the old days in Canada. This was very useful information for us.

On May 19th we met our Canadian colleagues. We were greeted kindly even if it took some time to get to know each other. All the equipment was packed into the car, and we started on the long journey to Fort Walsh (Maple Creek) Saskatchewan. It turned out to be a rewarding journey particularly because our Canadian colleagues provided us with information along the way. For us Scandinavians everything was on a very big scale.

Wayne Smith and Terry Danyleyko gave us a thorough introduction to the history of Fort Walsh. They told us of previous restoration works on the Fort pertaining to: choice of materials; work techniques; and use of tools. This was very useful information for us before we started on the practical work.

Wooden materials:
Cypress was collected in the area around Fort Walsh. Most of the material was sapwood, but on some of the logs the hardwood was ca. 60-70%.

We were surprised to find that the lumber was stored outside in bad weather (without roofing). In spite of this the lumber appeared to have only few damages. But, some cracks had to be dealt with when inserts were fixed.

Restoring the privates' quarters:
Rot damages were mainly found on the north side of the building, and it was apparent that this was due to the cement and sand between the logs. All the buildings were painted white, and the paint was coming off in sheets. Barbed wire was fixed between the logs as armoury. Apart from this, all the logs were maintained in natural shape.

All damage from rot was removed to expose healthy wood, often all the way to the core. The rot-damaged parts were cut with a chainsaw and removed with chisel and axe. All the work to fix inserts was done on the wall - which led to a lot of manual labour.

The axe wasn't used much by our Canadian colleagues. However, we used the axe much more. All in all, they used a lot more technical equipment such as a chainsaw-bench. This machine was handy and fast to remove new inserts from a log, and we saved a lot of time using it. As a result, the insert was also easier to fit to the wall-log.

To fix the insert to the wall-log 120-150 mm screws were used - 50-60 cm apart (one at the top and one at the bottom). One could feel that the screw held the insert firmly against the log. The screws were lowered ca. 30 mm (diameter 15-20 mm) and finished off with a wooden plug to match the direction of the fibre. This plug was fixed using non-water-soluble glue. This method was surprising to us Scandinavians because we only use wooden rivets for all restoration purposes. Likewise, this would have been surprising to our Canadian colleagues. Whether it is durable to use screws remains to be seen. But, it should be mentioned that the restoration at Riding Mountain (from 10 years back) was performed with this method, and there were no signs of rust or loosening screws. In addition, the wooden plug had not loosened. In spite of this, we found it an artificial method of restoration.

Rot damaged corner pieces were also removed and inserts of new material were cut and screwed tight. But, we did not take part in filling up the cracks between the logs as this work was performed by others. They were going to use clay and sand. In addition, there were trials for different kinds of paint. We raise the question as to whether it would be better to use a natural surface in this dry climate.

During the whole process at Fort Walsh we (Knut Hamre, Mattias Hallgren and Olav H. Rygnestad) had a very fruitful collaboration with our Canadian colleagues: Wayne Smith, Terry Danyleyko, Russel Markwart and Ivan Olvjic.

Other visits:
After 10 days of restoration work at Fort Walsh, we went back to Selkirk. The return trip was just as rewarding for us. There are a lot of things to see on a 1000 km and 10 hours drive, not the least because the Canadian scenery is very different from the Scandinavian. Kym Terry gave us a guided tour of the Selkirk area. It was obvious that we as tourists would not have been able to see so many interesting places and things.

On May 28th we were visited by journalist Jos. Bjørkelid from Valle, Norway (Agderposten). This resulted in a newspaper article in Agderposten on June 26 1999.

On May 29 we all went to Riding Mountain. On the way there we stopped in several places to view ongoing restoration projects such as the St. Anne's Church. As another example, it appeared too late to restore the house near Neepawa (see picture in the Agderposten article). We stopped at the entrance to Riding Mountain to observe the restoration work from ca. 10 years back. It became apparent that this had been done with very good craftsmanship.

Riding Mountain is a forest area which is quite similar to many Norwegian areas: undulating scenery with flourishing flora and fauna. It is a very beautiful place which is also popular among visitors. All that a tourist could want, was there.

Then we continued on to Inglis where we were shown some restoration work on a grain silo (elevator). This was an exciting project. The last days we worked at Lower Fort Garry where we whittled lumber for fencing and more.

Finally, we visited the Parks Canada offices in Winnipeg, and we were introduced to the different departments. In addition, we were greeted by the Head, Greg Thomas. He expressed a wish to make a return visit to Norway.

Conclusion:
This was a very educational trip for us. In particular, it was important to exchange experiences with regard to restoration work. Thus, we hope that more people will have the opportunity to take advantage of a similar trip.

Future use:
Riding Mountain must be a textbook example of what to do to make best use of historical buildings. Here there are opportunities to start businesses and cover the increasing interest for adventure-holidays. Inglis was another exciting project in regard to utilising restored historical buildings.

I hope one day to return to see the result because we have much the same discussion in Norway: It isn't always easy to ensure that the use of restored historical buildings and relics can be profitable. My opinion is that it is very important to use the restored sites. This is important to learn more about our roots and, to maintain our history.

Thanks to Kym Terry and Pat Wur for so successfully organising of our visit. At the Jenkins family we were treated as part of the family, and I will never forget the friendly mood around the dinner table. We have now got many good friends in Canada.

Thanks to Anders Haslestad for making it possible for us to make this trip.

Best wishes until we meet again,

Olav H. Rygnestad

Valle, September 1999