The St. Albert Library’s apple tree is back, and it’s brought a bear, a duck, and a giant chicken with it.
The Signs of the Times exhibit opened at the Musée Héritage Museum March 4. The exhibit showcases about 20 signs and sign-like objects from the museum’s archives that represent iconic landmarks from St. Albert history.
Curator Martin Bierens said he got the idea for this exhibit when he learned of the fascinating stories behind many of the signs in the museum’s collection.
“In my mind, these signs are a window into the lives of citizens here in St. Albert.”
You won’t find any graphics or informative panels in the exhibit as the signs themselves take up most of the wall space, Bierens explained. Instead, guests will get a pamphlet (available in English and French) that explains the history behind each item.
The exhibit features artifacts longtime city residents might recognize from their youth. There’s the immense sign from Grandin Theatres, the Bruin Inn bear, a chunk of the Ducky Dome, and a tarnished Bank of Montreal sign that used to hang outside the Art Gallery of St. Albert.
And then there’s the giant chicken.
What the cluck?
“One of the signs we have in the exhibit is an eight-foot-tall rooster which was made for the sewer parade which was held in 1954,” Bierens said.
The St. Albert Hatchery on Sturgeon Road was the place to go for chicken in St. Albert in the 1940s, Bierens said. Owner Roland Douziech moved the hatchery to Edmonton in the 1950s and rebranded it as Kingsway Hatchery, but never forgot his St. Albert roots.
St. Albert got its first sewer system in 1954, and threw a parade on Perron Street to celebrate, Bierens said. Kingsway Hatchery had a float in that parade which featured this colossus of a chicken. (Said parade apparently involved a clown getting arrested, one photo of the event suggests.)
Guests at the exhibit can check out the gigantic Gallus gallus and mark their height on a paper silhouette taped next to it, Bierens said.
Guests might also notice an old friend at the exhibit — the St. Albert Public Library apple tree. This repainted McDonalds statue was a popular landmark at the library’s downtown location from Feb. 7, 1987 until its retirement on Feb. 10, 2023.
The tree was supposed to be raffled off, but Bierens said the library offered it to the museum instead. Now, it stands as a piece of local history and a symbol of youth and literacy. It won’t be on permanent display at the museum, but should make guest appearances at future exhibitions.
One of the more mysterious signs in the exhibit is the one from Scott’s Magic Emporium. Little is known about this shop apart from the fact that it was opened in Riel Park in the 1980s and run by Danny Kerr, a magic fan whose day job was servicing and repairing optical and medical equipment. Bierens encouraged guests to share any information they had about this store with the museum.
Other artifacts from the exhibit include an Asian bamboo curtain from Fleuri Perron’s general store, a menu from the Klondike Inn (the first fast-food restaurant in St. Albert; note the $0.40 burgers), and the Blind Pig Pub sign.
The free exhibit runs from March 4 to July 5. Bierens will lead a guided tour of the exhibit at 3 p.m. on March 8. Call 780-459-1528 for details.
