Castor and District Museum Society
The Castor and District Museum Society is a registered Canadian nonprofit organization (Business No. 118840453RR0001) dedicated to preserving and interpreting the history of Castor, Alberta, and its surrounding district. Established to safeguard regional heritage, the society operates a museum featuring artifacts, records, and exhibits documenting the area’s development since the early 1900s[3][4].

Exhibits and Collections

The museum’s displays include artifacts related to early settler life, such as household items, agricultural tools, and photographs. A focal point is its Provincial Historic Resource Elevator, one of Alberta’s few preserved wooden grain elevators, which illustrates the province’s agricultural history and early 20th-century wood-and-iron technology[1].

Notably, the museum houses the David Ritchie Narcotic Collection, comprising over 1,000 drug bottles and containers collected by Alberta’s first narcotics inspector. This unique assemblage includes historic opium, cocaine, morphine, and cannabis-related pharmaceutical items, representing companies and practices now obsolete[1].

Mission and Activities

The society’s mandate emphasizes the preservation of physical and documentary evidence of regional history, including photographs, print materials, and oral histories[3][5]. It advocates for the conservation of historically significant structures, such as grain elevators, which it views as critical to understanding Alberta’s economic and cultural evolution[1]. The museum’s exhibits are designed to educate visitors about prairie settlement and the challenges faced by early communities[2].

Recognition

As a registered charity, the society complies with the Canada Revenue Agency’s regulatory requirements and relies on donations and grants to maintain its collections and facilities[5]. Its efforts to protect regional heritage have positioned it as a key cultural institution in east-central Alberta.

Note: This article synthesizes publicly available information about the organization’s mission, collections, and historical significance as documented in charitable registries and third-party descriptions.

[1] http://castor.ca/museums [2] https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g2616622-d23215764-Reviews-Castor_And_District_Museum-Castor_Alberta.html [3] https://www.charitableimpact.com/charities/castor-and-district-museum-society [4] https://www.charitydata.ca/charity/castor-and-district-museum-society/118840453RR0001/ [5] https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/castor-and-district-museum-society/