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Bernadette Leslie has had one job in her adult life: preserving the history of the community she loves.
Leslie is the manager of the Fred Light Museum in Battleford, Sask. As she prepares to retire, she is reflecting on her 45-year career preserving the region’s history.
“I started here in 1979 as a student. I guess Mr. Light, who was running the museum at the time, liked my work ethic,” she said in an interview with 650 CKOM. “I’ve been here ever since!”
Leslie estimates that the Fred Light Museum holds more than 10,000 thoughtfully curated artifacts including firearms, war memorabilia and other items significant to local history.
Meandering through the crowded museum alongside her feels like true glimpse into Saskatchewan’s past.
Listen to Leslie on Behind the Headlines:
“During the Second World War, silk stockings were hard to get,” Leslie said as she stood in the general store themed room.
“This is kind of like the self-tanning stuff now,” she explained, pointing to a small bottle tucked into a display cabinet.” They would make it into a paste and rub it onto their legs to give the colour of nylons. But at the time, the nylons had a black seam down the back of the leg. So they would get a friend with a pen to draw a black seam!”
Leslie didn’t pursue the formal education that many who work as curators, archivists or conservators hold. Instead, she learned on the job through the mentorship of avid Battleford historian and collector Fred Light.
Manager Bernadette Leslie estimated the Fred Light Museum holds more than 10,000 artifacts. (Alex Brown/650 CKOM)
Light passed away in 1998, but left a profound impact on Leslie — sparking an interest in history that persists today.
Leslie said being surrounded by relics at work each day reminds her to be grateful for the conveniences of modern life.
“It makes you appreciate what you have now,” she said, beckoning to an assortment of basins and clothes wringers. “Like not having to scrub clothing by hand. You just pop them in a machine and they are done!”
The Fred Light Museum’s collection includes a vast array of items, including firearms, war memorabilia, textiles and other items significant to local history. (Alex Brown/650 CKOM)
While she enjoys being surrounded by historical artifacts during working hours, she said the crowded environment at the museum has had an impact on the way she decorates her home. “I’m a minimalist! I’m not a collector,” she laughed. “I leave it for here!”
A highlight of her 45-year career was bringing her children to work. While most children are reminded not to touch items within museums, Leslie said her children had the opposite experience.
“They would help at times!” she said. “I would give them a chance to clean artifacts.”
Today, her children still enjoy visiting the museum and often bring their own children along. “They get a kick out of coming to ‘Grandma’s museum,'” she laughed.
Bernadette Leslie says her favourite room in the Fred Light Museum is the general store themed room. (Alex Brown/650 CKOM)
Leslie believes the museum is one of Battleford’s hidden gems.
“You’ve got people who have lived in Battleford all of their life, and all of a sudden they come and say ‘Oh, we’ve never been here!’ Well, we’ve been open 45 years!” she said with a laugh.
As she prepares to step away from the career that sparked her enthusiasm for history, she often thinks of her mentor, Fred Light, and how a summer job nearly 50 years ago turned into a lifelong fascination.
“He had such a passion,” she said. “He passed it on to me, and I hope I can pass it along to the new manager.”
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