38 Follow us on @PrairieFarming Better Farming | September 2024 Field Trip Westlock, Alta.’s Canadian Tractor Museum recently celebrated an important milestone: Their 20th anniversary. “It started out with nothing, and now we have to turn down donations because we don’t have the space,” says president Steven Miller. What started as a club became a 20,000 square-foot gallery full of vintage tractors, toys, and different collector’s items. “There was a group of 30 farmers in the area. There were always people restoring tractors on their farms, and they wanted to get together,” he explains. Steven explains that at the time, there was a desire to keep antique tractors in town for the community to enjoy. Many of them were leaving to go to collectors elsewhere or being sold in auctions. Though he’s only been president of the Canadian Tractor Museum for two years, Steven’s roots with the museum go back to when he was involved in a tractor club in Westlock. The club members’ shared passion for restoring and repairing machinery inspired community action. “It started as a club, then evolved into a one-day show, then a two-day show, then there was the desire to do something more. Some of the locals and the government got involved and decided to open a museum to display this stuff.” The museum features around 100 vintage tractors from between 1918 to 1960. “People who have farmed and have used these tractors can relive their memories,” he explains. “For others, we can show the evolution of the tractor AN ALBERTA MUSEUM SHOWCASES THE HISTORY OF MACHINERY. CANADIAN TRACTOR MUSEUM MARKS 20 YEARS By LESLIE STEWART | Photos by CANADIAN TRACTOR MUSEUM
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