Dr. Woods House Museum legacy to endure after closure

The Leduc and District Historical Society has made the difficult decision to no longer operate the Dr. Woods House Museum and will be transferring ownership of the museum collection to the City of Leduc.

The Historical Society is an important non-profit organization in our community and has leased the Dr. Woods House from the City to run the museum since 1983.

The Society's lease of the Dr. Woods House will end on Nov. 30, 2023, and the City will continue to maintain the historic property. Although the museum will no longer be open for regular public access, the City will explore partnership opportunities with the Society and other community groups to offer heritage and cultural programming in the building. These details have not been determined but may include, for example, school tours and special events hosted by the Society.

City Administration will make recommendations to Council regarding how the community can engage with the collection, its stories, and the future use of the building. These will be considered during the 2025 budget deliberations.

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"Closing the museum was not a decision we made lightly. Our Board, which has been an operational board since its inception, has taken a great many volunteer hours. Managing staff, maintaining and archiving the collection with qualified volunteers, and recruiting volunteers to serve at the teas and providing quality school tours has become increasingly complex in recent years, conditions which all non-profits are facing. Moving forward, we will take the opportunity to reflect and reimagine how the Society can continue to make meaningful impacts on culture and heritage in Leduc, as well as providing an advisory role."

- Debbie Charanduk, President, Leduc and District Historical Society

"Although this will be a big change for the Society and the community, it's also an opportunity to evolve and explore new paths together for historical preservation and engagement. We are in the process of establishing an inventory of the collection and ensuring it is managed according to best practices. We will continue to honour the collection, its stories and the accomplishments of the Society and its devoted boards and volunteers in preserving Leduc's legacy."

- Toscha Turner, Manager, Cultural Development, City of Leduc.