Fort Ostell Museum

 The Fort Ostell Museum Society was founded on June 25, 1967.  The name comes from the original Fort Ostell that was built near Ponoka in 1885.  During the Riel Rebellion, some young natives of the Cree reserves pillaged the Hudson Bay store and raided the mission.  Many of the white settlers fled to Fort Edmonton.  In order to secure the area, members of the “Alberta Field Force”, numbering 462 men arrived from Calgary.  This group, under the leadership of Captain John Benjamin Ostell, built a fortification near the Battle River.  This fort was later named after Captain Ostell.  In June of 1885, Batoche had fallen, Riel was captured and the rebel natives were under control.  Fort Ostell served as a military post for fifty days from May 9 to June 27, 1885.  While nothing remains of the Fort today, a model of the Fort, the history of Captain Ostell and the original flag that flew over the Fort, can be viewed in the Fort Ostell Museum. The original museum was started in a wood frame building in 1967, in the new established Centennial Park.  In 1979 for Ponoka’s 76^th Birthday, the museum began a public fundraising project to build a new museum.  In 1981, a $250,000 concrete building was opened.  This building was then donated to the Town of Ponoka. 

 The Fort Ostell Museum Society has managed the museum since 1981, paying the monthly utilities and looking after the collection.  The Museum Collection consists of agricultural and household objects of the early pioneers and natives from the late 1800’s to the present.  In 2004, as part of Ponoka’s Centennial, the museum brought back from storage the “Alberta Mental Hospital Museum” collection.  This collection is unique as few collections of mental hospitals exist in Canada.  This collection of artifacts and archival material from 1911 to the present is now on display and has become the “History of the Care of the Mentally Ill” in Alberta.

 The Fort Ostell Museum collection is a tribute to the past, and it is hoped that it will be enjoyed by everyone who visits and by future generations.

 This excerpt is taken from the Central Alberta Historical Society April Newsletter  (http://www.albertahistory.org/Central/) 

 Located at 5320 - 54 Street (north end of Centennial Park), the Fort Ostell Museum has displays of pioneer and native artifacts and photos. 

The Fort Ostell Museum is open:

Summer:     Open Tuesday to Friday from10:00 am to 5:00 pm from the Victoria Day long weekend in May until the Labour Day weekend in September
Open Sundays from 1:00 - 5:00 pm 
Open Holiday Mondays from 1:00 - 5:00 pm 

Winter:       February to May - Tours are available from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. upon request

Admission:   Adults - $3.00
                   Children (6 years to 17 years) - $1.00
                   Families - $5.00

Meeting Room is available for Rent-Accomidations up to 30 people.  Cost is $25.00 for the meeting room only and $50.00 for meeting room, use of the kitchen and the dishes.

The Museum is a non profit group that welcomes donations.  Tax receipts can be issued.

Contact the Fort Ostell Museum at 403.783.5224 for more information