A Legacy of Giving: Celebrating the Contributions of The Wild Rose Antique Collectors Society

At the heart of The Wild Rose Antique Collectors Society lies an unwavering commitment to preserving Alberta's rich heritage. We beam with immense pride as we reflect upon our impactful journey, during which we have generously contributed over $250,000.00 to a myriad of heritage projects, museums, and charitable causes throughout the province. Each dollar channeled has been a testament to our passion for safeguarding the stories and artifacts that define our collective past. Our achievements are a culmination of shared dedication, community involvement, and a deep-rooted love for antiques and history. If you, too, feel called to this mission and wish to stand with us in our pursuit, we wholeheartedly invite you to join our cause. For opportunities to support or collaborate with our society, please reach out to us at president@wildroseantiquecollectors.ca. Together, we can continue to champion Alberta's heritage, one antique at a time.

If you are interested in supporting our society please contact us at president@wildroseantiquecollectors.ca

Below is a curated list highlighting some of the remarkable projects we’ve had the honor of supporting:

Fort Edmonton Park, Edmonton – 2002

1920 Harley Davidson motorcycle was purchased at an estate museum sale in North Dakota and restored by Eldon Brown and his father, Carmen. Over 800 hours of work went into the bike, and Mr. Brown re-manufactured replacement parts that he was unable to find.
The sidecar was shipped from a source in Germany. Motorcycle sold to Fort Edmonton Historical Foundation by Eldon Brown, 2001/10/26 at a cost of $37,450 (with GST)

1920 Harley-Davidson 20F with sidecar. 61 cubic inch (1000 c.c.), 11 hp V-twin engine. Chain-drive. 20″ wheelbase.

Fort Edmonton Park, Edmonton – 1989

Partial restoration of Fort Edmonton Park Maintenance Truck #2: 1925 Chevrolet Capitol, one-ton truck [35 hp., 4-cylinder, valve-in-head engine with a three-speed transmission and a 120” wheelbase] License Plate: 5-577

Truck originally belonged to Mr. Halliday from Mulhurst Beach. At the request of General Motors Canada, Mr. Halliday drove the truck to Expo ’67 in Montreal for display purposes. The journey to Montreal took 9.5 days at a top speed of 35 mph. Cab box rebuilt and all wood replaced.

Musée Héritage Museum, St. Albert

Wooden display cases and panels for the exhibit, “Snapshooter: Popular Photography in Alberta; 1890 – 1950.” The 50+ cameras (from the Museum’s collection of over 400) and other photographic artifacts toured nation-wide in a 540 square foot display designed by the Museum to be arranged as space permitted. The cost to the receiving museum was to ship the six, 150-lb. crates to the next museum.

Ukrainian Heritage Village, Lamont County

Wild Rose Antique Collectors Society’s donation enabled the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village to acquire and paint a 1929 Ford Model A, Tudor sedan for display.

This Model A represents the vehicle owned by John Demchuk, the blacksmith whose life is interpreted at the Ukrainian Village.

The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, 50 km east of Edmonton on August 25, 2013. Photo by Ryan Jackson, ryanjackson.ca

Edmonton Radial Railway Society, Edmonton – 2004

We were extremely happy to be part of the the Streetcar project. Costs to transport the streetcar, “Melbourne 930“ from Australia to Edmonton.

Fort Edmonton Park – 2003 / 2006

Another project that children young and old of Edmonton get to enjoy. We were very pleased to help with this project.

Original carousels are virtually unobtainable in any condition and when Fort Edmonton began plans for a re-creation, WRAC broke with tradition and funded the carving of a replica carousel horse. Our early participation ensured we had significant input in the design, incorporating the symbol of our club. “Wild Rose” is on the outer ring and was carved by Ed Sczesny.