Tourists visiting Pangman can enjoy slipping back in time at Ronny’s on Railway, a 1950s-themed ice cream parlour, with an outdoor courtyard called the Corral, a brand-new museum, and a thrift store.  

Prior to COVID, celebrating the history of the RM of Norton was not possible. 

During the COVID lockdowns, many people picked up new hobbies, such as photography, gardening, and completing home renovations. For the town of Pangman and the surrounding area, a group of volunteers joined forces to create a much-needed tourist attraction.

Jacquie Mallory, who has a museum background, returned to her hometown of Pangman in 2017. Upon returning to the community, she saw the history being lost and saw a need to begin preserving the memories and experiences of the people in the area.   

“I wanted to open a museum when I moved here because I saw a lack of people keeping documents, photographs, and any of the histories pertaining to the area,” shared Jacquie Mallory, Chairperson of the Pangman and Area Historical Society. “All the older people with the stories are gone." 

Mallory shared her vision with other area residents and quickly more people joined her, and together as volunteers, they were on a mission to preserve local history.  Fundraising efforts began and donations began coming in, a local church, Abundant Living Ministries donated a building, half of the building was designated for the museum, and the other half was made into a thrift shop. 

The thrift store would help to generate funds for ongoing museum construction. Then to their surprise, local resident, Gail Stanton donated her home! The Cottage Thrift Shop was moved across the street creating space for the ice cream parlour. 

Pangman Museum Photo by Bernadette MullenPangman Museum, Photo by Bernadette Mullen

Attached to the ice cream parlor is an outdoor courtyard called the Corral, here the society celebrates the ranchers in the area. 

“A year ago, we had a branding day,” shared Gene Kessler, Treasurer for the society. “We had 50 brands, we branded cedar boards, we are hoping to make this a biannual event.” 

While the vision for the museum began before COVID, construction only began in the last couple of years. 

There’s an old saying that says, ‘There is strength in numbers’ more can be accomplished together than individually. The families of the RM of Norton joined with a common vision and created a wonderful tourist attraction in just a few short years.  

“It was way more than we ever dreamt could happen, especially in this short period of time,” said Arlene Howse, Secretary for the society.  

“From the ones financially to the ones donating artifacts, thrift store material, and labour, everybody has taken part somehow,” shared Mallory. 

Now for the tourists on the Ogema train, there is added excitement as they can look forward to making a pit stop at Ronny’s on Railway and enjoy the museum and look for some great deals at the Cottage Thrift Shop. 

Beginning July 1, the hours of operation run Wednesday to Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Sunday from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. To follow their coming events, you can go to their Facebook page here.