Community Outreach increases awareness & understanding of the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society’s mission by creating educational programs & displays for Lac du Bonnet and the surrounding community. We are dedicated to partnership with communities, schools, community organizations, and other museums through outreach to continue “working in the present while preserving the past for now and the future.”

This bedcover, made by Annie Bowman and Vivian Nespor, was donated to the Lac du Bonnet District Museum by Margaret Worden of Lac du Bonnet.

The daisy pattern bedcover is made on a handmade wooden frame with positioned nails or pegs. The material is crochet cotton. The cotton threads are threaded using different angles and the design forms daisies after eight layers of threading is completed. The daisies are then hand tied using a softer thread or yarn. Where the threads cross between the daisies are also tied in a cross stitch manner, so they will hold shape. A fringe would be made as the finished bedcover is taken off the frame.

History: Lucy Apsit brought this unusual craft from Latvia to Lac du Bonnet circa 1933. She settled in Lettonia, which was on the east shores of the Winnipeg River, north east of the village of Lac du Bonnet.

Lac du Bonnet is known for its heterogeneous population. Between 1897 & 1960, 27 nationalities settled in the district. Lettonia, Lee River, Newcombe, and Bird River held the largest population of Latvians west of Toronto.

The bed cover is currently showcased at the Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library (1-329 Cumberland Ave. Winnipeg, Manitoba) as part of their Manitoba 150 exhibit. (7:12 in the video below)

In celebration of the 100 year anniversary of the Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet’s formation of council, the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society created three travelling exhibits.

The exhibits were initially shown during the museum’s open house in 2017 until the museum seasonal closing and then went on to be featured at the Lac du Bonnet RM Office for the month of September.

The exhibits are:

Also available is a suitcase exhibit done by Kaitlyn Mitchell (summer student 2017) called “Children’s Cherished Memories.” To read a report on Kaitlyn’s experience making the case, please click: Travelling Suitcase Exhibit Report

The Lac du Bonnet District Museum is making the exhibits available on loan to the Lac du Bonnet community businesses, schools, or organizations to promote local history.
For more information or interest email:   info@ldbhistorical.ca

On October 12, 2017, the Lac du Bonnet and District Historical Society held a Kairos Blanket Exercise to begin the process of unlearning and awareness. To read the full article, please click: Kairos Blanket Exercise