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The history of the unique and entertaining show that

goes by the most appropriate name, Pion-Era, and the 3

history of the Western Development Museum, to which it ail
? |

is inextricably linked, are tales full of zeal, staunch- —

ness and loyalty. Without this zeal, staunchness and

loyalty there would be no Western Development Museum,

there would be no more Pion-Era.

There could be no Pion-Era without the Western Devel-
Opment Museum. Its contents are the hub of,the show, to
which are attached the spokes of the many and varied en-
tertainments that make up the Pion-Era wheel.

To the thousands who have admired and will be admir- |
ing the great threshing engines, the ancient cars and |
buggies, the various apparatus, the equipment, the tools
of the early prairie days, it will be astounding, almost
unbelieveable, that these priceless gems of the past
were nearly left out on the prairie, to rust, to disint-
egrate in our hot sun, our wind, our dust, our storms,
our bitter cold. They were in .a hangar at the airport
and the government had to have the building. ;

Thus it was and only a fierce battle by a handful of
people brought action out of disinterest and lethargy
to the extent that these pieces of history were again
housed; not too well housed, but there was a roof over
their heads. I was happy to take part in the fight to
establish the museum where it is now with an editorial
and picture campaign in the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix,
also, through the same medium, to raise the money that
brought the Colony House from its original site to the
Museum Grounds.

The honest disagreements that led to squabbles be-
tween the Museum and Pion-Era will not be disinterred
here other than to stress the loyalty of hundreds of
citizens of Saskatoon and the countryside who stood .
shoulder to shoulder to save Pion-Era.

When the disagreements were aired before Saskatoon's
City Council, the gallery was filled, mostly by rep-
resentatives of the organizations which take such a
great part in the Pion-Era show - the Ladies Auxiliary,
the Threshermen's Club, the Blue Garter Saloon, the
Doukhobor bread oven people. .and many others. These vol-
unteers, all the organizations are made up of volunteers,
stated their cases with the most compelling sincerity.

Now for a little about the show and a little about
the Pion-Era Cook Book.

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