Museum Exhibits and Attractions
The Boundary Museum is proud to operate its many exhibits on Boundary History directly from a local historical site. Below you will find information about the grounds and the various exhibits we showcase.
The Fructova Heritage Site
In 2009, the Boundary Museum moved into the former Fructova School, now called the Fructova Heritage Site. The Fructova Heritage Site was built by the Christian Communities of Universal Brotherhood (CCUB) Doukhobors in 1929 as a facility to teach English and academics to the Doukhobor children of the Boundary area. The school was in use until the late 1940's. In the 1980's the school was completely restored and used by the Doukhobor Historical Society and in the later years it was used as a Russian Language Library and housed some artifacts and archives. The school was made using brick from the community brick factory located just below the school grounds. It originally held two classrooms; one at either end and a teacherage in the middle. In later years the teacherage became a classroom.
Fructova served the district until 1949, when the students were taken by schoolbus to Grand Forks to attend Central Elementary School. The school gradually fell into a state of disrepair and remained so until the 1980's when it was totally restored without loss to any of the original features. The term Fructova, meaning "fruitful", had been formerly used by Doukhobors to describe Grand Forks in general, in recognition of its sunny climate and agricultural productivity.
The Grounds
The Boundary Museum grounds feature a spectacular view of the south-west valley, and a traditional bread oven; a replica of what was built and used by the self-sufficient Doukhobor community.
Over the past year, many Boundary Museum staff and volunteers have been hard at work improving the grounds at Fructova through landscaping, building restoration, and the construction of a beautiful new shade shelter. This shelter is the only one of its kind in Grand Forks, and will be available on a drop in basis for small groups, or can be booked in advance for larger events free of charge.
Our Exhibits
The Boundary Museum features five large exhibits detailed below in addition to several smaller exhibits on First Peoples, forestry, sports, and music in the Boundary.
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The Doukhobors
The Doukhobor Exhibit features examples of Doukhobor attire and handcrafts. In the centre of the room are the three symbols of Bread, Salt, and Water which represented health and hospitality to the Doukhobors.
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School Room
In 1929, Fructova School was a place where Russian-speaking Doukhobor children would come to learn English. Today, the interactive School Room exhibit pays tribute to this piece of history. Visitors are invited to conduct their own lessons, and kids can dress-up before attending class.
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Wildlife and Environment
The Boundary Museum is proud to partner with the Granby Wilderness Society to teach visitors about the ongoing battle between the goldfish and endangered tiger salamanders at Saddle Lake before showing them how to safely shake a paw with a cougar or a grizzly bear.
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CPR, Mining, and the City of Phoenix
The Phoenix copper mine and various railways played an integral part of boundary history, brining many pioneers to the Boundary area. Ore from phoenix would be brought by train from Phoenix and other mines to the Granby Smelter. The Granby Smelter was the largest smelter in the British Empire and was located here in Grand Forks, BC.
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Hunter-Kendrick Co. General Store
There are many artifacts in our general store exhibit from the 1920s. If you're lucky, there may even be some candy for sale.
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All images on this website are property of the Boundary Museum Society unless otherwise indicated. Images may not be used without express permission of the Boundary Museum Society.
