Culture Chat – Tech and Culture, Building Audiences

Using high‑resolution 8K, 360‑degree video, they were able to capture an active mine site. The immersive experience allows visitors to safely explore mining operations as if they were physically present, including equipment and environments normally inaccessible to the public.

Designed as an engaging educational tool for museums, schools, and community events, the tour highlights Estevan’s identity as an energy city while preserving an important part of the region’s industrial heritage through innovative storytelling and technology. The Virtual Tour co-exists with the Souris Valley Museum’s Heritage Mining Equipment display, which includes 4 pieces of mining equipment that were previously used in the Costello mine at Bienfait, Saskatchewan. Together, the exhibit and tour tell Estevan’s mining story, both past and present

Building a Virtual Reality Tour in Estevan explores how the Souris Valley Museum used modern virtual reality technology to preserve and share the story of lignite coal strip mining in southeast Saskatchewan. Does your community have a unique history? How can you use technology to highlight that history? In this session, you will learn about:

Providing enhanced museum visitor engagement
Updating displays that go beyond labels and provide a unique experience.
Attracting new audiences while digitally preserving historic sites or practices that may not be openly available to the public.

About the Presenter:

Melanie has been the Director/Curator at the Souris Valley Museum since 2022, but began working in 2016 as a part-time administrator. Melanie is a dedicated museum specialist with experience in collections management, exhibition planning, cultural heritage preservation, and grant writing.

The Souris Valley Museum’s collection includes over 3500 artefacts, and under Melanie’s care, each piece is being preserved for future generations. For her, history isn’t just about artefacts — it’s about the stories they tell future audiences.

Melanie previously worked in the Credit Union system for 20 years and holds a Business Certificate from Dalhousie University with a background in finance and accounting. She is currently pursuing a Certificate in Community Museum Studies through the Museums Association of Saskatchewan and the Association of Manitoba Museums. When she’s not in the museum, Melanie enjoys visiting other small-town museums and learning their stories.

Date: Tuesday, December 8
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Where: Online Zoom Meeting
Cost: Free