This museum, named for J. A. V. David, was located in Killarney’s first post office. Constructed in 1889 for the postmaster Charles Bate, it also served as his home and, for the first few years, a store. A large front room served the post office and a room above it, which was accessed by an outside staircase—was rented for meetings of the municipal council and literary society, a music studio, and a Sunday school. The building also served as the Bate family residence. In the 1950s the building was purchased by the Town of Killarney and the RM of Turtle Mountain.
A library was located on the lower floor beginning in 1958 and a museum opened on the upper floor in 1960. Later the library moved out and the museum took over the whole building. In 1967, the name of the museum was changed from the Lakeland Museum to the J. A. Victor David Museum. The museum, which is now located on land next to the former museum building, has a growing collection of period clothing and furniture, tools, war mementos, cameras, photographs, and archival material. It is run by a board of directors responsible to the municipal council, which owns and helps to maintain the building. In deteriorating condition, the original building was demolished in December 2011.
The museum can be contacted at 204-523-7325 or javdavidmuseum@outlook.com.
The J. A. V. David Museum building that was demolished in 2011 (July 2010)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
The present J. A. V. David Museum building, occupied since 1976 (2010)
Source: Luc BissonSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.18278, W99.66586
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: James Alexander Victor David (1887-1976)
We thank Luc Bisson for providing information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 30 January 2021
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