Staff Profile: Featuring Edna Baker

This week on our staff profiles is Edna Baker, Visitor Services Coordinator.

      I am Edna Baker, the Visitor Services Coordinator, at the Musée Héritage Museum.  I have been with The Arts and Heritage Foundation for over 6 years.  Chances are on most days, I will be the first person you see when you come into the museum.

Edna helping out some scavenger hunters during last's year Harvest Festival at the St. Albert Grain Elevator Park.

   It is a pleasure to meet and greet visitors of all ages. I especially enjoy the days when children who have attended an educational program come back with their parents or grandparents and give a ‘tour’ of the museum.  They are very knowledgeable as “they have been here before” so I can stay back and watch.  

   While tracking attendance and completing reports, I see that we have visitors from all over the world. Last year, in addition to our Canadian and American visitors, we saw visitors from Australia, Brazil, Hong Kong, Italy, Russia, Scotland, & Turkey, just to name a few.

   Managing and maintaining the Gift Shop is also part of what I do and I am always on the lookout for new and unique items for all ages including books! Recently added to our inventory were several children’s books including Discovering Numbers and Discovering Letters – written in English, French & Cree; The Giving Tree and Relatives with Roots – each book includes a CD that narrates the story in English & Michif; The Métis Alphabet Book and more! 

   Spring is the time to plan, sort and send items to our gift shops at the historic sites--the Father Lacombe Chapel and the St. Albert Grain Elevator Park.  Spring also means organizing and tracking special events at the heritage sites including weddings, photo shoots, meetings, birthday parties and family gatherings.

  I work closely with many of our volunteers as well preparing program materials, greeting visitors, responding to genealogy and research requests, highlighting new exhibits, and organizing opening receptions. They are all wonderful, and we appreciate their contributions to our organization and how they work with our team.   

   My job is an adventure and different every day of the week! Drop in and have a look around, I look forward to greeting you at the Musée Héritage Museum.

Edna J. Baker