SUKANEN SHIP VILLAGE — The piercing sound of excess steam released from a steam tractor and the rumbling of an old threshing machine will herald the annual threshing bee at Sukanen Ship Museum.
The Sept. 7 and 8 event at the museum 13 kilometres south of Moose Jaw will show off a harvesting method not used since the 1950s.
The threshing machine was the mainstay of harvest from the early 1900s until the late 1940s when combines became popular.
The Bruce family of Tuxford will bring steam traction machines, once used to plough, seed and thresh grain.
The museum has one of four or five threshing bees left in southern Saskatchewan.
The local threshing bee dates to 55 years ago when the museum was an auto club with a few old buildings.
A fundraising event was needed. Since someone had just donated a threshing machine the club held a threshing bee.
The bee has been held every year since except two or three rained-out times and two years during the COVID lockdown.
The museum has a good stand of oats to harvest and had some crop donated by a nearby farmer Norbert Fries.
Member service acknowledgements will happen just before 1 p.m. Saturday
Part of the show will be the grand opening Sunday before 1 p.m. of the new truck building, located north of the main village. The 6,000-square-foot building was completed just in time for the bee.
Called the Hart Building it was made possible by a $70,000 donation from longtime member and former director Lorne Hart. The building replaces an older structure that needs repairs.
The threshing bee event demonstrations cover a range of machines.
Both days start at 8 a.m. with a pancake breakfast and later in the morning, a tractor parade.
The Baker Fan demonstration follows breakfast Saturday. The fan indicates the horsepower capacity of tractors.
After lunch, the car-truck parade happens followed by demonstrations of ploughing, reaping, binding, a stationary baler and the 3 p.m. threshing operation.
Events conclude at 4 p.m., with a vintage tractor pull that fills the grandstand.
The blacksmith shop will operate both days as well as the rope-making equipment.
A church service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Sunday.
A full concession operates both days featuring homemade pies from the members.
All buildings are open for viewing until 5 p.m.
Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
