Heritage Acres Farm Museum has launched a 50-50 raffle as part of a campaign to restore what is arguably its most iconic piece of antique farming equipment, a 1917 Case 65-horsepower steam engine tractor.

Featured on the museum’s logo, the steam tractor has been out of service since 2022, and those affiliated with Heritage Acres are hoping to see it recertified and restored to its former glory.

“The steam tractor is basically our brand here at Heritage Acres. It’s our most important piece of vintage equipment,” says Garry Visser, longtime volunteer and treasurer of the board of the Oldman River Antique Equipment & Threshing Club, which oversees the museum. 

“There’s a lot of history that goes with it,” he says. “They were critical to the early development of farming and ranching across Alberta.”

Typically, the 1917 Case steam tractor was used not simply for display purposes but also as a working part of Heritage Acres’ hands-on demonstrations at all three of its annual shows. 

Previously used to power the museum’s vintage sawmill during public demonstrations, the steam tractor was decommissioned following a failed mandatory boiler integrity test in 2022. 

“This steam tractor is a real crowd-pleaser. We use it primarily on our sawmill and people love to see it run,” Garry says. “Anything that draws in people and interest like that is what museums need to thrive.”

After failing the boiler integrity test, a series of repeated attempts to fix the boiler locally were made. Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent that this would not be a suitable option.

It was later decided that the boiler would need to be replaced outright, a specialized job quoted at roughly C$60,000 by American-based Lund Machine Works, with an additional $10,000 to $20,000 anticipated in disassembly, shipping and reinstallation costs.

“We’re probably looking at a total of $70,000 to $80,000 before it’s back up and running,” Garry says. 

“That kind of money isn’t something we just have lying around. Heritage Acres isn’t a begging museum — we work hard to raise our own funds — but this is one project that really needs the community’s help.”

One way volunteers are working at raising money is through the ongoing 50-50 raffle, co-ordinated by volunteer Edna Nelson, with $5 tickets available for purchase through museum and board members, from the Heritage Acres office, and directly from Edna. 

The winning ticket will be drawn during the museum’s Fall Family Fun event on Sept. 13. As long as tickets are available, folks can purchase one or more right up until the event, where remaining tickets will be on sale.

“If we sell all of our 1,000 tickets, the winner will take home $2,500, and the museum will get the other $2,500,” Edna explains. 

“We’ve already sold 32 books and have about 60 books out. If every member sold just one book of tickets, we’d have no trouble selling out.”

Edna will also be selling tickets at the Pincher Creek Co-op from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Aug. 8, 15 and 16, and is seeking more volunteers to help cover those times. Books of tickets are also available for members to pick up and sell.

Beyond purchasing raffle tickets, interested supporters can help by becoming a member of Heritage Acres, making a donation or volunteering their time. The museum relies largely on the generosity of local volunteers to give their time to the museum and keep it up and running.

“If people want to contribute, the cause is there. Our strength is in our volunteer base, so anyone interested in becoming a member or even joining the board of directors can just call the office,” Garry says.

Edna adds that while the raffle will help, additional fundraising will be needed in order to repair and recertify the beloved steam tractor. To date, the museum and its volunteers have raised over $30,000; however, there is still a long way to go before reaching that $70,000 to $80,000 mark.