Latest news with #PekiskoCreekGeneralStore
Edmonton Journal
15-07-2025
- Business
- Edmonton Journal
Historic painting at Bar U gift shop mistakenly sold for 'fraction' of its value
The volunteer group that runs a gift shop at the Bar U Ranch National Historic Site hope to retrieve a painting mistakenly sold last week. Article content The Friends of the Bar U Historic Ranch Association says the painting, Bison on the Western Range by Corrie Buwalda, was purchased on July 8 at the Pekisko Creek General Store, a gift shop at the Bar U Ranch, about 70 kilometres southwest of Calgary. Article content Article content Article content 'It was the perfect storm,' Laurie Rowe, a director with the volunteer organization, said Tuesday. 'We had a sick call and we ended up having a brand-new staff member open up the gift shop.' Article content Article content About 15 minutes after opening the store, she was asked by a man if the painting was for sale. With no price on the painting, the staff member looked it up. The painting, purchased at cost a year ago, had never been changed from inventory to an asset, so it looked like it was available for sale. Article content 'Our staff member was so proud because she could look it up on our computer, and it was there,' said Rowe, adding that a sold sticker had fallen off the painting. Article content The employee then gave the man a price, which was 'a fraction' of the painting's value. Article content 'I said to her, 'you did your job,' ' said Rowe. Article content The Friends of the Bar U know little about the man who bought the painting, other than that he's in his mid-50s, also bought two souvenir pens for his kids and 'knows quality,' said Rowe. Article content Article content Bison on the Western Range, which imagines the land before it became a ranch in the foothills, gives people a sense of why you'd want to put a ranch there, said Rowe. Article content And its frame, by artist Donna Murray, is a 'one-off,' she said. Article content 'Not only the teepee poles that are the frame of it but (also) the hand-pounded copper and the horsehair braiding,' Rowe said of the frame. Article content If the painting is returned, the man will get his money refunded — and 'a big hug' from Rowe. Article content As the sale was not a crime, the Friends of the Bar U is relying on media and social media to help bring the painting home to the Bar U, which had 17,000 visitors last year. Article content The Friends of the Bar U, whose president is former Mantracker host Terry Grant, have at least found something in the situation to laugh about, said Rowe. Article content 'Even Mantracker needs help to bring this painting home and track it down.'
Calgary Herald
15-07-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Historic painting at Bar U gift shop mistakenly sold for 'fraction' of its value
The volunteer group which runs a gift shop at the Bar U Ranch National Historic Site hope to retrieve a painting mistakenly sold last week. Article content The Friends of the Bar U Historic Ranch Association says the painting, Bison on the Western Range by Corrie Buwalda, was purchased on July 8 at the Pekisko Creek General Store, a gift shop at the Bar U Ranch, about 70 kilometres southwest of Calgary. Article content Article content Article content 'It was the perfect storm,' said Laurie Rowe, a director with the volunteer organization, on Tuesday. 'We had a sick call, and we ended up having a brand-new staff member open up the gift shop.' Article content Article content About 15 minutes after opening the store, she was asked by a man if the painting was for sale. With no price on the painting, the staff member looked it up. The painting, purchased at cost a year ago, had never been changed from inventory to an asset, so it looked like it was available for sale. Article content 'Our staff member was so proud because she could look it up on our computer, and it was there,' said Rowe, adding that a sold sticker had fallen off the painting. The employee then gave the man a price which was 'a fraction' of the painting's value. Article content 'As I said to her, 'you did your job,'' said Rowe. Article content The Friends of the Bar U know little about the man who bought the painting, other than that he's in his mid-50s, also bought two souvenir pens for his kids and 'knows quality,' said Rowe. Article content Article content Bison on the Western Range, which imagines the land before it became a ranch in the foothills, gives people a sense of why you'd want to put a ranch there, said Rowe. Article content And its frame, by artist Donna Murray, is a 'one-off,' she said. Article content 'Not only the teepee poles that are the frame of it but (also) the hand-pounded copper and the horsehair braiding,' said Rowe about the frame. Article content The man will get his money refunded for the painting — and 'a big hug' from Rowe. Article content As the sale was not a crime, the Friends of the Bar U is relying on media and social media to help bring the painting home to the Bar U, which had 17,000 visitors last year. Article content The Friends of the Bar U, whose president is former Mantracker host Terry Grant, have at least found something with the situation to laugh about, said Rowe. Article content 'Even Mantracker needs help to bring this painting home and track it down.'
