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One of the benefits of this extreme isolation, was Sam had time to write. It was here that Sam wrote stories such as "Dennis in the Northland" (~1937), "Gallio cared for none of these things" (1944) "Parson Heddy's Christmas" (1947), and "Christmas at Jackhead" and poems such as "life consisteth not in the abundance of things we possess" (1937) and "Others laboured, and ye are entered into their labours" (1938).

However, Sam had more than just teaching responsibilities. He was also responsible for distributing medicine and the upkeep of the small one room schoolhouse and others.

In 1939 (the beginning of WWII) Sam left Jackhead Mission for the Residential MacKay School at Big Eddy just north of The Pas and then as principal at The Pas Indian Day School in 1942 when it burnt down. He was paid $80.00 per month and he had to get a "War Job" during the school holidays in order to have enough money. It was here that Sam continued to amass his collection and began to consider the idea of starting a museum.

During the summer of 1954, Sam moved his collection into a schoolroom of the Annex and stayed at the Rupert House then he relocated to the Chemawawin Indian Day School at Cedar Lake for a brief period. It was his first time teaching away from his collection, but he continued collecting new specimens while he was there. Now that Cedar Lake is flooded out, the specimens he collected are the only records from the area. He relied on the trader Pete Pouliot for his mail and transportation to and from The Pas.

15

Summer Holiday
circa 1947



Credits:
Sam Waller Museum Collection

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In 1957 Sam retired from teaching, but continued to teach occasionally. Even though he no longer needed his large collection as a teaching aid, he did not want to discard it and instead wanted a place in which he could display it. Since his salary would not cover the cost of a building, he purchased a lot of land from a friend and was provided with two long, narrow buildings (bunkhouses) from The Pas Lumber Company. He moved them onto his lot arranged in a t-shape. It was then Sam realized he needed a provincial license to run a museum and the application was intended for a much larger establishment and included questions that were not relevant to his. Discouraged, Sam took the application to the Town Offices for help. An official there simply took the papers and told Sam he would handle it. Soon after, Sam received his license. He officially opened the Museum's doors February 1, 1958. Living on his meager pensions and the proceeds of the donation box, he offered a unique experience to the museum visitors. This was the beginning of the Little Northern Museum and it was the first of its kind in the north outside of Winnipeg.

In 1960 Sam found out he was diabetic and his health began to deteriorate. His greatest fear was that he would end up in a care-home. However, this was not to be his fate.

As his collection had long outgrown its home due to Sam's scrounging, trading, and field collecting as well as through the donations of his many visitors, the Rotary Club built an expansion to the Little Northern Museum as a centennial project. It was a bungalow style building that housed both Sam and his collection and it opened its doors September 1, 1970.

17

Students Outside School
circa 1939
Jackhead, Manitoba, Canada


Credits:
Sam Waller Museum Collection

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On February 21, 1973 Sam's long-time dream of securing the integrity of his museum collection for the future was realized when the Town of The Pas finally agreed to assume responsibility for the Little Northern Museum collection and to operate it as a public facility.

Sam received recognition late in his life from many sources. A large sulphur butterfly, Colea gigantica Walleri, was named after him. He became a Manitoba Golden Boy, Honorary Citizen of Winnipeg, and Honorary member of the Manitoba Naturalists Society. Just before Sam passed away, he also won an honorary membership to The Pas Rotary Club and a citizenship award ("Certificate of Appreciation") presented by Councilor Ron Bernstrom, chairman of the museum committee in commemoration of the Museum's 20th anniversary (1958-78). The Museum of Mankind in London, England also developed a display, after his death, featuring artifacts from Moose Factory given to them by Sam and a biography about him was of course included.

In January of 1978 Sam had a pneumonia attack and on March 18th he was taken to the hospital with laboured breathing and died rather quickly. As per his wishes, he was buried in the Big Eddy Cemetery overlooking the valley with Pike Lake at the bottom.