A lifelong collector, Sam
Waller called himself a "Pack
Rat" and referred to his
museum as a "Clutter-torium".
Following in the tradition
of the Victorian-era
collector of oddities and
curiosities, he amassed an
astounding and eclectic array
of unusual items over his

lifetime. But more than a
mere collector, Sam was also
a dedicated and knowledgeable
naturalist, a taxidermist,
and a serious museum curator
and teacher.
   As a teacher, first in
northern Ontario and then at
various Aboriginal schools in
central Manitoba, Sam used

items from his growing
collection as visual aids to
overcome language barriers in
the classroom. In 1958, upon
retiring from teaching, Sam
opened his "Little Northern
Museum", sometimes referred
to as "The Biggest Little
Museum in the World". There,
he explained, he hoped to

"portray life as it once was
in the distant past". He
intended for his Museum to
"give the young the
opportunity to see visions
and the old to dream again
their dreams".
   The new attraction was
popular with both locals and
visitors, with over 5,000