A Very Special 100th Birthday

Ray Gionet, curator of the Discovery Centre's Railroad Museum, recently reached out to Kim Krause of the Schreiber Media Centre for assistance with a special project. As a curator, Gionet often receives intriguing items from both residents and non-residents wishing to donate to the museum. One such item, now prominently featured in a special section at the Discovery Centre, was originally donated over ten years ago to the old museum.

The item in question is a wooden carving of a World War II battleship, brought in by John Malyna, a Winnipeg resident and former prison guard at a POW camp near Schreiber. The ship was carved by a German soldier detained at the camp and eventually came into Malyna's possession. It remained in his family's attic for years until he decided to donate it to the Schreiber Museum.

Malyna has also played a covert role in the community's Remembrance Day art project. Each November 11th, students from local public and Catholic schools submit drawings commemorating soldiers and events from World War II. A contest is held, and prizes are awarded to the top entries, funded by anonymous donations from Malyna.

This year, marking Malyna's 100th birthday, a special surprise was planned by Gionet and Linda Williamson of the Schreiber Public Library. Students were given paper badges and asked to create artwork as a thank-you gift for Malyna, honouring his support for the museum, the art contest, and his service as a veteran. The badge idea was inspired by Malyna's hobby of collecting police badges from around the world, many of which are displayed at the Discovery Centre alongside his reconditioned battleship in the POW section.

The Schreiber Media Centre recorded birthday greetings, and Gionet conducted a mini walkthrough of the Discovery Centre as a special tribute. The badges were sent to Malyna by courier, and on his 100th birthday, friends and family gathered to present the badges and watch his birthday greeting.