Description of Historic Place

The Almighty Voice Jailhouse is a Municipal Heritage Property located on a 2-hectare museum site in the Town of Duck Lake. The property features a one-room stucco-clad wooden structure constructed in the 1890s.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Almighty Voice Jailhouse lies in its status as the original North West Mounted Police (NWMP) jail that held Almighty Voice, who was arrested and imprisoned by the NWMP at Duck Lake in October 1895 for killing a cow. His people hungry, and having been refused permission from the local Indian agent to kill their own cattle for food, Almighty Voice killed the animal to feed his family, which resulted in his arrest. He escaped, however, and a week later killed the NWMP sergeant who was pursuing him. This led the police on a two-year manhunt and culminated in a two-day skirmish that involved 90 Mounted Policemen and Almighty Voice. This conflict resulted in the death of two officers, a civilian, Almighty Voice, and two of his companions. This jailhouse serves as a reminder of the story of Almighty Voice and his challenge to government authority.

Heritage value also resides in the building's vernacular construction, which reflects the makeshift types of jails used by the North West Mounted Police. Its basic one-room, log construction speaks to its simple yet functional use and the limited number of barred windows reflects its use as a place of detention.

Source:

Town of Duck Lake Bylaw No. 3004.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Almighty Voice Jailhouse resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements relating to its material and forms which reflect its use as a NWMP jail, including its simple log construction and its barred windows.