For 14 years, Pierre Pelland’s free heritage museum has been a window into Manitoba’s past. As he now prepares to close it down for good on Sept. 15, he reflects on the collection that gave him a new lease on life.

The decision, he says, was not made lightly.

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“I’ve got no choice. The body is a little bit beat up too much,” Pelland said. “I can’t do a regular day anymore and it’s been like that for a few years. Life goes on. I am not complaining.”

His mission was a simple one.

“It’s always been free. That was the biggest thing for me. I didn’t want to charge nobody nothing,” Pelland explained.

“Other museums call me all the time, (asking) ‘How do you make a living out of it?’” he said, “and I tell them it’s not about making money. This one’s about giving back.”

For the whole story, watch the video above.