Battleford in Battle River No. 438, Saskatchewan — The Prairie Region (North America)

A Tribute to Frederick George Light

Businessman, Collector and Keeper of Historic Faith

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 14, 2022

1. A Tribute to Frederick George Light Marker

Inscription.
Born 20 April, 1908, at Fort Battleford, the youngest son of Staff Sergeant Frederic Walter Light, North West Mounted Police, and Mrs. Light (Nee Phyllis Young), he attended Battleford elementary and secondary schools. A student of the celebrated Historian, Campbell Innes, he was always involved in the preservation and restoration of Western historic artifacts as they pertained to Battleford and the early Northwest. He was a well-known and respected businessman; famous for one of the best gun collection in North America; renowned for hist restoration of Gardiner Presbyterian Church and St. Vital’s School, which eventually became Fred Light Museum.

On this day, 2 June, 1991, on behalf of all who have known and enjoyed his unique personality, and the many thousands who have admired and been enlightened by his work — we say, “Thank You!”
Battleford Museum Board
Battleford, Saskatchewan
Historic Capitol of the Northwest Territories
1878-1882

Erected 1991 by Battleford Museum Board.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Education • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical date for this entry is April 20, 1908.

Location. 52° 44.048′ N,

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108° 18.085′ W. Marker is in Battleford, Saskatchewan, in Battle River No. 438. It is at the intersection of Central Avenue and 20th Street West, on the right when traveling north on Central Avenue. The marker is located in front of the Battleford Visitor Information Centre / Fred Light Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 11 20th Street West, Battleford SK S0M 0E0, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Parkland Saskatchewan.

It is also in the Prairies.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony

and also Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: North West Rebellion / L'insurrection du Nord-Ouest (approx. 0.7 kilometers away); Fort Battleford (approx. 0.8 kilometers away); Telegraph Flat (approx. 2 kilometers away); The Saskatchewan Herald (approx. 2 kilometers away); North-West Council Government House (approx. 2.3 kilometers away); Land Registry Office

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 14, 2022

2. A Tribute to Frederick George Light Marker

The marker is mounted on a brick and stone pedestal.

(approx. 2.4 kilometers away); Battleford Land Registry Building (approx. 2.4 kilometers away); Seat of the Territorial Government 1878-1883 (approx. 2.5 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Battleford.

Also see . . . Frederick George Light (About Fred Light Museum).

(Story by Daryl Jones) Excerpt: Fred developed an early interest in antiques and their history, but it wasn’t until he sold his service stations, Lighthouses #1 and #2 in Battleford in 1966, that his hobbies became a full-time pastime. He raised funds from community donations and contributed his own money and labour to restore the abandoned Gardiner Presbyterian Church. The building housed his growing collection until the former church was filled to the rafters.
By 1974 St. Vital Public Catholic School could no longer house its growing student population and a new, larger school was built across the avenue. Another round of fund-raising began and in 1975 Fred’s collection moved into the two schoolrooms on the first floor of the former school and continued to expand until the entire building was packed with displays. The Fred Light
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 14, 2022

3. Fred Light Museum
The marker is located in front of the Fred Light Museum, on the left side of the entrance.
Museum had arrived.
Fred was always a keen outdoorsman, and the walls and ceiling of his Lighthouse #1 service station were used to display his gun collection with rifle displays on the ceiling arrayed around bulls-eye targets. As the collection’s reputation spread, people would frequently drop off guns at the garage to donate. Following his retirement, his interest in acquiring examples of early firearms became a focus of his collecting. Over the years Fred travelled far and wide to add to his collection, acquiring increasingly rare and unique items including early matchlocks and flintlocks, muzzleloaders, multi-barreled revolvers, rifles, swords and bayonets, some dating back to the 1600s. The collection has continued to grow under the stewardship of long-time Museum Manager Bernadette Leslie and now holds nearly 400 firearms, among the largest such collections in Western Canada.

(Submitted on December 12, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on December 12, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 10, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 115 times since then and 89 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 12, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.