The Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village and Museum has received a major collection of rare trucks from the estate of the late Norm Richards, with volunteers recently completing a two-day effort to bring the vehicles from Lethbridge to Moose Jaw. The collection will be housed in a new 50-by-120-foot building being constructed at the museum and named for Richards and his wife, Jean Richards. Evan Davis, a board member with the Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village and Museum, said Richards had been working on the project himself before his death in April at age 91. “He had made the contract with us and the contract with the builder to build the building,” Davis said. Richards had originally planned to transfer his truck collection to the museum over several years after the building was completed. His death meant the museum had to arrange the move sooner than expected. A two-day convoy Davis travelled to Lethbridge ahead of the move to meet with Richards' family and the executors of his will and determine what needed to be transported. About a dozen volunteers then took part in the move, with six travelling from Moose Jaw with trailers and support vehicles. The group spent Friday loading trucks, parts and other items Richards had collected throughout his life. The final three trucks were loaded Saturday morning with help from Chris Barber of Stewart Valley, who volunteered his semi to haul the vehicles. The convoy left Lethbridge around noon Saturday and arrived in Moose Jaw later that day. “By that evening, most of the trucks were safely tucked in Norm's new building,” Davis said. The move brought together museum members and community volunteers who helped with what Davis described as a significant undertaking. Related Stories: Sukanen Ship Museum receives two donations valued at above six figures Sukanen Ship Museum offers history, activities for families this Sunday Sukanen Ship museum gears up for another Show and Shine season Sukanen antiques show draws crowds and new vendors ▶️ Stream this news story: 800 CHAB, Country 100, Mix 103 A one-of-a-kind truck One vehicle required a separate effort. The Red Cliff truck had been stored in a garage in Lethbridge for 25 years. Volunteers moved it out of the garage for the first time in a quarter-century and transported it across Lethbridge to its current storage location. Davis said the truck is exceptionally rare and difficult to put a monetary value on. “The Red Cliff is so rare because it is the only one that is almost impossible to put value,” he said. The truck was not part of the main convoy to Moose Jaw. Davis said the Red Cliff is among the rare vehicles connected to Richards' collection, adding to the significance of preserving the vehicles together. More than a truck collection Richards' donation includes more than the vehicles themselves. Parts, pieces and other items he accumulated over his lifetime will also be displayed with the trucks. The new building will provide additional space beyond Richards' collection, allowing the museum to display other rare vehicles as well. Davis said the museum already has a significant number of rare and one-of-a-kind trucks, including vehicles owned by the museum and private collectors. Those trucks are expected to eventually join Richards' vehicles in the new building. “It will be a building full of very rare, very unique trucks that you won't see anywhere else,” Davis said. He said the collection is significant because vehicles of this type are not commonly found in Canada. A six-figure donation Davis said it is difficult to place an exact value on the collection because of the rarity of several of the vehicles. Rather than assigning a specific dollar amount, he described the building and collection as a donation worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. The building itself is still being completed, with concrete, flooring and drywall work remaining. Davis said the donation represents a major addition to the museum. “Donations like this don't come along every day,” he said. Once completed, the building will preserve Richards' collection while giving the Sukanen museum additional space to showcase some of the rarest vehicles in its collection.