MuSEEuM Julia Cadney, Collections Assistant at Museum on the Boyne in Alliston, with an 1871 map of Simcoe County, by cartographer John Hogg of Collingwood, published by J. T. Rolph of Toronto.
Financial support for MuSEEum can be made at: igg.me.at/museeum
August 2013 Updated August 17th
MUSEEUM www.issuu.com/museeum
MuSEEuM is published by Don Beaulieu of Springwater Township. This is the rst ofcial edition of the online magazine. Your recommendations, input, submissions and questions are be appreciated.
Don Beaulieu can be contacted at: Exposure@bell.net 705-322-3323 Mailing address is: 1497 County Road 92, Elmvale, Ontario L0L 1P0
Cheques for advertising or sponsorship support should be mailed to the above address and made out to Don Beaulieu. Receipts can be snail-mailed or emailed, as you prefer. Your existing advertisement design is welcome, or Don can design an advertisement for you, based on your supplied information. Advertising is sold per calendar month. See the online advertising rate card for details and dimensions based on the size of a standard letter page.
Introduction to MuSEEuM Blast from the past
3
MuSEEuM • Advertising rates • July to December 2013 • Page 2
6
Wasaga Under Siege; A war of 1812 experience
The Remaking of history
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Don Wall’s report on Wasaga Under Seige
Museum on the Boyne Alliston’s hidden gem
Gore Bay Museum
features Wismer photographic collection
Barrie Art Club
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Pat Guinn is the featured artist this month
Royal Ontario Museum
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11 12
15 Coldwater Canadiana Heritage Museum 16 The hidden life of ants 24 curator solves Martian mystery
SUMAC
Valuable resource for Simcoe County’s cultural community Picnics, teas and history
History of photographic glass plates 25 Alphabetical list of Simcoe County area museums 26 Smithsonian exhibit at the Canadian Museum of Nature
MuSEEuM • July 2013 • Page 3
NOW ON A LAPTOP, COMPUTER, TELEPHONE, or TABLET NEAR YOU!
Museums offer much more than a static, untouchable record of history and pre-history. MuSEEuM intends to impart this to the public, showing the variety of benefits they can enjoy by becoming engaged with these gems of information and insight. No doubt, while the record keeping, archiving and preservation of actual artifacts is critical, it is the often intangible provenance of items which offer the highest value. Sometimes, it is the sheer good luck, the painstaking effort or perhaps totally unusual events leading to the acquisition of a museum piece that bears an interesting story. “I want to convey these stories and entice readers to get out and see the pieces they’ve read about” says publisher Don Beaulieu. “I also know that museum curators and staff often consider themselves to be employed in their ‘dream job’; Using their skills to work in an area they are genuinely interested in and able to share their work with so many people”. Beaulieu and his family have
month. This will be done by highlighting the curators, staff and volunteers, to bring that “people” factor to the forefront. We’ll find out what these insiders consider their favourite pieces and what inspires them at their museum. Promoting upcoming and current temporary exhibits will be an important aspect of MuSEEuM’s content; again, helping to make people aware of what’s going on and coming up next at their local museum; all-the-while conveying the excitement of the curators.
“I’ve had so many experiences with dull-sounding museum exhibit topics proving to be extremely intriguing and engaging, that I want to enlighten people to the intrigue and insight museums provide and combat those misconceptions”. Don Beaulieu, publisher of MuSEEuM. been members of the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto for decades. Beaulieu considers the ROM his favourite place in his favourite city. “There is so much going on there, new exhibits, changing exhibits, lectures, classes and outreach programmes. It is a hive of intellectual activity, but never stuffy”.
What to expect in the magazine
Beaulieu envisions this magazine as a “living document, see-
ing no need to have an entirely new publication each month. “Much of the subject matter will concern timely material; shows, exhibits and such, so as those pass, new articles will take their place”. Non-dated material, such as permanent museum displays may emulate a monthly rotation. Advertising will be booked by the month. The general plan is to feature a couple of museums each
Geographic coverage
No doubt, initial focus will be on museums in Simcoe County, Ontario, Beaulieu’s home turf. The plan is to cover all of Ontario; after all, this is an on-line publication, available beyond the borders of Simcoe County. Eye-catching photographs, interesting and entertaining stories will be key to the success of MuSEEuM. Beaulieu’s experience as a journalist, photographer and graphic artist will ensure an attractive, readable publication. Anticipated regular columns may include a featured curator or volunteer each month. The Continued page 4
...from page 3
cover photograph will likely include a museum staff person, conveying their enthusiasm. A comprehensive listing of Ontario Museums will be a mainstay of each issue. Be sure your museum is included by checking that out, especially as things get rolling here. An index of stories will be included, likely on page 2. Emails and snail mail to the editor are invited. Museums are welcome to send any and all press releases as well as professionally written accounts of their activities, milestones and special events. And of course, for those with budgets
Promote
YOUR
local museum in
Museeum.
Exposure@bell.net
MuSEEuM • August 2013 • Page 4
which must be spent, advertising here is also an option! MuSEEuM will be promoted on-line and in print media; a slew of newspaper articles are in the works for the month of August. Museums featured here will have their stories promoted through submissions to their town’s local newspaper. MuSEEuM hopes to generate new and life-long museumgoers.
Supporting MuSEEuM
If you would like to support Museeum by advertising, you may like to peruse the online rate-card edition showing sizes and prices. Sizes are, in reality, dependent the device which readers are using to read MuSEEuM on, but for practical purposes of comparison and aspect ratios, advertising sizes are presented as if MuSEEuM was produced on a regular, horizontal, sheet of letter paper (8.5” by 11”). These sizes, somewhat irrelevant on-line, offer a stable base to work with. Dynamic graphic design for feature stories will gain a positive first impression, to be complimented by engaging reading. Advertising will be worked into the overall design for a pleasing
look, creating a positive appearance for the magazine’s supporters. At some point, if funding is available, a print version will be considered but is cost prohibitive currently. Individual sponsorships, named or anonymous, are welcome and a column noting such contributions will be considered. It is anticipated that museums themselves will be able to advertise at half the going rates, beginning with January 2014.
Here’s an odd item which can be seen at the Penetanguishene Centennial Museum
PayPal available
Advertising for MuSEEuM can be paid for using PayPal, but not on this site, unfortunately. You need to go to www.Donshots.ca, the publisher’s photography website and click on the Museeum tab. Size options for advertisements will show up in a gallery. Use the shopping cart feature to make your purchase. Otherwise, for the time-being, cheques should be made out to Don Beaulieu. Cash of course, is quite acceptable, if that is convenient.
MUS
e e UM C
BLAST
MuSEEuM • August 2013 • Page 5 Museeum
from the past! Wasaga Under Siege: A War of 1812 experience
ply post. It was guarded by one crudely built blockhouse on the inland side of the river and was the only means of defense which stood between the Americans and the Nancy, if she was to be discovered. The American ships Niagara, Tigress and Scorpion, under the command of Captain A. Sinclair had sailed 13 20 ust 16, 17, 18, Auggu to the mouth of the Notom m .c co 12 2. 8 81 e1 eg si er tawasaga River and dropped d n nd ww.wasagau w ww anchor. They believed the Photo credit not available. Nancy whom they were seeking, was still on route from Fort Michilimackinac. Lt. Miller Worsley of the hind him running almost parPerhaps the Nancy and her British Royal Navy was in a allel to the lakeshore for about crew would escape the Ameritight situation and he knew it. four miles, a piece of watercans after all... From his position at the mouth front, which to future generaof the Nottawasaga River looktions would become a popular Which brings us to... ing out onto Georgian Bay, he tourist destination. Wasaga under Siege “A War could see the sails of three warBut now it was war and of 1812 Experience” is an anships approaching. They were Worley’s main concern was the nual living history festival comnot flying the British Union schooner Nancy which sat anmemorating a War of 1812 Jack, but the Stars and Stripes of chored in the river behind him, battle between Americans, the infant republic to the south. her masts concealed by the British and First Nations which It was August 13th, 1814 and trees. She was his to command, resulted in an American victory Great Britain had been at war along with 21 seamen of the with the sinking of the British with the United States for two Royal Navy, 23 Indians and 9 schooner Nancy. This historic years. From the narrow strip of French Canadian Voyageurs. event eventually led to the land on which Worsley lay, the This was Nottawasaga Landmodern day creation of Nancy Nottawasaga River curved being, an important British supIsland Historic Site located in
present day Wasaga Beach, Ontario. This three day heritage festival managed and operated entirely by volunteers’ features authentic War of 1812 tactics, historical battles, marine assault landings, artillery, and much more. A professional public address announcer narrates each battle event as a series of fictional and historical battle scenarios are presented to the public. The Grand Encampment at Nancy Island Historic Site features over 300 re-enactors opening their living history encampments to the public along with 19th century merchants, artisans, demonstrators, entertainers, live period musical entertainment and much more. Wasaga under Siege “A War of 1812 Experience” allows the local community the opportunity to come together and commemorate its rich local history and in turn creates long-lasting sustainable community bonds through the promotion and preservation of local history.
The re-making of history;
MuSEEuM • August 2013 • Page 6
Wasaga Under Siege, A War of 1812 Experience Story by Don Wall
Event founder and co-ordinator Dave Brunelle, of nearby Penetanguishene, is a high school history teacher who has become so dedicated to promoting heritage events across Ontario that he’s taken a leave of absence from the classroom to take over a historical and military supply business and relocate it to his home town. An avid history buff as a student, he worked during summers at Sainte Marie among the Hurons and Discovery Harbour. Today, as business administrator for the non-profit group Historic Military Establishment of Upper Canada, he’s involved in organizing heritage festivals in Sault Ste. Marie, Barrie, Spencerville and Springwater’s Fort Willow among others. The teacher in Brunelle is never far from the surface. His favourite part of the whole exercise, he says, is “bringing forward the history of the past with regards to the men and women who helped develop the country. “When you show history in a pageant sort of way, it is not just the battles.” Many of the 300 or so re-enactors, at
Wasaga Under Siege, camp out in tents over the three-day weekend in a setting that Brunelle says is as authentic as possible. During the day, when the public is admitted, there are skills presentations, candle-making, coopers making barrels, the sounds of live period musicians, a medicine show, an old-style surgeon, a storyteller who also serves as MC, dueling demonstrations and then, towards the end of each day, the battles, with such themes as Skirmish in the Woods, Defending the Nancy and Gunboats on the River. Visitors are encouraged to walk throughout the encampment and ask questions of the re-enactors. Typical attendance in recent years has been about 20,000. This year, an added attraction will be a visit from eight Tall Ships, gathered from ports across North America. Brunelle’s involvement with Wasaga Under Siege goes beyond administrative duties. He will be camping onsite at the Nancy Island Historic Site Open—appropriately in an officer’s tent—from the Wednesday on and combining his execContinued next page...
Dave Brunelle, business administrator for Historic Military Establishment of Upper Canada/Royal Newfoundland Regiment and heritage festivals organizer. Photo credit not available
...Continued from previous page.
utive duties with educational outreach and military roleplaying. Brunelle, in fact, owns 15 period uniforms and has attended historical festivals across the continent with fellow members of his re-enacting group over the past 20 years, though he prefers local festivals. (The largest event he has attended was overseas, where a Battle of Waterloo re-enactment drew a cast of 13,000.) What is the attitude, he was asked, among his fellow re-enactors as they run about in costume yelling and shooting muskets? Is this playacting serious for some but maybe a Pythonesque lark for others “The hobby is kind of selfregulating, so if you are not abiding by the rules, you get filtered out,” says the married father of four. “There is every degree (of intensity). Every re-enactor is different. You have the hard-
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core re-enactors who tend to want to do everything as authentic as possible, and most re-enactors do, but there are also, I will say, the commonsense re-enactors who can’t do everything today as it was back then, because it is just incompatible to do it. “The general message that comes across is that you are trying to educate the public. And it depends on the programming. We have people who always stay in first person, but then between the demonstrations, I think most re-enactors realize that they are there for the public.” Unlike victories in Stoney Creek and Queenston Heights, the siege of Wasaga ended badly for the British. American soldiers gathering wood discovered the hiding place of the Nancy, which was dramatically undermanned. Brunelle’s Wasaga website explains, “(American)
Photo credit not available
Captain Sinclair anchored his ships in the Bay and proceeded to pound the Nancy and the blockhouse across the narrow neck of land which separated the river from the bay. The situation was hopeless. Lieutenant Worsley decided to destroy the Nancy rather than allow her to fall into enemy hands.” Brunelle the educator knows the numbers handily: “There
were just 45, Royal Navy, voyageurs and natives, and on the American side they had about 300 Americans, so they were out-numbered.” Wasaga Under Siege is presented August 16–18, with programming beginning at 10 a.m. each day. Visit www.wasaga undersiege1812.com for more information.
Photo not credit available
Your support of MuSEEuM by advertising dollars or sponsorship is needed. If you believe in the initiative of MuSEEuM to help promote Ontario museums, please consider a contribution through igg.me.at/museeum. Only a few days remain on that campaign. Contact publisher Don Beaulieu at museeum@bell.net or 705322-3323, or via snail mail. Address in on page 2. Thanks!
Story and photographs by Don Beaulieu
Alliston’s hidden gem;
MuSEEuM • August 2013 • Page 8
Museum on the Boyne
On the north side of the Boyne River, away from Alliston’s through-traffic, Museum on the Boyne resides quietly in a section of Riverdale Park.
MuSEEuM • August 2013 • Page 9
Museum on the Boyne It is too easy to miss coming across this museum just off the beaten path for those passing through the settlement of Alliston. And, with a lack of signage, most people do just that; pass right through town following the directions for Highway 89 on its jog to the west end of town. But just north on King Street North, and across the river, is Fletcher Crescent, home of the very well managed museum. The main building is a wonderful agriculture exhibition hall built in 1914. An 1851 log cabin and an 1858 English barn have been moved to the property as well. Situated in a park (a former horse track from fair days) that includes a playground, this is a perfect spot for family outing. A pool and splash pad are not too far away either. Inside the museum is a glimpse at life in the area from years long passed. The main floor displays most of the museum’s artifacts in rich dioramic style. For example, there’s Sir Frederick Banting’s laboratory, the parlour and a bar. Currently a dining room, a school house setting and a newspaper office, are being added.
Museum and Heritage Co-ordinator Katie Huddleston and Collections Assistant Julia Cadney have some fun behind the original bar from The Globe in Rosemont.
Changing up a few of the semi-permanent displays now and again keeps things interesting for repeat visitors (and staff) and allows new acquisitions to be displayed as well as rotating the current inventory. This ensures most items to be on display at one time or another. One particularly interesting item, currently in storage, is a painting by Sir Frederick Banting (co-discoverer of insulin). Many people may not be aware
that Banting was a painter later in life. The Museum on the Boyne’s piece is rarer than some Banting works, as it is a portrait; he didn’t often paint people; most of his works are landscapes. MuSEEuM will try to have an image of it in our next issue for you to see. In addition to the museum’s own displays, each year a temporary exhibit from another museum is featured. This year is an exception in that two ex-
ibits will be shown. The first one has come and gone. This exhibit, Once Upon a Time, had a Medieval theme and was quite extensive. It included activities and programmes for youngsters to be involved in. Participants made chain mail, coins, knight’s helmets, illuminations, catapults, brass rubbings and more. The children were able to take these objects home to talk about, keep as a reference or just a as
Museum on the Boyne
a souvenir of a fun learning experience. The Medieval exhibit came from the Bruce County Cultural Centre and was a great boost for Museum on the Boyne. Ten grade four classes were able to gain from it directly, in addition to members and regular guests. Currently, an exhibit from the Peterborough Museum and Archives telling of Canadian prohibition and temperence is on display. Keeping all this happening (and much more) and in order, is Museum and Heritage Co-ordinator Katie Huddleston. Although at the helm, she is not alone during the summer. She has Amy Marshall as her assistant curator, Andria Cotton as museum programme co-ordinator, Abigail Doris as programme assistant and Julia Cadney as collections assistant. They are all very enthusiastic about their jobs and are eager to share their knowledge about the artifacts and museum history. These are not just jobs to them; this museum team is genuinely interested in their work. Huddleston has been with the museum since 2007. Her route to Museum on the Boyne came about while she was an-
MuSEEuM • August 2013 • Page 10
ticipating becoming a teacher. She happened upon a summer job at another museum “and I fell in love with it” she says. That stint was at Heritage House Museum in Smith’s Falls, Ontario. While she was working she gained her Certification in Museum Studies, through the Ontario Museums Association. When a maternity leave position came up at the Museum on the Boyne, Huddleston was eager to take advantage of it and gain experience in a different setting. The position become permanent and Huddleston had no qualms about staying on. As with all curators this writer has met, she believes she has found her dream job. She is enthusiastic about another potential exhibit focussing on the architecture of homes in New Tecumseth. The museum has in its midst newspaper clippings and photographs recording many of the area’s older, threatened and vanished residences. Collections assistant, Julia Cadney worked at the museum two summers ago as the curator’s assistant. She’s had a desire to work in museums and has recently been involved in
MuSEEuM • August 2013 • Page 11
Museum on the Boyne continued archaeology in Rome. During her undergraduate years, she became enthralled with Medieval history and will be starting her masters in that subject this year, at the University of Toronto. Cadney says her experience at the museum has definitely helped her education; having an interest in relating artifacts to written history she has been able to satisfy her curiosity while helping the museum keep track of its artifacts. This is a museum where the staff help to bring the displays and artifiacts to life for you and take care to preserve them for future generations. Changing displays give you reason to return.
Museum on the Boyne
Hours:
Summer (June–August)
Mon.–Sun. 10:00am to 3:30pm (Except Holiday Mondays)
Winter (September – June)
Mon.–Fri. 10:00am to 3:30pm Admission: Adult $2.00 Student $1.00 Senior $1.00 Museum members and children under 4 are free
This is a detail of one of the artifacts in the Sir Frederick Banting display at Museum on the Boyne. This container holds vials of suture material. While some
contents may not seem too odd (monolament nylon), others may seem less likely to most of us, such as the silkworm gut and kangaroo tendon.
Comment: Cultural Diversity and Museums Publications
Historical Photography at Gore Bay Museum By David Goa, Program Coordinator, Gore Bay Museum.
We learn much from visiting colleagues and seeing how they shape their museum, and–albeit monetarily–how the museum shapes local society. In fine museum work, the hand of hospitality draws the past into the present & deepens
the self-understanding of the local community. The project undertaken by the Gore Bay Museum on Manitoulin Island has been provocative for the quality of its work & for the way the museum serves as a centre of hospitality. The Wismer Photographic col-
lection, a late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century collection of glass plates, anchors the work of Nicole Rouel Weppler & Ron Silvers at the museum. Through the collection, Nicole and Ron have been Continued on page 25...
C t r A e i r r u l b a B e h t t a t n e l a t f o Lots
water effects. her ability to capture lighting conditions and Pat Guinn of the Barrie Art Club is admired for Field in Spring’. She is seen here at the club by her painting ‘A
MuSEEuM • August 2013 • Page 12
BARRIE ONTARIO—Experienced and aspiring artists come together at the Barrie Art Club. All members have the opportunity to have their works on display, either at the club’s gallery or at a number of venues around town. Banks, other galleries and the city hall are among the outlets at which BAC members can share and offer their art for sale. Currently at their gallery on Dunlop Street West (just east of the Highway 400 overpass and interchange) there are works by a variety of members, using a variety of media. Four exhibits are always on display at the club. In the main gallery there is the member show. Any member can bring in their works based on a different theme each month. During August the theme is “rainbow’s end”. Opposite the member exhibition is a featured artist. This month member Pat Guinn has her art hanging in this space. An often overlooked array of hinged panels hold permanent works belonging to the club. Further into the club’s space is an exhibit area affectionately Continued next page...
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...Continued from previous page
called Le Loo-vre. This wall space happens to be across from the washrooms. Each month another member presents their work in this space. Currently, Le Loo-vre is occupied by a small group within the club, the Abstract Group. As one can imagine, with all these exhibit spaces and variety of artists, it makes for an interesting visit to the gallery!
About the feature artist
Guinn describes her work as “representational”. She works with thin glazes in acrylics. “Smooth blendings are as pleasing to me as textured effects, created by brush strokes, modelling paste or found objects” she explains. She also works with graphite, chalk pastel and most recently oil stick. She likes that these drawing tools can be manipulated with her hands, brush or anything else she feels will achieve the desired affect. It was quite by accident she says, that she started to create paintings which begin as an acrylic representation, but are enhanced with strategically placed layered applications of the oil pigment stick. On inspiration Guinn ex-
Above we see some of the members of the Barrie Art Club’s abstract gro up. From left to right are: Rose Cook, Norma Jacobs, Amelia Barnes and Jo Appleby. plains; “My images reflect the emotional attachment I have with the world around me—its nuances, its courageous colours, its various shapes. They’re all calling to me, saying ‘Capture my magic!’”. Not always able to capture all that “magic” in one image, she will create diptychs and triptychs; a set of images relating to each other. Guinn says she’s has a lot of
fun “as I play and let God direct and inspire me, until the final result appears on the canvas”. A number of other artists will also have work on display during the next two months. There will be a number of abstracts in the club’s Le Loovre gallery, plus a member’s show with images relating to the theme “Rainbow’s end”. The club has a library of permanent work as well.
The Barrie Art Club is located in the plaza at 304 Dunlop Street West; enter at the lights at Hart Drive. Their website is www.barrieartclub.com. You are welcome to visit the club from Tuesday to Friday between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.. Pat Guinn’s art can be also seen at http://www.patrishsart.com .
MuSEEuM • August 2013 • Page 14
Nature publishes paper authored by Royal Ontario Museum curator ROM research on meteorite by Dr. Kim Tait solves old Martian puzzle
TORONTO, ONTARIO , JULY 24, 2013—In a major discovery released in the scientific journal Nature, Royal Ontario Museum curator Dr. Kim Tait and colleagues have solved an age old riddle in geologic history of Mars. The study involved a Martian meteorite, from the ROM’s collection, named NWA 5298. It was found that this space rock started as a 200 million-yearold lava flow on Mars. This conclusion has settled a long standing debate about the age of this type of Martian meteorite and indicates that at least some of the Martian surface is young-by geologic standards. Full details can be found in the paper titled, “Solving the Martian meteorite age conundrum using micro-baddeleyite and launch-generated zircon.” The team conducted geochronogical testing on tiny crystals found in NWA 5298 by examining the precise composition of these crystals. “With the ROM’s capacity and expertise in the field of Martian meteorites, research carried out on NWA 5298 was a timely opportunity for The Museum’s Mineralogy department to further expand our expertise and to collaborate with international colleagues. Through this study published in Na-
ture, we have unlocked an important key towards understanding the application of geochronology and of the Red Planet itself,” said Dr. Kim Tait, ROM Curator, Mineralogy. With the team’s research findings, Tait and her colleagues provide a much clearer picture of the Red Planet's evolution that can now be compared to that of the Earth and other rocky planets in our Solar System and beyond. The team, comprised of scientists from the ROM, the University of Western Ontario, the University of Wyoming, University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Portsmouth, also discovered crystals that grew while the meteorite was launched from Mars towards Earth. This discovery, allows them to narrow down the timing to less than 20 million years ago while also identifying possible launch locations on the flanks of the supervolcanoes at the Martian equator. Discovered in March of 2008 in Northwest Africa, and acquired by the ROM in 2009, NWA 5298 is a part of the ROM’s meteorite collection; one of the largest in the world.
Sumac Simcoe County’s Cultural Network
Sumac, Simcoe County’s Cultural Network is an eclectic collective of Simcoe County’s cultural places. Its current 15 members of museums and galleries represent a broad range of product offerings and price points. Collectively, the partner members offer a broad-reaching array of unique and distinctive products including: exhibits and buildings illustrating the history of Simcoe County from prehistoric times to the present; displays of military equipment and vehicles from all areas of Canadian military history; exhibits that celebrate the heritage of the Ontario Provincial Police; collections of Canadian contemporary, decorative and fine art; film screenings and live theatre educational programming for K-12 based on provincial curriculum expectations. Booking a Cultural Places Pass through your local library enables you to become a ‘Friend for the Day’ at 10 Sumac locations. This allows you access to all the benefits of being a member of that specific cultural in-
stitution the day you visit. There are many benefits to being a friend of a museum or art gallery. Some sites give discounts in their gift shops, or on classes and lecture series, maybe even day camp fees. Each location offers something as unique as the site itself. Make sure you discuss membership at the front desk while you are handing over your Cultural Places Pass. As with most things in life there are exceptions to this pass: Coldwater Canadiana Heritage Museum is not able to provide a free pass but has arranged a 2 for 1 discount for Cultural Places Pass holders to enjoy their traditional Devon Tea on Wednesday afternoons throughout July and August. Sainte Marie among the Hurons and Discovery Harbour, also not able to provide a free pass, will continue to honour the $2 off coupon available at www.saintemarieamongthehurons.on.ca or www.discoveryharbour.on.ca Sumac is supported by the Trillium Foundation. The website www.sumac.info offers a significant amount of information on cultural activities and outlets in Simcoe County.
MuSEEuM • August 2013 • Page 15
Computers
9-A Queen St. W., Elmvale, Ontario Phone: 705-322-1997 Fax: 705-322-0910 e c Email: gscom@simcoe.net n tena Mainntracts! Monday to Friday - 9:00am-6:00pm co Saturday - 9:00am-4:00pm
igg.me.at/museeum
Write your own history...
What brings you back to your favourite museum? Let us know; Send a note (high quality photographs are acceptable) to MuSEEuM. Perhaps you have a fascinating or a possibly humourous story about a visit to a museum; please share it with us. Send a your story to MuSEEuM at Exposure@bell.net or send a snail mail to: Don Beaulieu 1497 County Road 92, Elmvale, Ontario L0L 1P0
MuSEEuM • August 2013 • Page 16
A beautiful place to visit...
r e t a w d l Co adiana Canitage Herseum Mu ing;
t t e s l fu e c a e p A t as p e h t t i is v , x a l e r o t e a plac , t h g i r is g n i m i t r u o y f i . c i d s u an m d n a s t i u c is b , a e t f enjoy a cup o
ra Story and photog
ieu phs by Don Beaul
...and some would love to live here!
MuSEEuM • August 2013 • Page 17
The Woodrow family homestead
Above is a Woodrow family portrait taken outside their original cabin. At least one psychic has said this was a happy household and Archibald Woodrow still sits, looking at the replace, happy with what has become of his family home which he says he’ll never leave. During the late 1900s, the house had been clad with siding, but now sports its original log construction (left). Perfect for a picnic. The history is a bonus for the curious. One can marvel at the blossoms along the river walkway and gardens, or become fascinated by the artifacts. There are shade trees and picnic tables on the grounds, and a warm welcome and hot tea inside if you desire. The Coldwater Canadiana
Museum has a lot to offer, with its log cabin homestead and several out-buildings. It is open May through to October. Museum volunteers invite you to “awaken your senses and experience voices from the past”. The museum offers a glimpse of the area’s story of rural and village life from 1830 through
to 1950. The Woodrow Homestead, a log house originally built in the 1830′s holds the main collection of artifacts and includes the Maime Gray Tea Room. This room was the original structure for the Woodrow family on this site. In 1865, the front portion was added, due
to the expanding family. It is this addition which has become the iconic image of the museum. What is now called Woodrow Road was a stage coach route back then. Currently, the property consists of 6.5 acres, and the farmland Continued next page...
MuSEEuM • August 2013 • Page 18
...Continued from previous page.
which was once a part of the property is now a golf course. A number of out-buildings have been relocated to the property and contain a bevy of relics of commercial, family and agricultural life. A Board of Directors and numerous volunteers keep the museum running, with one paid staff member to look after opening the buildings, host the gift shop and do general cleaning. Everyone is looking forward to 2015 and celebrating the 50th anniversary of the museum. Curator and Director Wayne Scott is a walking historic encyclopedia of the museum property, able to rhyme off dates and events like it was yesterday. He and his cohorts have great plans for the future of the museum. They have tasked themselves with planning an interpretive centre for the property; a “proper” museum facility. The current museum, the Woodrow homestead, would be returned to its state circa 1870. Fewer than one thousand people visit the museum in a year, currently. With added features of a brand new building, that number could grow expo-
This pair of taxidermied Greater Yellowlegs in a hanging diorama, is this writer’s favourite piece at the Coldwater Canadiana Heritage Museum. Likely made during the Victorian era (June 1837 to January 1901) it shows the birds behind an oval glass bubble and includes the muddy pond bottom, largely the lower third of the scene.
nentially and include a greater number of younger people. The new facility will offer proper archive storage, office space, greater display space, a theatre and banquet facilities. The group is also working to have the location designated as a heritage site, to offer protection from development and help ensure it is here for future generations to enjoy.
Lynn, Bill, Wendy and Bonnie (left to right) were enjoying a picnic on the grounds before visiting the museum this summer. Shade and picnic tables abound.
Coldwater Canadiana Heritage Museum
Coldwater Canadiana Heritage Museum staffer Hailee Collaoisisseen seenhere heredemonstrating demonstratingthe theKing KingEdward Edwardvacuum vacuumcleaner. cleaner. Haley Collao
King Edward Vacuum Cleaner In the early 20th century, there were several non-electric vacuum cleaners invented in England, France, and the United States. Most of these inventions required two people to operate them. One person would pump while the other vacuumed. Besides hand cranking, there were also foot-operated models available, There was even a Swiss vacuum cleaner invention that used a rocking chair for pumping. The problem with many of these vacuums was that they didn't capture the dirt and dust; they only redistributed it by blowing it elswhere, through a hose. This King Edward Vacuum Model was manufactured in Woodstock Ontario and was designed for in home use. This model was used in the 1900’s. The following are excerpts from the original instruction manual for this device. … the more rapid the rocking of the lever, the greater the suction … the Carpet Cleaner was never intended or designed to draw up matches, toothpicks etc. as most respectable people see to it that such things as these do not litter up their best carpets. If this machine fails to lift up a piece of lint from your carpet, don’t condemn it because the reason is a very simple one … This machine weighs less, does more and is a handsomer piece of furniture than any other Vacuum Cleaner made.
MuSEEuM • August 2013 • Page 19 Notes courtesy of the Coldwater Canandian Heritage Museum.
MuSEEuM • August 2013 • Page 20
Coldwater Canadiana Heritage Museum
Devon tea is very popular at the Coldwater Canadiana Heritage Museum
This group of museum supporters enjoy getting out for Devon Tea a couple of times a year. Pictured around the table from left to right are: Jane Walker, David Walker, Tracey Devine, Bill Devine, Suzanne Clarke, Rachel Devine and Genevieve Devine. David’s great-great grandfather, Edmund Walker and his wife Sarah (nee Woodrow) portrait hangs over the mantle in the Maime Gray tea room, the original cabin built by the Woodrow family. Note cards on the elegantly set tables at the Devon Tea on Wednesday at the Coldwater Museum tell of the origins of afternoon teas and Devon teas: “Formal afternoon tea is a specific meal consisting of crustless sandwiches, scones, crumpets, cookies, tea cakes, lemon curd, chocolate, seasonal fruit, jams, marmalades, cream, butter and of course, tea. “Afternoon Tea, also referred to as Low Tea, is usually served in a parlor setting at 4 p.m.
“High Tea is usually served after 5 p.m. and is a hearty meal consisting of cold cuts, meat pies and cheese, along with baked goods, cream, jams and hearty black tea. The industrial revolution spurred the advent of this tea, for the menu was planned to satiate hungry men returning home from an arduous day at work. “There is also the Cream Tea which consists of a scone, butContinued on page 22...
Sarah and Edmund
Walker
Sarah was a daughter of Archibald and Catherine Woodrow. She was born and raised in the house now serving as the museum. Sarah and Edmund’s family consisted of four boys and ve girls. The Walker homestead was not far from the Woodrow homestead.
Musicians often perform during the Devon Tea at the museum. Above we see Jim Harris playing a hammer dulcimer. His repertoire of classic and popular melodies is a wonderful backdrop to tea and biscuits in the historic building.
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Windo w to
While in Coldwater to see the Coldwater Canadiana Heritage Museum, visit these local businesses too!
Coldwater, Ontario Shelley B’s
www.flowernook.com flowernook1@rogers.com
Fashions & Accessories
24 Coldwater Road, Coldwater, Ontario 705-686-3814
Jan–May–closed Monday, June to Dec–open 7 days a week
Unique Christmas Décor items, jigsaw puzzles, educational games and toys, Christmas tree ornaments, greeting cards, candles, baby toys, family board games and so much more.
C. L. Bell’s barber shop has been recreated at the Coldwater Canadian Heritage Museum. Coldwater is considered to be the second oldest community in Ontario with Penetanguishene being the oldest.
10 Coldwater Road Coldwater, Ontario L0K 1E0 705-686-3883 cvillager@eastlink.ca www.thechristmasvillager.ca
ART PRINTS L GIFTWARE
24 Coldwater Road, Coldwater, Ontario 705-686-3814
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...Continued from page 20 ter, Devon cream or whipped cream, jam, marmalade and tea. “A Champagne Tea is the addition of a glass of Champagne to the afternoon tea menu. “The tradition of Afternoon Tea started in the early 1800s when Anna, Seventh Duchess of Bedford, asked her servants to bring her tea and cakes to ward off that “sinking feeling” that always came upon her in the late afternoon. Soon, it became all the rage for the upper echelons of British society to serve tea and baked goods, jams, cream, sandwiches and cakes in the afternoon. “Afternoon tea reached new heights during the 1900s when tea dances were the big social gatherings. Clubs and hotels would host dances and serve tea with sweet and savoury delights while jazz and swing music played in the background. “Currently, afternoon tea is fast becoming a preferred setting for business meetings where relaxation and conversation are the focus.” The Coldwater Canadiana Heritage Museum can be booked for events and weddings. Excellent information and base costs are available on their website (www.cold watermuseum.com), or telephone 705-955-1930.
Origins of the Devon Cream Tea
After piecing together fragments of manuscripts, it has been determined that the people to be thanked for creating the Devons’ favourite dish are the monks of Tavistock’s Beneictine Abbey. The Abby was established in the 10th century, but was plundered and badly damaged by a band of marauding Vikings in 997AD. It took a lot of work to restore the Abbey and the task was undertaken by Ordulf, Earl of Devon. His father Ordgar, Earl of Devon, had been responsible for establishing the Abbey in the first place. Ordulf was helped by local workers and to reward them, the monks fed them with bread, clotted cream and strawberry preserves. And thusly, the Devon cream tea was born. You are invited to the Museum for Devon Tea every Wednesday in July and August from 1 pm until 4 pm when the main homestead building is turned into a tea room. No reservations required. Special presentations have been scheduled every Wednesday. Price is $8.00 per person and $4.00 for children. Devon Teas are also available during opening hours Monday through Sunday, in the Maime Grey Tea Room and Gift Shop.
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Button exhibit
on display for 2013
A special display is prepared each year in the CCHM. This year the theme is buttons. This exhibit was put together by Wayne Scott, curator/director and board member Elaine Scott, director/event co-ordinator. It does not contain much label information, but certainly shows some interesting designs and materials. Toggles are also included. This writer suspected some of the red buttons may be made of Bakelite, but testing on a couple of them did not provide positive results. Scott says the museum has boxes and boxes of buttons. If you have a particular interest or knowledge of buttons, perhaps you can offer some help to the museum in identifying material, age or origins.
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Coldwater Canadiana Heritage Museum curator/director Wayne Scott is seen here during a television interview for Rogers Cable. Coldwater Canadiana Museum is open to labour day, Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission by donation.
From September to Thanksgiving weekend, by appointment. Address is: 1474 Woodrow Road, Coldwater, Ontario. Telephone: 705-955-1930
’re more u o y e r e h W name! than just a COLD BEER • GOOD FOOD • GREAT TIMES • 705-686-3735
705-686-7999 Delivery available after 5 p.m. IN town; minimum $20 order OUT OF town; min. $25 order
Dine in Sun.-Wed. 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday to Saturday to midnight.
29 COLDWATER ROAD, COLDWATER, ONTARIO
“The current mandate of the Coldwater Canadiana Museum is the same as the group of people who first saw the need and vision for the museum back in 1965“ says Wayne Scott. “In order to preserve the history of this area, they had to do something” he says. “They realized this area has a wealth of history. In order to preserve it for young people and the community so they don’t loose sight of who we are and where we came from and the contributions made.” He considers the museum a “place for discovery and a place of memories”. “I haven’t met anybody who hasn’t come in here and fallen in love with it” he says about visitor reaction to the museum.
www.coldwatermuseum.com
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Farmers, warriors, builders: The hidden life of ants
Amazing photo exhibition from the Smithsonian about ants comes to Canadian Museum of Nature OTTAWA, JULY 24, 2013—Ants are everywhere. Though small in size, they form complex societies and dominate their ecosystems as much as humans do. Farmers, Warriors, Builders: The Hidden Life of Ants—an exhibition of 39 largescale photos by award-winning photographer Mark W. Moffet—opened July 26, 2013 at the Canadian Museum of Nature (CMN). This travelling exhibition is organized by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and circulated by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). The CMN’s presentation of this exhibition is locally sponsored by Orkin Canada. “We’re excited to be the first Canadian venue for this special exhibition from the Smithsonian,” says Meg Beckel, President and CEO of the Canadian Museum of Nature. “These amazing images provide unique insights into a part of the natural world that is mostly hidden from view.” “Orkin Canada appreciates the marvels of nature,” says Dan Dawson, National Marketing Manager, Orkin Canada. “We believe that every pest has a place, and our goal is to educate the public about their complex communities in hopes that we will all have a greater understanding and appreciation for these common creatures, and the role they play in our ecosystem.” Moffett, a true adventurer who has travelled the world photographing ants, has been called the “Indiana Jones of Entomology” by the National Geographic Society. His superb images, shot with a macro lens, show his tiny subjects hunting, commu-
nicating, dealing with disease and managing agriculture. “What fascinated me most in preparing this exhibit is that modern humans can be much more like ants than we are like our relatives, the chimpanzees,” said Moffett. “With our societies of millions, only ants and humans deal with issues of public health and environmental safety, roadways and traffic control, assembly lines and teamwork, market economics and voting, slavery and mass warfare.” As a special highlight, the show will include live colonies of harvester ants and honey pot ants, which will be added to the Museum’s permanent Animalium exhibition following the closing of Ants. Visitors will also see a three-dimensional aluminum cast of an ant nest and touchable oversized ant models. The model of a leaf-cutter worker ant has been blown up to 50 times its actual size to show how it uses its body to work and survive in the colony. Moffett has written several books as well as more than 25 articles for National Geographic magazine, which has featured nearly 500 of his images. He received a doctorate from acclaimed conservationist Edward O. Wilson at Harvard University, as well as numerous awards over the years. Farmers, Warriors, Builders: The Hidden Life of Ants complements the Museum’s summer programming theme on live animals, and is included in the general admission fee. The Canadian Museum of Nature is located at 240 McLeod Street in Ottawa. Follow the Museum on Twitter (@museumofnature). Like us on Facebook.
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exploring a number of issues I would like to raise for the consideration of colleagues working with photographic materials.
Atmosphere of the photograph
Ron Silvers has moved beyond simply paying attention to the photograph for the sake of its subject. He’s worked to recover the techniques and materials used by the historic photographer and to print the glass plates as they were originally printed. The atmosphere is central to both the subject an to the knowledge the photograph bears witness to, as a cultural document. Respect for the original technique and materials is essential to our understanding of the photographer’s art and the sensibilities of the day. We need to be careful not to reduce the historic photograph to simple information when its capacity is so much greater.
Presence as photographer’s art
For those of us in museums who use photography as a means of documentation, there is another lesson to be learned from the study of the Wismer collection. There’s a kind of relaxed confidence in the subjects that shows the photographer’s relationship to them. This, Silvers suggests, is the result of the pho-
tographer’s presence and regard for the subject–a kind of chaste intimacy free of voyeurism. Silvers, a photographer and scholar, has brought to the study of the Wismer collection the insight he gained from three summers travelling through the countryside of the Tibetan Plateau among the people of Ladakh. His visual essay ‘A Pause on the Path’ is wonderful, where word and image speak together to help us understand gaze, atmosphere and the very particular relationship of the photographer to other beings. This is the project of the Gore Bay Museum, which is located in a former jail next to the Island’s courthouse. As for Nicole Weppler’s work at the museum, her remarkable sense of hospitality has transformed the jail–with its memories of pain and sorrow–into a place of refuge, healing and beauty. A regard for quality, for the art of presence and for the challenges faing all of us living in a world of saturated images has animated the remarkable Gore Bay Museum in its work of opening up pathways to self-understanding and the enjoyment of the local world.
MuSEEuM • August 2013 • Page 25
A brief background on photographic glass plates
Photographic plates preceded photographic film as a target medium in photography. A light-sensitive emulsion of silver salts was applied to a glass plate. This form of photographic material largely faded from the consumer market in the early years of the 20th century, as more convenient and less fragile films were introduced. However, photographic plates were still in use by some photography businesses until the 1970s, and were in wide use by the professional astronomical community as late as the 1990s. Such plates respond to ~2% of light received. Glass plates were far superior to film for research-quality imaging because they were extremely stable and less likely to bend or distort, especially in large-format frames for wide-field imaging. Early plates used the very inconvenient wet collodion process which was replaced late in the 19th century by gelatin dry plates.
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Museums in Simcoe County
Additional counties will be added to this feature.
Museum, Location & Contact
Season and hours of operation
Admission
Brief description
Canadian Forces Base Borden Military Museum CFB Borden (Angus, Ontario) 27 Ram Street Telephone: 705-423-3531 Facsimile: 705-423-3623 Email: beaton.sl@forces.gc.ca Website: www.borden.forces.gc.ca
Open all year. Tuesday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday & Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Closed the day following a long weekend, Christmas week and Easter weekend.
Free. Donations are accepted. Groups are welcome by appointment; $2 per person with a minimum of 10 people in a group.
This museum is one of Canada’s largest military museums. It holds a significant collection of WWI, WWII and post-war armoured vehicles, trucks and aircraft. The museum complex consists of several buildings and a memorial park.
Coldwater Canadiana Heritage Museum 1474 Woodrow Road, Coldwater, Ontario (west of Highway 12) Telephone: 705-955-1930 Website: www.coldwatermuseum.com
May 24 to Thanksgiving weekend. May, June, July and August to Labour Day: Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sundays 1 to 4 p.m. September to Thanksgiving: Weekends by appointment.
By donation. A Devon tea is offered for $8 per person, $4 for children, which includes admission.
The main building is the locally historic Woodrow homestead built in the 1830s, along an old stage coach route (Woodrow Road). It houses Coldwater artifacts from 1830 to 1950 with several out-buildings. The 6.5 acre setting allows picnics and there is a river trail.
Collingwood Museum 45 St. Paul Street, Collingwood, Ontario. Telephone: 705-445-4811 Email: museum@collingwood.ca Website: www.collingwood.ca/museum
May to October: Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thanksgiving to May: Monday, Tuesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
By donation. A $2 minimum is suggested. Any amount is welcome. Memberships: Adult $15.00 Children $10.00 Family $35.00 All plus HST
This museum is housed in the city’s former railway station. There are changing exhibits throughout the year. Collingwood’s heritage and its ship-building history are featured.
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Museums in Simcoe County
Additional counties will be added to this feature.
Museum, Location & Contact
Season and hours of operation
Admission
Brief description
Discovery Harbour 93 Jury Drive, Penetanguishene, Ontario Telephone: 705-526-7838 Website: www.discoveryharbour.on.ca
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. May 21 to June 29: Tuesday to Saturday June 30 to September 1: 7 days a week September 5 to 8 & September 12 to 15. Last admission at 4:30 p.m.
Adult $7.00 Seniors $6.25 Youth $5.25 5 and under are free.
Discovery Harbour tells the story of the original 19th century naval and military outpost built to safeguard Upper Canada after the War of 1812. On-site restaurant, gift shop & King’s Wharf Theatre.
Huronia Museum and Huron/Ouendat Village 549 Little Lake Park (off King Street) Telephone: 705-526-2844 Facsimile: 705-527-6622 Email: info@huroniamuseum.com Website: www.huroniamuseum.com
May 1 to October 31: Monday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. November 1 to April 30: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Last admission 45 minutes prior to closing time.
Adult (18-64) $10.00 Seniors (65+) $7.00 Children (5-17) $5.00
Huronia Museum features a replica of a pre-contact Huron/Ouendat village, including lookout tower, wigwam and a fullsize longhouse. The museum also has an exhibit gallery featuring tens of thousands of historic artifacts ranging from photographs, native archaeology, geology, art by the Group of Seven and others.
Leacock Museum, National Historic Site 50 Museum Drive, Orillia, Ontario (off Highway 12, east edge of the city) Telephone: 705-329-1908 facsimile: 705-326-5578 Website: www.leacockmuseum.com
June to September: Daily 9 p.m. to 8 p.m. November to May: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Adult $5.00 Seniors $4.00 Students $3.00 Under 3 are priceless Family rate $12.00
The 19 room white stucco home was designed and built by author, humourist and economist Stephen Butler Leacock. Here, he wrote most of his works. Café open Monday to Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., June to Sept.
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Museums in Simcoe County
Additional counties will be added to this feature.
Museum, Location & Contact
Season and hours of operation
Admission
Brief description
Museum on the Boyne 250 Fletcher Crescent, (Riverdale Park) Alliston, Ontario. Telephone: 705-435-0167 Facsimile: 705-434-3006 Email: boynemuseum@town.newtecu mseth.on.ca Website: www.newtecumseth.ca/visitors /museum-on-the-boyne-2/
Open all year. June to August: Daily 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. September to May: Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Adult $2.00 Students and Seniors $1 Group tours by appointment.
Museum on the Boyne features a 1915 agricultural fair building, an 1851 log cabin and an 1858 English barn. It houses a collection of household, agricultural, industrial and archival artifacts depicting South Simcoe from settlement to current. Climate-controlled main building, wheelchair accessible, washrooms, picnic area.
Nancy Island Historic Site Wasaga Beach Provincial Park, Mosley Street at Third Street. Telephone: 705-429-2516 During operating season telephone: 705-429-2728 Website: www.wasagabeachpark.com
Open weekends and by special appointment following Victoria Day, open daily from June 18th to Labour Day, and weekends and by special appointment from Labour Day to Thanksgiving Monday. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Ontario Parks daily vehicle permit. Group reservations are accepted and required for guided tours.
This site is a memorial to the supply schooner Nancy, attacked and destroyed in the Nottawasaga River, August 1914. The charred hull rests on view, in an enclosure. Water travel pre-1812 is highlighted in the museum.
This is a BANNER QUARTER PAGE ADVERTISEMENT SPACE 113/16 inches by 10 inches.
To December 2013 the cost is only: $15 per month.
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Museums in Simcoe County
Additional counties will be added to this feature.
Museum, Location & Contact
Season and hours of operation
Admission
Brief description
Ontario Provincial Police Museum 777 Memorial Avenue (OPP General Headquarters), Orillia, Ontario Telephone: 705-329-6889 Facsimile: 705-329-6618 Email: opp.m8museum@ontario.ca website: www.opp.ca/museum
Open year-round, closed on statutory holidays, Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Free. Self-guided. Please call ahead for large groups as gallery space is limited.
The gallery features engaging exhibits profiling more than 100 years of proud policing tradition. There is a creative and interactive kid space with forensic activities. Children can dress-up in uniforms and see vintage vehicles. Wheelchair accessible, free parking, washrooms and cafeteria.
Orillia Museum of Art and History 30 Peter Street South, Orillia, Ontario Telephone: 705-326-2159 Email: info@orilliamuseum.org Website: www.orilliamuseum.org
Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Not noted on their website.
The OMAH offers a changing schedule of art exhibitions by international, national and regional artists. Other exhibits bring Orillia’s history to life with artifacts and archival materials.
Penetanguishene Centennial Museum and Archives 13 Burke Street, Penetanguishene, Ontario Telephone: 705-549-2150 Website: www.pencenmuseum.com
Open all year. Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Noon to 4:30. Closed Sundays during winter.
Adult $4.50 Senior $5.00 Students $3.50 Under 5 are free. Groups up to 100 in number, any age, can be accommodated. 10 or more receive $1.00 off regular admission.
This museum is housed in the C. Beck General Store and Lumber Office, built circa 1875. It preserves the history of the area with Victoriana, farm implements and the first car of Simcoe County, a 1901 Oldsmobile.
You can support Musseum at: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/museeum/x/2979257
Museums in Simcoe County
MuSEEuM • August 2013 • Page 30
Additional Counties and map(s) will be added to this feature.
Museum, Location & Contact
Season and hours of operation
Admission
Brief description
Sainte-Marie Among the Hurons 16164 Highway 12 East, Midland, Ontario (east of town, opposite Martyrs’ Shrine) Telephone: 705-526-7838 Website: www.saintmarieamongthehur ons.on.ca
April 8 to May 17: Weekdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 18 to October 13: Daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. October 14 to November 22: Weekdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Spring and Fall: Adult $10.00 Senior $8.75 Students $9.25 Youth $8.75 Summer: Adult $12.00 Senior $10.00 Students $10.50 Youth $8.75 5 and under are free.
This was the 17th century headquarters for the French Jesuit mission to the Huron. It is a nationally significant historic site with 25 reconstructed buildings including barracks, a church, workshops, residences and Aboriginal shelters that illustrate the 17th century community in Upper Canada. Bilingual. Restaurant. Picnic area. Washrooms. Gift shop.
Simcoe County Museum 1151 Highway 26, west of Highway 27 (north of Barrie) Telephone: 705-728-3721 Facsimile: 705-728-9130 Website: www.museum.simcoe.ca
Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed Good Friday, East Sunday, Christmas day, Boxing day and New Year’s day.
Adult $6.00 Senior & student $5.00 Child $4.00 Pre-schoolers are free. Groups (minimum of 10) please confirm with museum. Tours available with preregistration at special group rates.
The human history of Simcoe County is reflected from prehistory to the 20th century. It is a climate-controlled complex plus 16 outdoor heritage and display buildings which includes agricultural machinery, pioneer church, log cabin, train station and a 1900 schoolhouse, mastodon tusk, hair wreaths, wedding gowns, dioramas. Picnic tables.