Guelph Museums

Portraits – Stories of Black Canadian Military Service
2025-08-23 08:00 - 2026-02-22 17:00 (America/Toronto) | Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
From pre-Confederation conflicts through to the war in Afghanistan, Black Canadians have a proud tradition of military service. They have fought and died for freedom abroad, even as they have struggled against discrimination at home.
Portraits – Stories of Black Canadian Military Service, a new travelling exhibition circulated by the Canadian War Museum, celebrates the contributions of Black Canadians in the military through compelling accounts of service and sacrifice from across the country.
The exhibition highlights the contributions and experiences of Black men and women from Nova Scotia and southern Ontario — two historic centres of Black migration — as well as from other parts of Canada.
Visitors will recognize familiar names and events, such as the story of William Hall, one of Canada’s first recipients of the Victoria Cross. They will also discover many lesser-known stories, like that of Connie and Kathleen Brown, twin sisters who served during the Second World War.
Guelph Museums has developed a unique, localized chapter within the national narrative of the touring exhibition. This addendum focuses on the history of Black military service and migration to Guelph, Ontario, including the story of First World War servicemen Henry Francis Courtney, Victor Goines, Gordon Goines, and Tom Malott who served in the No. 2 Construction Battalion, the largest all-Black unit in Canadian military history.
Portraits – Stories of Black Canadian Military Service was developed by the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa in partnership with the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia, Halifax and the Niagara Military Museum, Niagara Falls.

Alvie Burden
Courtesy of Eric Brunt

Alvie Burden
Avec l’aimable autorisation d’Eric Blunt

Connie and Kathleen Brown
Niagara Military Museum

Connie et Kathleen Brown
Niagara Military Museum

David Johnson in Korea
Niagara Military Museum

David Johnson en Corée
Niagara Military Museum

Molly Lamb Bobak Private Roy, Canadian Women’s Army Corps,1946
Beaverbrook Collection of War Art Canadian War Museum CWM 19710261-1626

Molly Lamb Bobak Soldat Roy, Service féminin de l’armée canadienne, 1946
Collection Beaverbrook d’art militaire Musée canadien de la guerre MCG 19710261-1626

Piping Nights at McCrae Memorial Gardens
2025-09-10 18:30 - 20:00 | McCrae House, 108 Water Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 1A6, Canada
The Guelph Pipe Band offers a full performance in uniform starting at 6:30 p.m. They will play a variety of tunes that they perform at competitions. and the pipe major will share information about the music and the band. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs

Military Lecture: The Cold War in Canada by Dr. Sara Matthews
2025-09-18 19:00 - 20:30 | Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
Did you know that the Region of Waterloo is home to a Cold War nuclear shelter? Built in 1966 and designed by the same architectural firm responsible for the CN Tower, the bunker was constructed to ensure the continuity of government in the event of a catastrophic nuclear strike. Join Dr. Sara Matthews for a discussion about how communities imagined nuclear survival and the role of Canadian Cold War propaganda. Together we will explore the visual communication of public safety and consider the question, “how is citizenship constructed in relation to threat?”
Doors open at 6:30 pm and the presentation starts at 7:00 pm, followed by a question period.
The lecture premiered in-person at the Civic Museum, and online via our Facebook livestream. The recorded conversation is available on Facebook, YouTube, and our Museum Everywhere Portal. Guelph Museums’ Military Lecture series is presented in partnership with the Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada.
Watch The Recording

About the Speaker

Dr Sara Matthews is Associate Professor in Communication Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University. Working in the field of critical security studies, her projects explore the relations between visual culture and martial politics as well as how communities craft creative modes of relationality and survival in response to practices of state securitization.

Making Roots: Welcoming Week Art Workshop with Taras Lachowsky
2025-09-21 13:00 - 16:00 | Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
Celebrate connection, creativity, and community with Guelph-based Ukrainian artist Taras Lachowsky during this special Welcoming Week art workshop. Designed to bring together longtime residents and newcomers alike, this drop-in session invites participants to explore the unifying power of art through hands-on creativity.
Guided by Lachowsky, you’ll experiment with a variety of artmaking techniques while reflecting on the symbol of the tree – a powerful metaphor for connection, growth, and setting down roots in a new place. Whether you’re new to Guelph or have called it home forever, this workshop offers a space to share stories, make art, and build community.
Welcoming Week is a global annual campaign that connects neighbours of all backgrounds through community activities and events, reaffirming welcoming values, fostering a mutual understanding between immigrants and non-immigrants, and building a deeper sense of belonging for Newcomers and all.
About The Artist:

Taras Lachowsky is a multidisciplinary artist whose work is deeply rooted in his Ukrainian heritage and community engagement. Based in Guelph, Lachowsky blends traditional and contemporary techniques to explore themes of identity, belonging, and cultural resilience. His workshops are known for fostering inclusive, reflective spaces where creativity becomes a bridge between people and cultures.

Fourth Friday: Gary Diggins and Luc Julian
2025-09-26 17:00 - 21:00 | Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
Step into an evening of immersive sound and soulful reflection as Gary Diggins and Luc Julian present Music as Medicine, a concert that explores the healing power of music through global traditions. This unique performance features instruments and sound practices passed down by knowledge keepers from cultures across Africa, India, and beyond – affirming the timeless truth that sound can nourish the soul.
Diggins and Julian have studied with mentors and wisdom holders around the world, learning to use music not just as art, but as a tool for wellbeing. Their collaboration blends acoustic textures, meditative rhythms, and deep listening to create a space of connection and renewal.
On Fourth Fridays, admission to the Civic Museum is by donation starting at 5 p.m., with performances beginning at 7 p.m. Cash bar.
About The Artists:
Gary Diggins is an expressive arts practitioner, educator, and author who has spent over 40 years exploring the intersection of sound and healing. His musical path has taken him across continents—from India to Africa, Europe to Israel, and even to the stage of Carnegie Hall. His work blends acoustic world instruments with deep listening and therapeutic intention, offering audiences a unique and transformative experience.
From an early age, Luc Julian was immersed in a world where spirituality, music, and cultural exchange were deeply intertwined. Raised in Sierra Leone, West Africa, where his parents were engaged in community work, Julian developed a deep respect for diverse traditions. Upon returning to Canada, he took up the cello at the age of seven, an instrument he played with natural ease and devotion. During his studies at Wilfrid Laurier University, he found himself disillusioned by the competitive pressures of the classical music world. Searching for a deeper connection to music beyond technical mastery, he left University and traveled to St. Louis in Senegal, where he began his first lessons on the Kora, a 21-string West African harp. After completing his studies with cellist Paul Pulford, Julian moved to Toronto, where he became deeply involved in a range of musical scenes as well as studying Soundwork with Gary Diggins.
Julian and Diggins performed together at Carnegie Hall as part of the New York Global Music Competition in 2023.

Truth & Reconciliation Day After-School Event
2025-09-30 15:30 - 17:30 | Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
On the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Guelph Indigenous Community Council, Guelph Outdoor School, and Guelph Museums offer an after-school gathering that honours the children lost to residential schools and supports the healing of survivors and their families.
Children, youth, and community members are invited to come together in a spirit of remembrance and renewal. Guided by the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, through land-based and Indigenous teachings—including a sacred fire, indoor and outdoor activities, and a special raptor presentation —we will celebrate the language, ceremony, community, and joy that were unjustly taken.
Image Credit: Michelle Stoney, Gitxsan

The Song Blanket: A Storytelling Concert with Rebecca Hass
2025-09-30 19:00 - 20:00 | Private: Market Square, 1 Carden Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H3A1, Canada
Blankets are more than warmth—they are memory, protection, and legacy. In The Song Blanket, Métis artist Rebecca Hass (Georgian Bay Métis, French, German, English) invites us into a deeply personal and powerful journey through story and song, woven from the threads of her family’s hidden history and the teachings passed down through her granny’s quilts.
This intimate performance honours the matriarchs—those who sewed, wove, and dreamed their love into every stitch. Drawing on traditional knowledge shared with her, Rebecca shares songs written for drum, guitar, and flute, activating “blood memory”—a connection to ancestors, known and unknown. Audiences are invited not only to witness, but to participate, learning a song that carries the teachings of the quilt home with them.
The Song Blanket is a work in development, ahead of its anticipated full premiere at New York’s Symphony Space in 2026. This special Guelph presentation offers a rare opportunity to experience the heart of the piece in an intimate setting, where personal story becomes collective reflection.
Join us as we gather on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour the enduring strength of Indigenous matriarchs.

Railway Day at Locomotive 6167
2025-10-04 11:00 - 13:30 | John Galt Park, 15-147 Woolwich Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H3V1, Canada
Gather around the largest object in the Guelph Museums collection, Locomotive 6167, for family fun, learning and creativity. Meet the Locomotive 6167 volunteer crew. Enjoy music, crafts and train-inspired activities.

Music from Brad Woods and the Great Wooden Trio
Children’s entertainment with Senior Banana Manuel Hernandez
Crafts with Guelph Calligraphy guild Geraldine Howitt
More Crafts with the Guelph Museums Visitor Experience staff

Tales From the Hill: Guelph Guild of Storytellers
2025-10-09 18:30 - 20:30, 2025-11-13 18:30 - 20:30, 2026-01-08 19:00 - 20:30 | Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
Tales from the Hill is presented by the Guelph Guild of Storytellers and features a guest teller in addition to Guild tellers. The evening includes hot cider, light refreshments, and conversation. Guests are invited to register a telling or participate during the open mic storytelling.
Tales from the Hill runs on the second Wednesday or Thursday of each month from October to May.
Guests can arrive at 6:30 pm for casual socializing, call to order at 7:00 pm for storytelling, followed by time for more visits.

Military Lecture: Historical Reenacting: Why On Earth Do People Do This
2025-10-16 18:30 - 20:30 | Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
Drawing upon his 20+ years of experience as a War of 1812 reenactor, Tom Fournier will talk about his motivation for being a reenactor. He will share his memories on the field, travelling the globe, meeting royalty, and even experiencing the paranormal.
Tom started as a lowly private, not wanting any responsibility as he already managed an intense corporate career. Circumstances prevailed, however, and Tom embarked on a steady journey of promotion. He currently serves as the senior commander for all War of 1812 reenactors portraying British or Canadian soldiers in North America.
Tom will use an image rich slide show to support his talk and will also have on hand a number of uniforms, accoutrements and weapons for examination.
Doors open at 6:30 and the presentation starts at 7:00 pm, followed by a question period.
The lecture premiered in-person at the Civic Museum. Due to technical difficulties, a recorded conversation is unavailable. Guelph Museums’ Military Lecture series is presented in partnership with the Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada.
About the Speaker

In his working life, after concluding a 30+ year corporate career, with much of it spent as a national sales manager, Tom Fourier founded and currently operates two Cambridge-based businesses.
Tom has a passion for history, particularly the Napoleonic era and the War of 1812. He has written extensively about both, as well as presenting lectures and participating on podcasts.
Tom also has several volunteer involvements, including co-chairing history conferences and live stream events with the History Symposium, a Canadian not-for-profit and charitable organization. Tom was the chair of the popular War of 1812 conference held at the University of Guelph in 2012. He is a member of the White Hackle Council, the regimental council supporting the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada. He is also involved with promoting history through his volunteer work in War of 1812 reenacting, where he assumed command as the Brigadier General of the Crown Forces North America in 2024.
Tom’s reenacting career has taken him to events in Canada, the United States and Europe.
He resides in Cambridge, Ontario.

Fourth Friday: Diwali Celebration with UW Mehfil
2025-10-24 17:00 - 21:00 | Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
Celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, with a vibrant performance by UW Mehfil, the University of Waterloo’s South Asian Music Club, and a host of Diwali-inspired activities, including mehndi painting and festive crafts.
Through music and storytelling, UW Mehfil captures the spirit of Diwali: light over darkness, unity in diversity, and the joy of coming together in celebration. Their repertoire spans Bollywood classics, soulful Sufi melodies, and energetic Western fusions, creating an unforgettable soundtrack for the evening. Expect heart-stirring ballads, foot-tapping rhythms, and an atmosphere brimming with warmth, colour, and festivity.
Admission by donation starting at 5 p.m., with the performance starting at 7 p.m. Cash bar.
About the Artist:
UW Mehfil celebrates the rich diversity of South Asian culture through music, blending traditional genres with innovative contemporary styles. Their performances offer a space for connection, creativity, and community -bringing people together through the universal language of music

We Remember: Beaded Poppy Workshop with Naomi Smith (Chippewas of Nawash)
2025-10-25 10:00 - 2025-10-26 16:30 | Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
Create an embossed beaded poppy pin or pendant. This two-day workshop offers traditional teachings and an introduction to Indigenous raised beading techniques and working with deer hide. The 2025 poppy design may also include quill work.
All are welcome (recommended 15 years old and up). Comfort with hand sewing is an asset. Participants should bring a basic sewing kit, including small flat nose pliers, small scissors, thimble, and magnifier.
Lunch is not provided/included. Participants are welcome to bring a bagged lunch or to pick up lunch in the area.
Preregistration via Eventbrite is required. Space is limited to 20 participants with six spaces reserved for Indigenous participants.
Note: the workshop will run from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. The workshop fee is $238+HST ($180 for registration + $58 for poppy-making kit materials).

Guelph Film Festival x Guelph Museums
2025-11-08 11:30 - 16:00 | Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
The Guelph Film Festival, a documentary film festival presenting stories that explore themes of social justice, the environment, and community building, presents two screenings at the Civic Museum.
Feature Screening: The Next
11:30 AM
At the end of her mother’s life, decolonial writer Julietta Singh returns to her childhood home. As she unearths its layered history, she discovers 140 years of forgotten matriarchs and untold political legacies. In this genre-defying collaboration, the home becomes a space of radical storytelling and cross-community connection.
Watch trailer
Shorts Series: films TBD
2:30 PM
Tickets available at https://guelphfilmfestival.ca/

Remembrance Day
2025-11-11 08:30 - 17:00 | Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
Join us on Remembrance Day to pause, reflect, and give thanks to those served and sacrificed, and those who continue to serve.

McCrae House and Guelph Civic Museum will be open to the public with admission by donation
Royal Canadian Legion Col. John McCrae Memorial Branch 234 Flag Service at 8:55 a.m. at McCrae Memorial Gardens featuring wreath laying, a minute of silence, and The Last Post.
John McCrae Public School Remembrance Assembly at 11:00 a.m. at McCrae Memorial Gardens

Liberation and Remembrance Symposium
2025-11-15 10:00 - 17:00 | Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
This year marks 80 years since the end of the Second World War and the liberation of Europe. Eight decades later we reflect on Canada’s contributions to the war effort, unsung heroes and narratives that remained “under the radar,” and the lessons that resonate today, lest we forget.
Doors open at 9:15 a.m. Each presentation will last approximately 45 minutes followed by a question period. Snacks and lunch will be provided, and a cash bar will be available.

10 a.m.-“Stories of Black Canadian Military Service” by Jade Ferguson
11 a.m.-“The Royal Canadian Air Force during the Liberation” by Mike Bechthold
12 p.m.-Lunch catered
1 p.m.- “The Joy and Anxiety of Liberation, 1944/1945” by Geoff Hayes
2 p.m.-“The Royal Canadian Navy and the Liberation of North-West Europe” by Roger Sarty
3 p.m.-“Underwater Munitions and the Environmental Legacies of the Second World War” by Alex Souchen
4 p.m.-“La Montanara, a musical remembrance of the Italian Campaign.” by Mike Ford and Murray Foster

Preregistration via Eventbrite is required. A student discount of $40+HST is available.
Header image credit: Dutch civilians and Canadian Army troops celebrating the Liberation of the Netherlands, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Celebrating_Liberation_.png
About The Presenters
Jade Ferguson-“Duty and Discrimination: Black Soldiers and the Struggle for Civil Rights” at 10 a.m.

This talk explores the motivations and experiences of Black soldiers, particularly during World War I, who saw military service as a path to prove their duty, earn citizenships, and affirm their manhood. Despite facing segregation and menial assignments, Black soldiers sought to use their service to gain respect, achieve racial uplift, and fight for political equality. This talk examines the sacrifice and service of local Black men who served in the No. 2 Construction Battalion and the 107th Pioneer Battalion.
Jade Ferguson is an Associate Professor in the School of Theatre, English, and Creative Writing and the Assistant Vice President, Academic Equity and Anti-Racism at the University of Guelph. Her research focuses on segregation and civil rights activism in Canada. She is currently writing a book entitled “Jim Crow Canada: Segregation and Civil Rights in Canadian Literature and Art.”
Mike Bechthold-“The Royal Canadian Air Force during the Liberation” at 11 a.m.

Mike Bechthold holds a PhD in History from the University of New South Wales, Canberra, Australia and an MA & Honours BA from Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Mike is the author or editor of eight books and numerous articles. His most recent monograph is “Flying to Victory: Raymond Collishaw and the Western Desert Campaign,” (University of Oklahoma Press, 2017) and he is the co-author of a series of guidebooks about the Canadian battlefields of the Second World War. He specializes in the fields of military air power (especially tactical air operations in the First and Second World Wars), the Canadian army in Normandy and Northwest Europe, and the Canadian Corps in the Great War.
Bechthold was recently employed as a historian with the Royal Canadian Air Force History and Heritage section. He has taught history at Wilfrid Laurier University, the University of Waterloo, Conestoga College, and the Schulich School of Business at York University. For 22 years he worked as the Communications Director of the Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies and the Managing Editor of Canadian Military History, an academic quarterly journal. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society in the UK, a Fellow of the Gregg Centre for the Study of War and Society at the University of New Brunswick, a Research Fellow at Nipissing University Centre for the Study of War, Atrocity, and Genocide, and he recently served as the Executive Director of the Juno Beach Centre Association.
Geoff Hayes-“The Joy and Anxiety of Liberation, 1944/45” at 1 p.m.

The Dutch people still celebrate the role that Canadian troops played in the liberation of the Netherlands. With good reason. The occupation and the liberation came at an enormous cost to the Dutch people. But that joy brought anxiety. While Canadian soldiers needed to get home, Dutch civilians needed to get on with their lives. This talk explores some of the complexities of liberation in 1944 and 1945.
Geoff Hayes is a professor of history at the University of Waterloo where he teaches Canadian and Canadian military history. He is also the editor of Canadian Military History. His current research centres on the challenge of morale in the wartime Canadian army.
Roger Sarty-“The Royal Canadian Navy and the Liberation of North-West Europe” at 2 p.m.

The Canadian navy, at the peak of its wartime expansion with 90,000 personnel and more than 250 seagoing warships, played a major part in the Allied victory campaign in Europe. From early 1944 the Canadian navy took over responsibility for the escort of Allied convoys across the North Atlantic, while dispatching destroyers and frigates to protect British waters in preparation for the Normandy invasion in June 1944. The navy committed a hundred warships crewed by 10,000 personnel to the landings and follow on operations in northern France. These forces, strengthened with fresh ships and personnel from Canada, then operated all along the European coast into the Arctic, engaged in some of the most intense combats of the war against a still capable and determined enemy.
Roger Sarty began his career as a historian at the Department of National Defence, and later moved to the Canadian War Museum where became deputy director. In 2004 he joined the History Department at Wilfrid Laurier University, and retired in 2022. Roger co-authored the two-volume official history of the Royal Canadian Navy in the Second World War, and has published several other books on Canadian naval history.
Alex Souchen-“Underwater Munitions and the Environmental Legacies of the Second World War” at 3 p.m.

When the Second World War ended in 1945 the Allied powers encountered an enormous problem: how to destroy the immense stockpiles of surplus and captured weapons and munitions leftover in Europe and around the world. This presentation will explore that history by examining how and why millions of tons of conventional and chemical munitions ended up underwater, dumped there by Allied forces to expedite demobilization. The presentation will also discuss the role of historians and historical research in addressing the environmental legacies of the Second World War and especially these dangerous weapons corroding away at the bottom of the world’s oceans and lakes
Dr. Alex Souchen is an Associate Professor at the University of Guelph, cross-appointed between the Department of History and the Bachelor of Arts and Sciences Program. His interdisciplinary research explores the history of science and technology and the environmental legacies of warfare in the 20th century. He is the author of “War Junk: Munitions Disposal and Postwar Reconstruction in Canada,” (published by UBC Press in 2020), and co-editor of “Silent Partners: The Origins and Influence of Canada’s Military-Industrial Complex,” (published by UBC Press in 2023). He has also published many articles on military pollution and the ocean dumping of munitions after the World Wars in North America and Europe. His next book will examine the history of Canada’s industrial front during the Second World War and the environmental and health risks of explosives production.
Mike Ford and Murray Foster-“La Montanara: A musical remembrance of the Italian campaign” at 4 p.m.
Ford and Foster bring a wealth of musical achievements: their diverse projects (including as members of Great Big Sea and Moxy Früvous) have sold well over half a million albums, garnered numerous songwriting awards, received nominations for multiple Juno and Canadian Folk Music Awards, earned a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, and have created critically acclaimed musicals, films, and internationally performed historical plays.
“La Montanara” by Mike Ford and Murray Foster is an original song-cycle exploring Canadian soldiers’ involvement in the Italian campaign of 1943-45. Inspired by the writings of Farley Mowat, Fred Sederberg, Mark Zuehlke, Caroline Moorehead, Tim Cook and others, this performance presents a musical tapestry that spans various styles, with masterful guitar work and soaring harmonies that evoke the passion, sacrifice, camaraderie, and challenges central to the Italian Campaign.

La Montanara: Remembrance and Liberation Tea and Musical Performance
2025-11-16 12:30 - 17:30 | Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
Commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and the Liberation of Europe with a special performance of La Montanara, a new musical remembrance performance by Mike Ford and Murray Foster, served with tea and Italian-inspired treats.
There are two seatings – 12:30 p.m. & 3:30 p.m.
La Montanara, an original song-cycle performed by Mike Ford and Murray Foster, explores Canadian soldiers’ involvement in the Italian campaign of 1943-45. Inspired by the writings of Farley Mowat, Fred Sederberg, Mark Zuehlke, Caroline Moorehead, Tim Cook and others, this performance presents a musical tapestry that spans various styles, with masterful guitar work and soaring harmonies that evoke the passion, sacrifice, camaraderie and challenges central to the Italian Campaign.
Ford and Foster bring a wealth of musical achievements: their diverse projects (including as members of Great Big Sea and Moxy Früvous) have sold well over half a million albums, garnered numerous songwriting awards, received nominations for multiple Juno and Canadian Folk Music Awards, earned a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, and have created critically acclaimed musicals, films, and internationally performed historical plays.
Preregistration via Eventbrite is required. Cost is $29+HST per participant.

Military Lecture: Training the Ukrainian Army Before Russia Attacked
2025-11-20 19:00 - 20:30 | Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
Capt. Jeff Fry will share his experience training the Ukrainian army before the start of the war with Russia. Capt. Fry was deployed on OP UNIFIER in Ukraine from July 2020 to May 2021 where he served as the Officer Development Team Lead at the Odessa Military Academy and Airborne Assault School. He will talk about instructing Ukrainian officer cadets on Troop Leading Procedure and Ukrainian Army Brigade Staff on Military Decision Making Process (OPP), and advising and assisting Academy staff at a national level to develop new course material and training.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the presentation starts at 7 p.m., followed by a question period.
The lecture premiered in-person at the Civic Museum. The recorded conversation is available on YouTube, and our Museum Everywhere Portal. Guelph Museums’ Military Lecture series is presented in partnership with the Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada.
Watch The Recording

About The Speaker
Captain Jeffrey Allan Fry, CD was born in Toronto Ontario on 20 March 1976 and raised in Guelph after his family moved for work in 1982. After completing high school, Captain Fry was enrolled into the Army Reserve in 1995. He served two years with the Royal Highland Fusiliers in Cambridge after completing basic training. In the winter of 1997, he was accepted as an Officer Cadet. In the spring and summer of 1997, Captain Fry completed Phases 1 and 2 at the Combat Training Centre at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, New Brunswick.
Upon moving to Toronto in 1998, Captain Fry transferred to the Governor General’s Horse Guards and was selected to attend the armoured crew commander course with Royal Canadian Armoured School (Wainwright, Alberta) during the summer of 1998. After completion of the course, he returned to the regiment and continued armoured officer OJT. In June 1999, he returned to Wainwright, Alberta and completed the armoured Troop Leader course.
Captain Fry continued to serve with the GGHG as a troop leader in A Squadron and subsequently a battle captain until moving back to Guelph Ontario for civilian work in 2001.
On his return to Guelph, he was attached to the 11th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery. After some persuasion, the decision was made to officially transfer to the Royal Canadian Artillery and, in 2002 Captain Fry attended the Command Post Officer and Reconnaissance Officer course, Royal Canadian Artillery School. He returned to the regiment and was employed as a Command Post Officer and Reconnaissance Officer in the autumn of 2002. He attended the Officer Staff Course, Canadian Army Staff College Toronto from January to April 2003.
Between 2002 and 2009, Captain Fry held various positions, including Command Post Officer, Reconnaissance Officer, Gun Position Officer, Battle Captain and Adjutant. In 2009 he transferred to inactive supplementary reserve to start a civilian company.
In 2016, while still residing in Guelph, Captain Fry returned to primary reserve with the 7th Toronto Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery as there were no positions available with 11th Field Regiment. He proudly accepted the chance to return to the Royal Canadian Artillery when a position was made available at 7th Toronto Regiment. He returned as CPO, GPO, Recce O and then, BK 9 Battery.
While serving with 7th Toronto, he deployed with the CAF support to flooding in Northern Ontario OP Lentus from April to June 2019 as Officer Commanding A Company, 32 Brigade. During this command, 32 Brigade conducted a Relief in Place of Regular Army (2 Brigade led by the 3rd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment), and was the largest Reserve relief of Regular army since WW2.
In June 2019 Captain Fry attended the Army Tactics and Operations Course, Tactics School, Gagetown and, in September 2019 returned to 11th Field Regiment in Guelph Ontario as the Battle Captain of 29 Battery.As part of the CAF response to the COVID Pandemic, Captain Fry deployed on OP Laser between April and July 2020 as a Company 2IC and subsequently OC of B Coy, 31 Territorial Brigade Group.
Captain Fry is a graduate of the Canadian Army Command and Staff College (2024) in Kingston Ontario and currently is the Battery Commander for 29 Battery Guelph and, 16 Battery (the operational field battery).
Captain Fry has spent his civilian career in investment banking and commercial real estate and has experience working in Canada, US, UK and Europe.
Honours and Awards:
Canadian Forces Decoration (CD)
Special Service Medal (SSM)

Fourth Friday: War And Peace: Songs And Monologues by Rhapsodius
2025-11-28 17:00 - 21:00 | Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
Join us for a powerful evening of reflection and artistry, as we commemorate Remembrance Month with a special performance of War and Peace: Songs and Monologues.
Rhapsodius (Andrew Craig) returns with this evocative work, originally commissioned for McCrae House Backyard Theatre. Inspired by John McCrae’s iconic poem In Flanders Fields, Rhapsodius weaves music and spoken word into a stirring performance that inspires reflection and remembrance.
Arrive early to experience the Portraits – Stories of Black Canadian Military Service, an exhibition from the Canadian War Museum currently on display at the Civic Museum.
Admission by donation starts at 5:00 p.m. with the concert beginning at 7:00 p.m.
Cash bar available
About War and Peace: Songs and Monologues:
What are the causes of war? Is war simply human nature? Is the goal of world peace realistic? Artivist and educator Rhapsodius presents a one-person, one-act show that poses these questions and more, and offers possible answers.
War and Peace: Songs and Monologues features some of the greatest songs about war and peace composed in the 20th century, by artists such as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, and Bob Marley. Rhapsodius weaves together these songs with deeply considered monologues that draw equally from the ancient writings of Sun Tzu as well as from contemporary authors such as Gwynne Dyer, Margaret McMillan, Pema Chodron and the Dalai Lama. War and Peace: Songs and Monologues aims to educate, enlighten, uplift and inspire in equal measure, and leave you with the sense that a peaceful world is indeed possible, and that we can co-create it.
About Portraits – Stories of Black Canadian Military Service:
Portraits – Stories of Black Canadian Military Service, a new travelling exhibition circulated by the Canadian War Museum, celebrates the contributions of Black Canadians in the military through compelling accounts of service and sacrifice from across the country.

Miniature Painting Workshop: "Rabbit Rabbit!" for the New Year
2025-12-06 10:00 - 16:00 | Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
Create medieval-styled miniature paintings with Debbie Thompson Wilson. Participants will work on images of rabbits, inspired by the saying “Rabbit Rabbit!” As superstition goes, on the first day of each month saying “Rabbit Rabbit!” as soon as one wakes up is believed to bring good luck for the rest of the month.
In this workshop, participants will have a choice of a few images to paint; some based on medieval manuscript miniatures, where rabbits often appeared in marginal illuminations, and one based on the image of a chocolate mold in the Civic Museum’s collection.
What to bring to class:

Watercolours (basic set)
Palette or china plate
Small watercolour brushes (sizes 1 and 0 or similar)
Kneaded eraser
HB pencil
4B or 5B or 6B pencil (just one)
Ballpoint pen (any colour)
Sharp, clean scissors
X-Acto knife with #11 blade
Water container
Rag or paper towel
Ruler
Fine waterproof marker (black or brown ink) I recommend either Pigma Micron (size 01) or Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen (XS)
Your lunch

The instructor will provide coloured exemplars, real gold leaf, a fine watercolour brush and watercolour paper and misc. supplies for a fee of $10, payable on the day, cash only.
Preregistration via Eventbrite is required. Cost is $65+HST per participant.

Tales From the Hill: Guelph Guild of Storytellers
2025-12-11 18:30 - 20:30 | Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
Tales from the Hill is presented by the Guelph Guild of Storytellers and features a guest teller in addition to Guild tellers. The evening includes hot cider, light refreshments, and conversation. Guests are invited to register a telling or participate during the open mic storytelling.
Tales from the Hill runs on the second Wednesday or Thursday of each month from October to May.
Guests can arrive at 6:30 pm for casual socializing, call to order at 7:00 pm for storytelling, followed by time for more visits

Holiday Toys and Games Drop-In
2025-12-20 10:00 - 17:00 | Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
Let’s play! We’re pulling out oodles of puzzles, crafts, toys, and games from our vaults for kids of all ages to explore and experience.
Image ID: Guelph Museums, 1952X.00.196.10, Collection of glass marbles

Military Lecture: The History of the University of Guelph War Memorial Hall
2026-01-22 19:00 - 20:30 | Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
Austin Foster presents the history of the University of Guelph’s War Memorial Hall, based on archival research for the War Memorial Hall: Its Early History, Heritage, and Legacy – A Centennial Retrospective (1924–2024) report. The presentation addresses the Ontario Agricultural College’s military context, focusing on its experience during the First World War, the fundraising campaigns and commemorative efforts that supported the project, and the active involvement of students and the wider community. It also examines the design propositions considered for War Memorial Hall, the practical challenges faced during its planning and construction, and the building’s role throughout the interwar years and the Second World War.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the presentation starts at 7 p.m., followed by a question period.
The lecture premiered in-person at the Civic Museum. The recorded conversation is available on YouTube, and our Museum Everywhere Portal. Guelph Museums’ Military Lecture series is presented in partnership with the Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada.
Watch The Recordings
Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

About the Speaker

Austin Foster, MA, CAHP-In, is a historical researcher and writer specializing in heritage conservation. He holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies and History and a Master of Arts in History from the University of Guelph. His professional and volunteer experience spans academia, archival management, archaeology, municipal heritage planning, and historical conservation. He has contributed to Euro-Canadian and Indigenous archaeological projects, worked on heritage conservation initiatives, and conducted research for the Canadian War Memorials Database. Foster is a professional member of the Canadian Museums Association and an intern member of the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals.

Fourth Friday: Three Guitarists in the Round
2026-01-23 19:00 - 21:00 | Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
Bob Maclean, Don Moore, and Roger Schmidt bring their unique and diverse guitar stylings for a captivating evening of music ranging from toe-tapping Celtic tunes to catchy jazz melodies.
Admission by donation starts at 5 p.m. with the concert beginning at 7 p.m.
Cash bar available.

Guelph 200 Town Hall Meeting
2026-02-04 14:00 - 15:00 | Guelph Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
Learn, share, and prepare for Guelph’s bicentennial in 2027. Hear about the City’s plans to commemorate Guelph 200. Tell us about your plans to mark the bicentennial. Let’s chat about how we can work together to commemorate our past, celebrate our present, and leave a legacy for our future.
Preregistration via Eventbrite is required. There will be meetings at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Tales from the Hill: Guelph Guild of Storytellers
2026-02-12 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-03-12 19:00 - 20:30 | Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
Tales from the Hill is presented by the Guelph Guild of Storytellers and features a guest teller in addition to Guild tellers. The evening includes hot cider, light refreshments, and conversation. Guests are invited to register a telling or participate during the open mic storytelling.
Tales from the Hill runs on the second Wednesday or Thursday of each month from October to May.
Guests can arrive at 6:30 p.m. for casual socializing, call to order at 7:00 p.m. for storytelling, followed by time for more visits.

Military Lecture: Wounded, Maimed and Sick: A forgotten history of the Great War
2026-02-19 19:00 - 20:30 | Guelph Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
More than 65,000 Canadians died fighting the Great War. Often forgotten in the tally of wartime sacrifice are the 180,000 military service members who suffered some form of wounding, injury or illness on the battlefields of the Western Front. From the war-torn landscapes of Europe to post-war life in Canada, Eric Story follows the journey of thousands of men and women who paid an entirely different price than did the dead in service to the country.
Doors open at 6:30 and the presentation starts at 7 p.m., followed by a question period.
The lecture premieres in-person at the Civic Museum. Guelph Museums’ Military Lecture series is presented in partnership with the Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada.
About the Speaker

Eric Story is Historian-in-Residence at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and Adjunct Professor in the Department of History at Wilfrid Laurier University. He has published widely on the legacies of the First World War in Canada, focusing on medical patients, disabled veterans, and Indigenous communities. His current project examines the beginnings of the disability rights movement in the early twentieth century.

Fourth Friday: The CHMST
2026-02-27 19:00 - 21:00 | Guelph Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
Hip Hop Soul artist and multi-instrumentalist The CHMST performs his first solo gig in Guelph, in partnership with Guelph Black Heritage Society to commemorate Black Heritage Month.
Admission by donation starts at 5 p.m. with the concert beginning at 7 p.m.
Cash bar available.
