Guelph Museums

Museum Dailies: Museum Makers
2021-04-29 | ONLINE
A video series for young – and young-at-heart – learners.
Museum-inspired art and craft activities to cultivate creativity.
Watch for new videos every Thursday.
Thaumatrope

Apple Tree Thaumatrope Template
Banjo

Salt Painting

Ball and Cup Game

Puppet

Pig Puppet Pattern
Stained Glass Window Art

Museum Dailies: Closer Look
2021-04-30 | ONLINE
A video series for young – and young-at-heart – learners.
Take a close look at images from our collection. What do you see?
Watch for new videos every Friday.
E.R. Bollert Advertisement Puzzle

Covered Wagon Puzzle

Forget Me Not Puzzle

Demolition of an Old Theatre Puzzle

Telephone Switchboard Puzzle

Curling On the Pond Puzzle

History Bites: Collecting Experiences as they are Lived
2021-05-19 | ONLINE
History Bites is a monthly series of bite-sized conversations inspired by current exhibitions and stories from the collection. In this episode, Guelph Museums curator Dawn Owen chats about the exhibition Rapid Response: Collecting Experiences as they are Lived, with special guests Kween, Kavya Yoganathan, Justin Reid, June Wilson, and Alison Dunkley.

Did you miss the live event? Watch the recording of History Bites – Rapid Response: Collecting Experiences as they are Lived below:

History Bites: Life on the Grand, Reflections from the Black Community
2021-06-16 | ONLINE
History Bites is a monthly series of bite-sized conversations inspired by current exhibitions and stories from the collection.

Guelph Museums visitor experiences supervisor, Val Harrison, chats about the history of Black settlement around the Grand River, with special guests Kween and Denise Francis from the Guelph Black Heritage Society. This event is hosted in partnership with The 2Rivers Festival and The Guelph Black Heritage Society.

The books referenced in today’s talk are:
A Stolen Life, by David Meyler and Peter Meyler: https://49thshelf.com/Books/A/A-Stolen-Life
The Queen’s Bush Settlement, by Linda Brown-Kubisch

For more information about Guelph’s Black history, visit Jade Ferguson’s blog, referenced in the talk, here: https://blackpastinguelph.com/
To watch the Richard Pierpoint Heritage Minute again, visit Historica Canada’s YouTube page, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQyPXOHvwEc

Did you miss the live event? Watch the recording of History Bites: Life on the Grand, Reflections from the Black Community below:

Dad Tales
2021-06-20 | ONLINE
Storyteller Brad Woods celebrates Fathers Day with anecdotes on fatherhood. Premiering on Facebook Live @guelphmuseums.

About Brad Woods:
Brad Woods has told stories at festivals, theatres, conferences, prisons, churches and pubs all over North America and the UK. He tells traditional tales, literary classics and personal stories. His stories have been featured in a variety of broadcasts and publications including CBC Radio 1, the Globe and Mail and Canadian Running Magazine. Brad has told to all ages and in every type of venue imaginable. He is the recipient of the Alice Kane Award for Storytelling and used it to travel to Lesotho (Southern Africa) to tell, trade and collect stories on behalf of Bracelet of Hope.

“Hilarious, suspenseful – a masterful story teller. ”
Ins Choi, Creator-Kim’s Convenience

“Brad Woods is a master storyteller. With wit and wisdom, humour and heart, Brad skillfully weaves tales that leave his audience laughing and thinking, often at the same time.”
Terry Fallis, Novelist – Two Time Leacock Award Winner

“Brad Woods in an engaging and creative storyteller. He has a mix of personal and traditional stories and some that interweave the real and the fabulous.”
Dan Yashinsky, Founder – Toronto Storytelling Festival

History Bites: From Trailblazers to Changemakers
2021-07-21 | Ontario
Launched last September, Her Story: Trailblazers of Guelph and Wellington County celebrates the trailblazing stories of local women. They are activists, artists, caregivers, health care workers, mothers, politicians, scientists, and writers, as well as women-led organizations. Our exhibition will close before the museum reopens, but the conversation, like the work of all trailblazers, continues.
At noon on Wednesday, July 21, curator Dawn Owen and visitor experiences assistant Emma Tennier-Stuart will co-host History Bites: From Trailblazers to Changemakers, a one-hour podcast-style conversation that extends the scope of Her Story. Guest trailblazers and changemakers nominated by the community will be featured in this conversation.

Did you miss the live event? Watch the recording of History Bites: From Trailblazers to Changemakers below:

Rapid Response: Collecting Experiences as they are Lived
2021-07-27 - 2022-02-27 | Guelph Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
The COVID-19 pandemic is a major moment in history. On March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. On March 17, Ontario declared a state of emergency, prompting citywide closures and social distancing protocols. In April 2020, the Museum, while closed to visitors, launched a call to community for contemporary objects and personal expressions reflecting our individual and collective experiences.
On May 25, 2020, the death of George Floyd in the US spurred the Black Lives Matter movement to international urgency. Locally, the Guelph Black Heritage Society organized a peaceful protest and march through downtown Guelph. On June 6, 2020, over 5,000 people gathered to raise awareness of lives lost in violence.
Guelph Museums and the Guelph Black Heritage Society partnered in the commitment to preserve the stories and experiences of Guelph individuals, families, and communities as we face these crises together.
This exhibition shares some of the hundreds of images, creative expressions, and physical objects that have been collected at Guelph Museums since April 2020 to document the local story of this historic time, as we live it.

This artwork by Emily Vander Vlugt depicts a crowd of protestors led by Kween, Executive Director of the Guelph Black Heritage Society. Kween made this audio recording in response to Emily’s artwork.
The art work and audio, jointly titled No Justice, No Peace, are featured in the exhibition Rapid Response: Collecting Experiences as they are Lived at Guelph Museums, from July 27, 2021 to February 27, 2022.

Hear a conversation with donors to the exhibition:

Presented in partnership with:

Bravo! Guelph Little Theatre Celebrates 85 Years
2021-08-10 - 2022-02-06 | Guelph Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
Banner Image: The cast from “Angel Street” (1991), based on the 1938 play titled “Gaslight” by British dramatist Patrick Hamilton.
Bravo! As the city’s longest running community theatre, Guelph Little Theatre celebrates 85 years of creativity and entertainment.
Guelph Museums invites you behind the curtain and on the stage through stories, photographs, costumes and props. The rich history and resilient spirit of Guelph’s community theatre is on full display at the Guelph Civic Museum from August 10 to December 5, 2021.
Watch the Guelph Little Theatre Spotlight, powered by GuelphToday.com.

Presented in partnership with:

History Bites: Uncovering the Museum
2021-08-18 | ONLINE
Join us on Wednesday August 18th for History Bites: Uncovering the Museum. Take a tour of the Civic Museum with Visitor Experiences Assistant Anna as she interviews museum staff, shows behind the scenes of our re-opening preparations, and gives you VIP access to our day to day activities. It’s bound to be a packed episode full oh laughs, chats, and sneak peeks!

Did you miss the live event? Watch the recording of History Bites: Uncovering the Museum below:

It Happened Here: Johnston Green, University of Guelph
2021-09-07 | ONLINE
It Happened Here is a place-based video series exploring the history behind well known locations in the City of Guelph.
Episode 1: Johnston Green, University of Guelph

History Bites: From Trailblazers to Changemakers, 2.0
2021-09-15 | ONLINE
Launched last September, Her Story: Trailblazers of Guelph and Wellington County celebrates the trailblazing stories of local women. They are activists, artists, caregivers, health care workers, mothers, politicians, scientists, and writers, as well as women-led organizations. Our exhibition will close before the museum reopens, but the conversation, like the work of all trailblazers, continues.
At noon on Wednesday, Sept 15, visitor experiences assistant Emma Tennier-Stuart will host History Bites: From Trailblazers to Changemakers 2.0, a one-hour podcast-style conversation that extends the History Bites: From Trailblazers to Changemakers conversation that took place on July 21st. View the episode in advance here.
In History Bites: From Trailblazers to Changemakers, 2.0, visitor experience assistant Emma Tennier-Stuart interviews Kathryn Greenaway about her aunt, Florence Isabel Greenaway, a pioneering nurse working well ahead of her time, and local trailblazer, Alina Kislenko, about founding a groundbreaking mental health organization here in Guelph.

Did you miss the live event? Watch the recording of History Bites: From Trailblazers to Changemakers, 2.0 below:

Military Lecture: Complicated Justice - A Canadian Response to War Crimes and War Criminals
2021-09-23 | ONLINE
Using the Canadian trials at the end of the Second World War as evidence, guest lecturer Katelyn Arac discusses the challenging nature of post-war proceedings. Military courts had the potential to unify Canadians in the search for war criminals. Instead, they provided evidence of a divided nation not yet sure how to demobilize after a world war.
For Canada, the issue of how to respond to war criminals – whether that was the post-war military trials conducted based on crimes committed against Canadian servicemen or alleged war criminals that had fled justice to settle in Canada after the war – is a divisive subject. Politically, judicially, and publicly there was contention over what justice looked like. This talk will discuss these contentions and contextualize why this discord exists, as well as ground these issues in the present day.

Did you miss the live event? Watch Military Lecture: Complicated Justice below:

About Katelyn Arac:

KATELYN ARAC is a PhD candidate at Queen’s University and her research interests include Canadian political, legal, and social history in the 20th century. Supervised by Dr. Barrington Walker, her research focuses on the immigration of war criminals into the country after the Second World War and how reactions to their entry have shaped the national project. The debate incited by the entry of war criminals into the country challenged the notion of Canadian identity and sparked debate between various ethnic communities. Concepts of multiculturalism and national identity were crucial concepts that the Commission of Inquiry on War Criminals was forced to address.
Offered in partnership with the Laurier Centre for Military, Strategic and Disarmament Studies.

Where The Rivers Meet
2021-09-28 - 2026-12-31 | Guelph Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
Where The Rivers Meet is a display within the City Gallery that centers the Original Peoples who have been on this land since time immemorial. It includes information about migration, land relationship, treaties, impacts of colonization, and past and present-day perspectives. The display also considers the founding story of Guelph within the context of a longer history lens.
This display is a living exhibition that reflects the truth as we understand it today. We continue to learn from our treaty partner, the Missisaugas of the Credit First Nation, and from Indigenous people who call Guelph home today. The display will continue to be updated as our knowledge grows.

History Bites: Hope and Healing, A Conversation with Tracey-Mae Chambers
2021-10-20 | ONLINE
At noon on Wednesday, October 20, Guelph Museums Curator Dawn Owen will host History Bites: Hope and Healing, a one-hour podcast-style conversation with Métis artist Tracey-Mae Chambers that dives deeper into her nation-wide art installation, currently on display at the Civic Museum. Learn more here.
This conversation with Tracey-Mae Chambers centres on her project called #hopeandhealingcanada, through which she responds to our collective experiences of the pandemic and decolonization. In this work, Tracey-Mae mourns with Indigenous communities and Canadians as unmarked graves are discovered at the sites of former Residential Schools across the country. Decolonizing themes of hope and healing drive her work as she symbolically reconnects a fractured society with tangled webs of red yarn. #hopeandhealingcanada asks how we can heal and support one another through traumatic and life-altering events.

Did you miss the live event? Watch the recording of History Bites: Hope and Healing below:

Military Lecture: The No. 2 Construction Battalion – Keeping History and their Legacy Alive
2021-10-21 | ONLINE
This month we welcome Sergeant Craig Marshall Smith, M.O.M to present The No. 2 Construction Battalion – Keeping History and their Legacy Alive.
This lecture will speak to the history of the No. 2 Construction Battalion and the work that has been done to keep their history alive, including the work of the late Senator Calvin Ruck and The Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia over the past 38 years. The lecture will include the call for an official apology from the Canadian Military and Government. We will also discuss the efforts of the late Capt. George Borden who wrote the open letter to the Government that helped provide the nudge needed to make this become a reality.

Did you miss the live event? Watch the recording of Military Lecture: The No.2 Construction Battalion below:

About Sergeant Craig Marshall Smith, M.O.M.:

CRAIG SMITH is a Halifax based author, former president / board chair of the Black Cultural Society for Nova Scotia, who is in his 25thyear with the RCMP.
Craig’s working career includes; Halifax North Branch Library – Library Youth Worker, Director of the Community YMCA and the Metropolitan Authority as a Transit Operator, before beginning his RCMP career.
Craig has written extensively on African-Canadian achievement and he has lectured and conducted presentations on Black Canadian history, race relations and policing from a Black perspective across Canada and in the United States. In Boston and Detroit in 1999. Gainesville, Florida 2003, Ottawa, Saint John, Charlottetown and Vancouver 2012, Washington, DC and Ottawa 2015, Montreal 2017, Indianapolis, Indiana 2018 and Louisville, Kentucky 2018.
In 2009, Craig developed and rolled the African-Nova Scotian Cultural Competency one-day Workshop for employees in H Division and in 2018, Craig and a group of four others came together and transformed the one-day course into the nationally recognized, week-long African-Canadian Experience Course.
Craig has written and published five books, including two on the Black experience in the RCMP;. You Had Better Be White By Six A.M. – The African Canadian Experience in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police(2006) Educational edition released in (2017) and HerStory – Black Women Making A Difference in Canadian Law Enforcement (2020). He has also appeared in a number of historical video documentaries which include: The Long Road to Justice: The Viola Desmond Story; Soul on Ice ESPN video on the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes.
Craig has received a number of awards and in recognition of his work in the area of diversity, inclusion and race-relations including: Harry Jerome Award 2012; Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal 2012, the Dr. Burnley A. Jones Nova Scotia Scotia Human Rights Award in 2014. In March 2015, Craig was appointed to the Police Order of Merit of Police Forces by His Excellency, The Honourable David Johnston, Governor-General of Canada. He is the first African-Nova Scotian police officer and first African-Canadian RCMP member to receive his honour.
Offered in partnership with the Laurier Centre for Military, Strategic and Disarmament Studies.

Fifth Friday Trivia with Jen & Paul Barson
2021-10-29 | ONLINE
From the team that brings you free Fourth Friday concerts at Guelph Museums, comes virtual Fifth Friday Trivia nights hosted by Jen and Paul Barson.
This husband-and-wife duo are a highly creative couple and have presented their own successful virtual trivia nights during the pandemic. The Barsons’ fun and engaging format, aligned with the City’s goals to highlight local artistic and historic collections, and provides an opportunity for the community to come together digitally to celebrate, learn and grow appreciation for Guelph art and heritage.
The Barsons are eager to share their unique take on trivia, which includes musical and theatrical performances, and welcomes a diverse selection of special guests from the area.
The night will include three, ten-question, 45 minute rounds with 15 minute breaks in between to tally scores.
While Fifth Friday Trivia nights are family-friendly, the skill-testing questions will be challenging, and the competition stiff!
Space is available for twenty teams (max. 6 people per team) and pre-registration is required. Participants will require an internet connection, email address, and Facebook access.
Missed the event? No problem! You can watch the Trivia event via The City of Guelph’s Facebook page:
https://fb.watch/atq12Lmro8/

Between the Crosses, Row on Row: 100 Years of the Remembrance Poppy
2021-11-02 - 2022-08-07 | Guelph Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
During the First World War, the horrors of trench warfare, poison gas and tanks wrought carnage never before seen. About 9 million military personnel and 20 million civilians lost their lives in The Great War.
The devastation of war created fertile ground for the Papaver rhoeas to take seed and grow. Poppy seeds can remain dormant in the soil for as long as 100 years. Trench digging, bombs, and mass cemeteries caused millions of poppies to bloom in the disrupted soil across Europe. The common poppy would become the symbol of wartime sacrifice and remembrance.
Beginning with Guelph-born Lt. Col. John McCrae’s 1915 poem “In Flanders Fields”, this exhibition tells the story of the poppy as it evolved to be an enduring symbol of remembrance in Canada and around the world.

The Poppy, Decoration Day 1921, Canadian War Museum 19720228-001

Cover of Guelph Horticultural Society Annual, Flowering Shrub, Hedge and Vine Issue, 1972
Guelph Museums 1987.44.14

Banner Image: https://www.discoveringbelgium.com/the-poppies-of-flanders/

Scottish Diaspora Tapestry: Canadian Content
2021-11-09 - 2021-11-28 | Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
For a limited time only, 38 Canadian panels from the Scottish Diaspora Tapestry will be on display at the Civic Museum. The installation includes panels dedicated to the City of Guelph and to Lt. Col. John McCrae.
The Scottish Diaspora Tapestry was initiated in 2014 to engage communities around the globe in celebration of Scottish heritage and culture. The tapestry, in its entirety, is made up of over 300 embroidered panels, featuring the people and places which connect Scotland to its global diaspora. Artist Andrew Crummy created the outline for the linen panels, which were then embroidered by hundreds of stitchers in their own communities, using unique techniques and colours.
Banner Image: CA22 – Part of a larger Metis community, The Scottish Diaspora Tapestry and CA35 – Lt-Colonel John McCrae, The Scottish Diaspora Tapestry.

History Bites: Remembrance Commemorations in Australia and Canada—a Chat with Julie Baird, Director of Newcastle Museums
2021-11-17 | ONLINE
Join us for History Bites: Remembrance Commemorations in Australia and Canada—a Chat with Julie Baird, Director of Newcastle Museums
At noon on Wednesday, November 17, Val Harrison, Guelph Museums Visitor Experiences Supervisor, will chat with Julie Baird, the Director of Newcastle Museums in Australia, about symbols of remembrance and special dates of commemoration in Australia and Canada. They’ll discuss the connections between Anzac Day, Remembrance Day, Lt. Col. John McCrae, In Flanders Fields, and so much more.
About Julie Baird:

Julie Baird has over 30 years professional experience in the museum sector. She began working in Canadian museums in the 1990’s focusing on textile collections of medium to large regional museums. Ms Baird returned to Australia and joined the National Motor Museum in South Australia in 1998. Since 2002 she has been at Newcastle Museum and was part of the small team who moved and redeveloped the museum which re-opened in its new site in 2011. She is now the Director of Newcastle Museum.
The intersection of innovation and accessibility has been a strong theme in Ms Baird’s major contributions to the museum sector. Ms Baird’s experience in researching and interpreting and with working with community has also resulted in a number of successful and national award-winning exhibitions, including the redesign and redevelopment of the Newcastle Museum’s social history galleries and 1X4. Her career focus has been to spread knowledge about history and museums in unusual or popularised forums, working with communities as broad as embroidery guilds and TV audiences to female prisoners and bikie clubs.
Julie sits on the Artform Assessment Board Museums and History for Create NSW, has been a standards assessor for Museums & Galleries NSW and is the current Vice President of the Australian Museums & Art Galleries Association.

Did you miss the live event? Watch the recording of History Bites: Remembrance Commemorations in Australia and Canada below:

Military Lecture: The War Diaries of General David Watson
2021-11-18 | ONLINE
Dr. Geoff Jackson will discuss the diaries of General David Watson. The presentation will focuses on the evolution of military leadership and associated challenges that Watson (and his peers) faced during the Great War. The talk will explain how he navigated not only the military battlefield in France and Belgium but also the political battlefield of the Canadian Expeditionary Force and larger British Expeditionary Force. The divisional commanders played a central role in the Corps’ transformation into a first-rate professional army, a transformation that coincided with Watson’s tenure at the 4th Division.

About Dr. Geoff Jackson:

GEOF JACKSON earned his PhD from the University of Calgary in 2013. He teaches at Mount Royal University in the Humanities department. He has published numerous articles and books in the field of Strategic Studies. He is author of two books: The Empire on the Western Front(UBC Press, 2019) and The War Diaries of David Watson(Wilfrid Laurier Press, 2021)
Offered in partnership with the Laurier Centre for Military, Strategic and Disarmament Studies.

Did you miss the live event? Watch the recording of Military Lecture: The War Diaries of General David Watson below:

Hilltop Shop Spotlight on Judith Nasby
2021-12-04 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Toronto) | Guelph Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
On Saturday, December 4th at 2 p.m Judith Nasby joins us for a talk on her new book: The Making of a Museum. Judith will present a brief reading and will be available afterwards for those who would like their copy signed. The Making of a Museum will be available for purchase in the Hilltop Shop at Guelph Civic Museum.
Judith Nasby is the founding director and curator of the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, and the Curator Emerita of the Art Gallery of Guelph. The Making of a Museum details the over 100-year evolution that led to the creation of the Art Gallery of Guelph told from Judith’s perspective, from its humble beginnings in 1916 campus hallways to its internationally recognized presence as an art gallery today. The book, published by McGill – Queen’s University Press, is beautifully illustrated with 80 images from the permanent collection. Judith expertly recounts her long career while peppering the extended history of cultural development on campus with humorous anecdotes and personal insights to reveal how arts institutions can be created through dedication, serendipity, and perseverance.
This book is perfect for anyone with a keen interest in museums, art history, studio art, regional cultural development and the history of the University of Guelph.
This event is included with your purchase of general admission to the Museum. Pre-registration is required through Eventbrite.

History Bites: From the Vault - Toys and Games of Guelph
2021-12-15 | ONLINE
Let’s have some fun! On December 15 from 12 – 1 pm, join Visitor Experiences Assistant Anna as she gives you an up close and personal look at some of the toys in our collection. From twentieth century dolls, to wooden skill-based toys, this session is sure to open your eyes to how Guelphite’s played throughout history. Anna will also demonstrate a few different historical games, including Pit (still a hit to this day!), the Game of Fort, and crokinole.
This event is free to enjoy, and will stream on our Facebook Live @guelphmuseums. It will be available on our Youtube Channel and Museum Everywhere portal after the event.
History Bites is a monthly series of bite-sized conversations inspired by current exhibitions and stories from the collection.

Did you miss the live event? Watch the recording of History Bites: From the Vault – Toys and Games of Guelph below:

History Bites: Auld Lang Syne - Exploring Scottish Connections and Traditions in the City of Guelph
2022-01-19 | ONLINE
Guelph Pipe Band c. 1926, 1992.33.2 Guelph Museums
In commemoration of Robbie Burns Day on January 25, we’ve cooked up an episode of History Bites exploring Scottish connections and traditions in the City of Guelph. Robbie Burns is the National Poet of Scotland and this Scottish holiday celebrates his life and body of work. But how is this historical figure connected to Guelph you may ask? You’ll have to tune in to find out!
On January 19 from 12 – 1 pm, join us as we explore the city’s Scottish roots, and the contemporary connections between the Scottish diaspora and Guelph today.
This event is free to enjoy, and will stream on our Facebook Live @guelphmuseums. It will be available on our Youtube Channel and Museum Everywhere portal after the event.
History Bites is a monthly series of bite-sized conversations inspired by current exhibitions and stories from the collection.

Did you miss the live event? Watch the recording of History Bites: Auld Lang Syne – Exploring Scottish Connections and Traditions in the City of Guelph below:

Military Lecture: Catastrophe - Stories and Lessons from the Halifax Explosion
2022-01-20 | ONLINE
Catastrophe – Stories and Lessons from the Halifax Explosion will be presented by Roger Sarty, Editor of the recovered book manuscript of ‘Catastrophe’ by the late Professor T. Joseph Scanlon.
The Halifax explosion, 6 December 1917, was the worst disaster in terms of loss of life in Canadian history. More than 1,900 people were killed and some 9,000 injured in a population of about 55,000; a quarter of the city was devastated and burned to the ground.
The explosion was the result of a minor collision between two ships close to the city waterfront. Tragically, the impact set fire to one of the vessels, the French steamer Mont-Blanc, whose cargo of 3000 tonnes of high explosives destined for Allied armies on the Western Front detonated, in one of the largest man-made explosions before the atomic bomb.
Highlights of the talk will include the First World War context of the explosion, the crucial role of emergency relief work by the military, the involvement of the municipal government and the railway, and the politics and emotions surrounding this monumental disaster.

About Roger Sarty:
Roger Sarty has been a member of the history department at Wilfrid Laurier University since 2004. A graduate of Duke University (MA 1976) and the University of Toronto (PhD 1983), he was a historian at the Department of National Defence (1981-1998), and then successively head of exhibitions and historical research and deputy director at the Canadian War Museum (1998-2003). A native of Halifax, Roger grew up hearing stories of the Halifax explosion; his great-grandfather, John Bell, MD, was one of the first responders. Catastrophe is the eleventh book on the military history of Atlantic Canada that Roger has authored, co-authored, or edited.
Offered in partnership with the Laurier Centre for Military, Strategic and Disarmament Studies.

Missed the live event? Watch the recording of Catastrophe – Stories and Lessons from the Halifax Explosion below:

Virtual STEM
2022-01-31 - 2022-02-05 | ONLINE
Have you ever wondered how things work? How space travel is possible? Why some things float and other things sink? How we generate electricity? How sound travels? Let’s discover the answers together!
Led by undergraduate physics students and guided by professors Dr. Joanne O’Meara and the Great Orbax, Virtual STEM was held last November with two engaging educational sessions. Now, we’re bringing elements of the program to you by offering bite-sized modules of Virtual STEM for your continued learning.
A new video and accompanying activity will be uploaded daily at 9 am from January 31-February 5, premiering on both our YouTube channel and Facebook page. You will be able to find all material, as it’s released, right here.
We hope you enjoy these videos during at-home learning, in the classroom, or at your after-school club!

January 31, 2022
1. The Physics of Flight

Paper Airplane Activity Booklet (PDF)

February 1, 2022
2. The Science of Sound

The Science of Sound Experiments (PDF)

February 2, 2022
3. Systems in Action

Electricity and Magnetism Activity (PDF)

February 3, 2022
4. Roving on Mars

Build a Rover Activity (PDF)

February 4, 2022
5. The Science of Floating and Sinking

Fluids Activities (PDF)

February 5, 2022
6. Air Resistance is a Drag

Air Resistance Activities (PDF)

Virtual STEM 2021 is designed for students in grades 6-8, as well as community youth groups and covers subjects rooted in the core STEM threads of the Ontario elementary school curriculum. Virtual STEM also features the Memory Cycle exhibition at Guelph Museums.
Presented by Guelph Museums and Department of Physics, University of Guelph.

It Happened Here: Gallows at the Court House
2022-02-03 | Guelph Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
It Happened Here is a place-based video series exploring the history behind well known locations in the City of Guelph.
For this episode, you’re invited to join Education Coordinator Ken Irvine at the Court House to learn about the history of Guelph’s involvement with capital punishment. Exploring the period of religious intolerance that gripped the mid 19th century, Ken dives into the details of a local Catholic and Protestant conflict and how it lead to the execution of Charles Coughlin.

Guelph Girls Hockey Association at 25 Years
2022-02-08 - 2022-04-10 | Guelph Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
Image: 2010 GGHA Bantam BB Provincial Champions salute their families and friends after 1-0 win in overtime (vs Waterloo Ravens). April 2010. Photo credit: Sandra Pitts
Guelph’s history in organized ice sport includes hockey, ringette, curling, speed skating, and figure skating. Guelph Museums’ collection shares the stories of many Guelph athletes who have competed at provincial, national, and international levels and reflects the enduring interest in recreational ice sport.
Men’s hockey dates to 1908 – from the Guelph Royals, the Guelph Holody Platers, and the Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters to the Guelph CMC (Central Mechanical Contractors), the Guelph Beef Kings, and the present-day Guelph Storm.
But the story of women’s hockey in Guelph has yet to be told – until now.
The exhibition Guelph Girls Hockey Association at 25 Years traces the history of the Guelph Girls Hockey Association. Since 1996, GGHA has offered recreational and competitive hockey for female players, centred in physical fitness, self-esteem, and confidence building, and on the development of volunteers and community leaders.
Guelph has become a well-respected centre in Ontario for the development of female hockey players. With just 75 participants in the first season, GGHA now includes 450 players across seventeen house league teams and eleven travel teams in five divisions (ages 5 to 20 plus), under the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association.
From 1996 to 2013, the GGHA travel teams were known as the Guelph Thunder. In 2013, GGHA entered into a partnership with the University of Guelph. Now known as the Guelph Jr. Gryphons, they are champions, medalists, and leaders in women’s hockey across the province.

GGHA Bantam A forward Amelia Edmunds flying past a defender during the St. Catharines tournament. November 2010. Photo credit: Sandra Pitts

GGHA Peewee A players (L to R: Rachael Hanna, Erika McFarlane and Kendra Pitts) celebrate their gold medal performance at the GGHA tournament. January 2008. Photo credit: Sue Campbell

Visit Guelph Museums to learn about the women and girls who play hockey in Guelph and how the Guelph Girls Hockey Association is changing the story of hockey in this community.

Mind the Gap - Intergenerational Connectivity between Seniors and Youth
2022-02-12 - 2022-03-27 | Guelph Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
Image: Zoom Call Screen Capture of Wren & Suad drawing each other’s hands, 2021
Organized by Centre[3] for Artistic & Social Practice (Hamilton, ON) and presented at Guelph Civic Museum, Mind the Gap is an exhibition of artworks created by a community of seniors and youths working with practicing artists in Hamilton and Guelph. Through co-creative artmaking, the project aimed to decrease isolation among the participants and to bridge their generational gap.
Centred in collaborative storytelling, multimedia installation, and experimental portraiture, artists Becky Katz and Chyler Sewell in Hamilton and Dawn Matheson in Guelph were each joined by three seniors and three youths, paired together: Joanne and Janeil, Suad and Wren, and Judith and Subomi.
The co-creative elements of the project were originally meant to take place in person. Due to the pandemic and required safety measures, Mind the Gap developed in the virtual realm. The community participants took part in the program digitally. The artists fostered an inviting space that encouraged creativity, trust, intimacy, experimentation, compassion, humour, vulnerability, and genuine connection. The artists and participants bonded with one another despite their physical distance.
The seniors and youths met as strangers at the start of the project. Through virtual workshops, they learned to be attentive to each other’s needs and to engage with curiosity, empathy, and affection. They developed and applied new creative skills, shared knowledge and interests, practiced active listening, and reflected on their own and each other’s identity, culture, and belonging.
The artworks, co-created by the senior and youth pairs, are on view in the Mind the Gap exhibition. Through their art, visitors to the exhibition will discover how strangers became friends, barriers became opportunities, and digital meetings became physical artworks.

"Cat Moms" collaborative mixed media by Janeil, Joanne, and Becky, 2021

Multimedia 'Zoom Dissolve Still 1' by Dawn Matheson, 2021

Multimedia 'Zoom Dissolve Still 2' by Dawn Matheson, 2021

Multimedia 'Zoom Dissolve Still 3' by Dawn Matheson, 2021

Digital Photograph of Judith, Subomi, and Becky by Dawn Matheson, 2021

Mind the Gap: Intergenerational Connectivity between Seniors and Youth was funded by the Ontario Arts Council. This project was made possible by Alex Jacobs Blum, Ron Siu, Alex Borghesan, Colina Maxwell, and Arturo Jimenez of Centre[3], by lead artists Dawn Matheson, Becky Katz, and Chyler Sewell, and by community participants Joanne and Janeil, Suad and Wren, and Judith and Subomi.
Watch History Bites: Mind the Gap, a conversation with the artists and facilitators behind the project:

History Bites: Melba Jewell
2022-02-16 | ONLINE
In commemoration of Black Heritage Month don’t miss History Bites with Melba Jewell! This event features an online oral history conversation with a prominent member of Guelph’s Black community and Jewell family historian (and bass player for the celebrated ‘60s musical trio The Fabulous PJs!).
History Bites is a monthly series of bite-sized conversations inspired by current exhibitions and stories from the collection.

Did you miss the live event? Watch the History Bites recording via our YouTube channel:

Military Lecture: Atomic Soldiers - The Canadian Armed Services and Radiation Exposure during the Cold War
2022-02-17 | ONLINE
Banner Image: April 1935, W.L. Britnell and Stan McMillan unload the first shipment of uranium concentrate from the Northwest Territories. Source: opentextbc.ca, Canadian History: Post-Confederation by John Douglas Belshaw
Military Lecture: Atomic Soldiers – The Canadian Armed Services and Radiation Exposure during the Cold War is presented by Dr. Matthew Wiseman.
During the early Cold War period, the United States and the United Kingdom conducted various nuclear weapons trials with live radiation, but little is known of Canada’s participation. In this talk, Dr. Matthew Wiseman will discuss the history of No. 1 Radiation Detection Unit (RDU), a special tri-service unit established in 1950 to assess radiological hazards for the Canadian military.
Operational between 1950 and 1959, RDU personnel participated in live trials and assessed nuclear toxicity at blast sites in the United States and Australia. Recently opened records suggest that senior officials in the Canadian Army exposed unit personnel to hazardous conditions during trials, resulting in direct exposures to dangerously high radiation levels. Dr. Wiseman will explore and discuss the military and ethical considerations of using soldiers during live nuclear weapons trials, as well as the continuing impact on the participating soldiers and their families.

About Matthew Wiseman:

Dr. Matthew Wiseman is a Banting Fellow in the Department of History at St. Jerome’s University in the University of Waterloo. His research focuses on the history of science and technology in modern Canada. With an eye to understanding the social impacts of scientific research and technological development, his published work examines the political and ethical dimensions of state-sponsored research conducted at government, private, and academic institutions. He also studies the history of Canada’s National Research Council and the role of gender in the development and progression of the natural sciences.
Wiseman holds a Ph.D. in History from Wilfrid Laurier University and the Tri-University Graduate Program in History. Upon the completion of his doctoral degree, he held a two-year Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Department of History at the University of Toronto and later a one-year Associated Medical Services (AMS) Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Department of History at Western University.

Missed the live event? Watch the recording of Atomic Soldiers below:
