Exhibits Archives - Museum of Lennox & Addington

Have You Heard? What’s the Word?!

January 23, 2026 by County Museum Leave a Comment

Meet Leo! Leo is completing his Museum Studies internship at the Museum and will help us create content for “What’s the Word” – a fun exhibition on the evolution of language coming this Spring! In this blog, Leo will explain his background and the exciting projects he’ll be working on…

Have You Heard? What's the Word?!
by Leo Parkinson

I am forever grateful for this opportunity with the Museum of L&A. As a third-year museum studies student, we are blessed to have the opportunity to work and learn in a museum. When the project was described to me as a fun and cheeky little exhibit about how language and terms have changed with each generation, I knew that this would be the perfect job for me! Not just for working in the L&A community where my grandparents have lived for decades, but also getting to help plan programs for the community. Having worked as a drone pilot, a residence advisor and now helping run the socials for the museum, I have truly been blessed with some amazing opportunities to work closely within communities- all alongside the amazing museum studies crew who will help shape the future of museums as we start to creep closer to our graduation!

Language through the Ages…

Have you ever wondered where certain terms come from? Even slang terms like “bees’ knees” “Lit” “on fleek?” Well, language is an interesting thing! Phrases like this have existed for quite a while. When I was asked to help them try and reach a younger audience as a gen Z person myself, I knew I could help with trying to reach a younger audience and help folks understand some of the weird new terms we use (even if we all struggle to understand Gen Alpha). We hope to open the doors for all generations to understand the ways our words have changed, like how we express ourselves when something is exciting- whether you say something is “grand” “cool” “swag” or any other terms, we hope to create a exhibit that makes you chuckle but also think about how and why our words change with each generation!

Thinking outside the “norm”

When the Museum team came to me to discuss my help with blogs and social aspects of the exhibit, I knew that keeping it fun and lighthearted while also educational was important! Because we want to reach all generations with this style of exhibit, thinking outside the norm of what posts look like while also keeping the same style the museum follows is key. I want to connect with all generations by delving into the past of this rich word mystery history.

Designer’s Insight

Having a background in media art fundamentals and now having 3 years of museum studies knowledge under my belt, I often have visions in mind when it comes to what I want the experiences to look like! Being able to envision these plans and watching them all come to life over these next 4 months will be an absolute delight! I’ve always had a knack for capturing a feeling of wonder and curiosity!

My favorite part of all this is getting involved with such a rich audience of different ages and knowledge! As the months go by, I will also be involved with programs- connecting with younger generations, helping them leave with a smile on their faces, and knowledge in their minds is so important. As someone who has always loved museums and learning new things, I hope that the older and future generations can leave with new knowledge and an appreciation for the way our world has evolved and language has changed. I’m excited to see what this opportunity holds for me and the museum! I will use all that I learn here to plan whatever the future holds for my career path as I take these first steps towards my new growing career and can’t wait to watch this blossom!

Curating the Art of Your Story: Reflections on My Exhibit at the Museum of L&A

September 24, 2025 by County Museum Leave a Comment

By Becky Hinch

Working with the Museum of Lennox and Addington has been an absolute blast. From the very first conversations, I knew this would be a project that pushed me both as an artist and as a storyteller. What began as a spark of an idea has become an exhibit two years in the making—a body of work that I’m incredibly proud to finally share with the community.

Breaking Out of the Frame

When JoAnne first told me that I would have access to the entire hallway gallery space, something shifted in my imagination. No longer confined to the traditional rectangle of a photograph on the wall, I could dream of pieces that spilled outside the frame, suspended from the ceiling, and surrounding the viewer in unexpected ways. It felt like permission to play, to explore the boundaries of what portraiture could be.

I knew immediately that I needed a partner who could help bring this expanded vision to life. Michelle, from Trotter Trades, was the perfect collaborator. Her creativity, attention to detail, and willingness to experiment meant that my ideas could actually take shape in physical, tangible forms. Together, we were able to create an exhibit that feels immersive—an experience rather than simply a display.

Portraits with a Touch of Magic

From the start, I knew I wanted this exhibit to stay connected to portraiture. Portraits have always been my artistic heartbeat. They are how I make sense of the world and how I tell stories. But I also wanted this collection to feel different, to have a sense of wonder and enchantment woven through it. That’s where the magical elements came in—details that hint at the unseen, gestures that extend beyond the photograph itself, and a layering of meaning that encourages the viewer to step closer, look deeper, and imagine their own place in the story.

A Photographer’s Journey

Photography has been part of my life for 25 years. I began with a photography diploma, and since then I’ve never lost my love for the process—the planning, the quiet work behind the lens, and the final reveal when an image comes to life. This exhibit feels like a culmination of that journey so far, but also a stepping stone into new ways of creating. For me, being an artist isn’t about staying still. It’s about growth, experimentation, and always asking: What’s next?

Inviting the Community In

One of the most exciting parts of this exhibit is the opportunity to connect with the community in new ways. On October 4th, I’ll be leading a children’s activity at the museum, and I can’t wait to welcome young artists into the space. We are working together to create their very own tornados. There will be a selection of items that they may find it their neighborhoods if a twister were to form. Add in some science and creativity. And we will have something really special. There’s something special about watching kids engage with art—seeing their curiosity spark and their creativity take off. I’m looking forward to a morning filled with imagination, laughter, and hands-on storytelling.

Looking Ahead

Even while this exhibit is on display, I’m already sketching out ideas for what comes next. The creative process never really stops—it’s a cycle of curiosity, experimentation, and expression. Each project opens the door to the next, and I find so much joy in following where those ideas lead. At the heart of it all is a simple truth: I love being an artist. I love the challenge of taking an idea and bringing it to life. I love the way art connects people, sparks conversations, and makes room for wonder. And most of all, I love the privilege of curating the art of people’s stories—because in the end, that’s what this work has always been about.

Finding Maggie Rose

August 7, 2025 by County Museum Leave a Comment

By Heather Wilson

Behind every photograph in the archives lies a story waiting to be uncovered—but that story rarely reveals itself all at once. As archivists, much of our work is quiet detective work: examining clues, following threads through old records, and piecing together fragments of lives long past. Sometimes, a simple photograph—a church, a street, a family group—offers little more than a face or a place. Sometimes, it’s the faintest clues—a note on the back, a name in a register, or a random connection in a census—that awaken the stories behind those silent images.

It began with a small, framed photograph of a church. On the back, someone had written: “St. Albins Church, Adolphus Town – marriage, Oct. 9, 1926.” That brief note was the only clue—until I looked closer.

A quick search of our Adolphustown vital statistics register revealed that on October 9, 1926, Mildred Brisco Johnston married Howard LeRoy Armstrong at St. Alban’s Anglican Church. Mildred was the daughter of Harry Johnston and Edna Brisco. The photograph likely captured the church on her wedding day.

Tucked inside the image frame was something else: a Methodist Church quarterly ticket from 1888, signed by Edith (Purdy) Brisco. Curious, I turned to the census to learn more about her and discovered she was Mildred’s maternal grandmother. Mildred also had a younger sister named Edith, named for their grandmother. As I scanned through the family, another name caught my eye—Maggie Rose.

Because of our recent exhibit on British Home Children and the guest talks we hosted, she immediately stood out to me. Maggie was an 18-year-old domestic servant who had immigrated from Scotland. I looked a little deeper, and the pieces fell into place: Maggie had arrived in Ontario in 1906 at the age of 13, sent from Scotland by the Quarriers Orphan Homes of Scotland, a well-known Scottish charity deeply involved in the Home Child scheme. She first arrived at the receiving home in Brockville, awaiting placement, and by 1911 was working for the Johnston family in Adolphustown.

In the 1921 census, Maggie appears again, employed as a live-in servant for the VanLuven family on Bridge Street in Napanee.

And then… nothing.

After 1921, Maggie Rose’ disappears from the record. There were no later census entries, no marriage registrations, or obituaries under her name that I could trace. The trail grows cold here—but with more time and digging, someone might yet discover what happened next and continue Maggie’s story.

Yet, the chance survival of one church photograph has given us this much: her name, her origins, the homes where she lived, and the people she served. It may not seem like much—but for many Home Children, it is more than what remains at all.

Remembering these fragments is how we honor their lives and acknowledge their place in our shared history. Even when stories end in silence, remembrance gives them voice.

Confessions Of A Curator: Beyond the Exhibits – A Storage Renewal Project.

May 30, 2025 by County Museum Leave a Comment

By joanne himmelman

The Museum is very excited to launch its “Beyond the Exhibits: A Storage Renewal Project.”

Last Fall, the museum applied for funding to the Department of Canadian Heritage’s Museum Assistant Program (MAP) in hopes of getting some help to start this exciting and much needed storage plan project. It is intended to be a two-phase project in which the Museum of Lennox and Addington will start the planning and implementation of better storage solutions and to create space in the existing storage areas for future collecting.

For the Museum to maximize its current physical storage space, it requires a complete collection inventory. This will help to determine the best possible plan for lay-out using the existing storage space in the museum.

The museum will have to use its existing storage area to maximize storage space for growth and protection of the collection. Unfortunately, a new storage building is not in the immediate future, so we must use what we have got. For this to happen, a new shelving plan that includes High Density shelving, professional racks for quilts and textiles, and cabinetry for small objects like jewelry, badges, and toiletries will be included to maximize capacity, preservation, and accessibility.

As part of our digital capacity planning, the Museum switched to the museum software Past Perfect in 2008. This program was to become the primary access point to digitizing the collection for online viewing. Over the succeeding years, a generalized inventory has been input using the original paper records (or what was available) and the former DOS based software Heritage Sentinel. This led to frustration for museum staff, record information gets lost with changes in technology and as paper deteriorates. Quite frankly, the record keeping in the 1970s and 1980s was less than ideal!

A comprehensive collection review was completed in 2020, using the records that were inputted into Past Perfect to capture collection statistics, gaps, and goals. Some tools like the museum’s Criteria Checklist were created and enforced to help to analyze the current collection and future offerings. This score/grade-based system has helped rationalize curatorial decision making over the past 5 years.

Although we now have a collection plan in place. What we know for certain was that for the collection to move forward, a physical shelf inventory was critical to fully realize the museum holdings and how to help it grow by collecting to the gaps and reducing redundancy. Honestly, reducing confusion and lost materials, and the frustration/concern for preservation, storage, and increasing internal and external accessibility are at the forefront of this exciting project.

Thankfully, the grant request was approved, and the museum received a matching grant of $48,495 to help make all of this happen. As part of this grant and project, the museum recently hired a Curatorial Assistant, Jeremy Brisson, to work with the Curator to complete the physical inventory and migrate (in its entirety) it to a digital form in Past Perfect, this includes, completed accession records, photographs, locations, and conditions. This will also allow for more of the collection to be online for the public to enjoy.

Phase Two will hopefully begin in Spring 2026 with the installation of the shelving as planned in Phase One.

We are so thankful to the County of Lennox and Addington for supporting the museum in their efforts to enhance the capacity of the museum collection. We also thank the Department of Canadian Heritage’s Museum Assistance Program.

Stay tuned to for more confessions about this project as we move along.

** “This project is funded [in part] by the Government of Canada.” « Ce projet est financé [en partie] par le gouvernement du Canada. »

Behind the Pages: How We’re Preserving Napanee’s Newspaper Legacy

May 9, 2025 by County Museum Leave a Comment

By Heather Wilson, archivist

It’s that time of year again, and we’re gearing up to welcome our newest summer student to the Archives. This year’s focus is a project that brings together preservation, discovery, and community memory: assessing and processing a collection of photographic negatives from The Napanee Beaver, spanning from the 1970s through to 2002 (see an example above: August 31 1996 Don Baker prepares new lures at Baker’s Baits).

These negatives document everyday life in Lennox and Addington County —sports, town council meetings, community events, business openings, and personal milestones. Many of these photographs haven’t been seen since they were originally published, and some were never printed at all. By bringing this collection into the spotlight, we’re preserving a vivid and underrepresented chapter of our town’s history.

The project involves more than just scanning images—it’s a full archival process. The student will apply professional standards to turn a set of unprocessed boxes of photographic negatives—currently without labels, dates, or organization—into an accessible, searchable collection that reflects L&A’s more recent history. This transformation will make it easier for researchers, community members, and future generations to explore moments that shaped everyday life in the region. As part of this project, the student will organize the collection, describe each series of photos, and scan the negatives to create digital copies. Along the way, they’ll gain hands-on experience with archival tools and techniques—learning how to safely preserve photographic negatives, digital files, document key details, and create clear, inclusive descriptions that support greater access to our shared stories. This work directly supports the Archives’ mission to preserve and share the history of L&A up to the present day. It enhances access to a time period that is currently underrepresented in our holdings, and strengthens our goal to ensure all histories and voices are reflected in the collection. Every effort will be made to describe and share these materials in a way that is inclusive, respectful, and accessible to all.

This project builds on the success of our 2023 summer initiative, which focused on organizing and digitizing The Napanee Beaver newspaper collection. Our summer student created a detailed, up-to-date inventory of the newspapers in our holdings—a tool that now allows staff to respond to research requests more efficiently and accurately. The project also saw the digitization of the newspaper’s microfilmed issues from 1875 to 1950, making 75 years of local news, advertisements, and community updates freely available online. This work laid a strong foundation for improving access to our community’s history, and we’re thrilled to continue that momentum with this year’s photographic negative project.

You can explore the digitized newspapers for yourself by visiting the Archives section of the Lennox and Addington County Museum and Archives website—scroll down to the Local Newspapers section and click View Now to start your search. Who knows what stories, names, or headlines you might uncover?

A Window into Napanee’s Past: Exploring The Beaver Archives

For more than 150 years, The Napanee Beaver has documented life in Lennox and Addington County—chronicling everything from politics and business to school concerts, obituaries, and local sports. From business openings and agricultural fairs to personal letters from soldiers overseas and council decisions that shaped our streets, The Beaver has recorded the evolving story of Napanee and its people.

Today, that story is more accessible than ever.

What’s Available in the Archives?

The Napanee Beaver archives are a treasure trove for anyone curious about local history, family heritage, or the everyday fabric of life in our town. Here’s what’s currently available:

Newspapers from 1875 to the Present
Surviving editions that document the heart of L&A County life. Whether you’re interested in the 19th-century rail boom, mid-century community celebrations, or recent headlines, it’s all here.
Digitized Editions (1875–1950)
Thanks to a student project in summer 2023 funded by Young Canada Works, early issues of The Beaver have been digitized and uploaded to the Internet Archive—free to access online.
Photographic Negatives (1970s–2005)
Coming soon! A new project launching this summer will focus on cataloguing and digitizing decades of photographic negatives, offering a visual window into recent history—sports teams, school events, local parades, and candid snapshots of life in L&A.

How You Can Explore

In Person: Visit the Lennox and Addington County Archives to browse the collection, ask for help with research, or explore original papers and microfilm.
Online: Browse digitized editions (1875–1950) of The Napanee Beaver for free on the Internet Archive. If you don’t see what you are looking for ask our archivist! More content will be added as future digitization projects progress.
Follow Along: This blog will share some of the most interesting finds from The Beaver—from quirky classifieds and forgotten headlines to powerful moments in our County’s past. Keep an eye out for featured stories and historic images.

Invisible Items at the Museum

March 21, 2025 by County Museum Leave a Comment

By Jim Sova, ARCHIVES VOLUNTEER

It struck me as I was walking through the Museum galleries during my lunch hour that the most important and most significant part of the collection and what most people come for, can’t be seen. That part of the collection is not completely invisible and it’s not because the items are locked away and not available to be seen.

People come to museums first and foremost to find out the stories. Stories of their ancestors, stories of their community and stories of the events in history. The job of the curators and archivists is to collect those items that help to tell those stories and then assemble them in ways that make the story easier to understand.

The current display of crazy quilts in the main hall gallery helps to illustrate this point. The quilts are beautiful items and fine examples the handwork done by women and girls in in the 18 and 19 hundreds, but that is not the reason they are in the collection. You have to read the note at the lower corner of each quilt to understand the story of the person who made the quilt or who the quilt was made for to understand the local tie and the story it tells. The quilts are in the collection because of the local tie. The stories behind the quilts goes much farther than the simple local tie. The quilts represent the reuse of pieces of fabric left over from sewing new clothes or saving fabric from worn out clothes, something that every household would be doing at that time. There may well be stories behind each piece of fabric included in the quilt.

Here is an example from a quilt I have. It was made by my mother to cover a worn-out couch I had. The material came from fabric saved from worn out clothes. I remember the scraps on the right from shirts that my father and brothers had worn. The striped material on the left is from a pair of jeans my brother had. Bell bottoms from 1971. I remember the year because he wore them when I went with him to my first rock concert. It was August 4, 1971, I was 11 and it was The Stampeders.

I still hear Sweet City Woman playing in my head. If you think those jeans are interesting, the ones I was wearing were blue and gold striping and my shirt – just as well that no photos remain from that concert.

Photos and Rabbit Holes

February 26, 2025 by County Museum Leave a Comment

By Jim Sova, ARCHIVES VOLUNTEER

In preparing the upcoming British Home Children exhibit (you can learn more about that here), I searched the Archive’s photographic collection for a photo of a farm from the time period to show where the Frost boys may have ended up living. I located a very appropriate photo from the Fred Brown collection taken of the J S Galbraith Farm just outside Camden East Village. (2018-061-137 Fred Brown Collection, pictured above). The photo was taken in the early 1900’s and a number of people are visible in the photo, so I wondered if there might have been a home child on the farm when the photo was taken. I checked the census for 1901.

The census showed only the parents and two sons on the Galbraith farm, but just a few lines up on the Evans farm there was a 17-year-old Johnnie Davison, born in England shown as being a domestic and arriving in 1895 (highlighted above in green). Having all of the hallmarks of a British Home Child, I thought I would do a bit of research on Johnnie. On the British Home Children Canada web site, I found a John Cox Davidson who arrived in 1896 at age 13 to the Marchmont Home in Belleville. This is the note on the file: Sent by Edmonton Union, placed with J S Galbraith, farmer, Camden East, Addington, Ontario. Inspection on March 27 1897 Age 14, comfortable farm home, employed at work about the house, and helps to feed cattle, health good, attends church and Sunday school regularly, school daily, character good. Terms-Board, Lodging and Clothing. Gives satisfaction.

Our Johnie Davidson was originally placed on the farm pictured. At age 17 they age out of the Home Children system so he started working for a neighbour. I decided to research Johnnie further and discovered he found work on the railroads in 1904 as a telegrapher and married Laura Blanche Galbraith of Colebrook. His life after arriving in Canada is well laid out in his obituary.

What about his life before coming to Canada? The Home Children records indicate he was in the Edmonton Union Workhouse prior to departure on April 2 1896. We do find him in the 1891 census of England living with his father and 4 sisters. His father shows as widowed at that time and employed as a cabinet maker. Our Johnie’s mother had died before 1891, before Johnie was 8 years old. His father dies before January 1899 as he is listed deceased when his daughter Laura is married. Johnie was likely an orphan when he was placed in the workhouse. In the 1901 census of England we find his older sister Laura married with a baby with her sister Jane living with them.

We might assume that the family were making do in 1891 after their mother died and their father was still working, but their father’s death gave few options and John Cox Davison ended up in a workhouse by 1896. Johnie must have had ongoing contact with his sisters and spoke very positively of Canada as two of his sisters ended up moving their families to Saskatchewan as well.

A positive British Home Children story in the end, but still a story of a 13-year-old boy who lost both parents. With no loved ones capable of caring for him, he was transported away from everything he knew. In the end the positive outcome is much more a tribute to the character of that little boy than the system that brought him to Canada.

Reading Hats

February 24, 2025 by County Museum Leave a Comment

By Jim Sova, ARCHIVES VOLUNTEER

The image at the top leads to one famous hat, but more on that later…

When you spend time at the Museum and Archives looking over displays and paperwork, sometimes patterns come into focus that are not immediately obvious. For me, those patterns related to hats. Men’s hats in particular. Historically, and to some extent currently, you can identify a lot about a man just from the hat they are wearing.

In the photos in the Collection, you can discern a lot about the people in the photo, just from the hats. Is the photo of a large group outdoors at a fair or political gathering? If every man is wearing a brimmed hat, it is the 1930’s or before. No hats at all, likely 40’s to 60’s. Are baseball type caps showing up? It is likely 1970’s or newer. If the photo includes military or police, it will virtually always have them wearing a hat or holding the hat in a conspicuous location. Hats in formal portraits are interesting. Many of the early Stephen Benson collection from the 1860’s will have the man posing without his hat on, but the hat will be placed on a small table right beside him. Below is an example, a photograph of John Lowry in 1864. He went on to be the Mayor of Napanee in 1905-6. (this is photo A1907.01.054)

The hat can display status in a number of ways. If it is a newer fancy fashionable hat made of more expensive materials like silk or beaver felt, the man was well to do. If it was a well-worn cloth cap, that may have been all he could afford.

Sometimes the hat indicates a job. Think of police, military, airline pilots or even early railroad conductors where the silhouette of the cap alone can identify them in a group.

The fedora worn by Indiana Jones in the movie series has become an icon for the series. The hat places the character in the 1930’s. The outline of the hat allows us to pick him out of a crowd. A silhouette of Indiana Jones in the hat with his bull whip has become the most identifiable image from the series.

Now back to that button at the top. It is from the Liberal leadership bid of Eugene Whelan after Prime Minister Trudeau stepped down. Eugene, Minister for Agriculture under Trudeau was so closely tied to the green Stetson that the hat is used to identify him on the button rather than his picture. Looking over the group hoping to take over from the current Trudeau, hats no longer seem to be a thing. Are hats no longer part of a politician’s collection of props?

Why so Many Different Sizes of Fishing Gear?

May 26, 2023 by County Museum Leave a Comment

By Don Stokes

In this blog, collector Don Stokes talks about the many different styles and sizes of fishing gear! Be sure to check out our new exhibit, Gone Fishin’, which features many pieces from Don’s personal collection.

From coast to coast, it seems Canada has fishing pretty well everywhere. The terrain might be different up top and the fish that live below it might seem wildly different depending upon where you live, but we seem to have developed tackle and techniques to handle it all. But still the question arises as to why do we need such a range of size, let alone style?

Being the second largest country in the world, we have developed or introduced so many ways and means to catch fish. Back in the day, we went from weirs and spears to nets and jigging all, of which varied greatly depending upon where you were in our great country. This eventually became so well liked, people started to enjoy it so much, it became known as sports-fishing and developed into a lifestyle sport. For me, it became part of my career.

As a general guideline, the size of the fish often has the single biggest effect in determining what and how something is targeted. So for example, if you want to fish a small stream, it is by and large usually inhabited by smaller fish. This means using smaller baits, rods, line and the like.

Taking it up a notch, a larger body of water be it lakes or rivers can be a safe bet to generally hold something a bit bigger. This means one often goes to something midsized or larger, longer be it rod, reel, line, lure. This increases range, and can help increase opportunity. Seasonally it can also help big time, when one begins to get a rough idea of where and when fish move and what they may feed on or be enticed to bite.

What about the great big stuff? Here it often gets fairly specific. In places like the Fraser River, if one really wants a chance to have a shot a catching an 8 – 10 ft plus sturgeon, this means going much bigger. Bigger is truly generally regarded as better and has even begun to factor in better quality faster release strategies, which despite me mentioning the Fraser River, also directly affects things locally in the Bay of Quinte. A well thought out outfit be it for walleye, bass or salmon can make a huge difference.

And the really big stuff? Here it comes down to a couple of primary uses in Canada as it relates to how fishing has evolved. Inland sees some heavy action, larger reels and short stout rods developed mainly for lake trout or say trolling for muskellunge and larger northern pike. In the ocean, this means halibut, salmon and more, with some depths for halibut being 180-300 ft. This requires a lot of heavy line and a whole lot of patience when one gets one on. It changed with the introduction of downriggers, but by and large this still holds true.

How this affects your own fishing or collecting may very well want to reflect on where you live or like to fish. Choosing something that makes sense, can take a peek at history and tweek it with having a look at some of the latest and greatest. They all have a story, waiting to be told or unfolded for yourself.

Conversations with Our New Neighbours

January 30, 2023 by County Museum Leave a Comment

By Heather Wilson

Since the Fall I have been working on a very special project, one that has me reflecting on the many hats of an archivist, and our role as stewards of living history. Some days you can find me where you might expect, hidden in the vault amongst shelves full of massive bound volumes, and boxes upon boxes of photographs, maps, letters, diaries and a myriad of other documents. This project has me stepping out from behind the stacks into a very different role, and has given me the opportunity to meet a number of wonderful people from our community. We feel very fortunate that they have chosen to trust us with their stories, and we can’t wait to share them with you!

A little bit of backstory. As we looked forward to the arrival of Refuge Canada which tells the larger story of Canada’s role in immigration around the world, we wanted to find a way to share the stories of recent newcomers to our own community. Knowing these stories were missing from our current collections, we reached out to our community seeking individuals who would be willing to share their own immigration stories, or that of their parents or grandparents. Our intention was to highlight and celebrate our local diversity. But we didn’t want to create something temporary, we wanted these stories to preserved as part of our community’s history. We are aware of the gaps in our collections, and we are seeking change, working to ensure that our holdings truly represent our communities as a whole.

And so the door was opened for me to take the lead on launching our oral history program. While this is not my first foray into oral history, it has truly been an eye opening experience. The stories I’ve had the pleasure of recording are touching, at times heartbreaking, full of wisdom, and always thought provoking. Everyone has a different perspective to offer, and they have truly changed my own. There is something so special and powerful about hearing these stories told by those who lived them. The tone of their voice, the pauses… these reveal so much that would otherwise be lost.

Recording these stories has not come without challenges. Finding a quiet, private place to carry out these interviews where our participants can feel comfortable and safe. Dealing with technical glitches on the fly. Coordinating schedules and cancellations through wintery weather. And while not all have come to us as refugees, these interviews have nonetheless brought up some very sensitive topics, and navigating these has been both personally challenging and rewarding. My goal has been to create a safe space for individuals to share their stories, and I have found it very important to take the time to build a relationship and lay the foundations of trust with all of our participants before diving in. While we have been working on a short timeline to get our first stories in so we can share them in our exhibit this spring, my personal mantra has been “don’t rush this. It will all come together.” And I couldn’t be more thrilled with what we have been able to achieve in such a short time. We’ve cast our net wide to our neighboring communities of Kingston and Belleville to get the ball rolling, but I feel confident the relationships we have built over the past few months will help this project take on a life of its own in the months to come. I can’t wait to see where we go.

This new oral history project has given us the opportunity to expand our collections through new relationships we are building in our community. We are delighted with the response we have had so far. It is our living history project; there is no end date in sight. Instead we have set goals for ourselves to expand further this year, and have high hopes that it will continue to change and grow with us for years to come. The first stories that have come to us are highlighted in our new exhibit, Welcome Home: Conversations With our New Neighbours, which is launching this week. You can get a sneak peak of that here, and we hope you will come join us in person to hear these stories. This is only the start. If you have your own immigration story to share, or you know someone else in our community who does, we would love to hear from you anytime!

Have You Heard? What's the Word?!
by Leo Parkinson

Language through the Ages…

Thinking outside the “norm”