Archive for the ‘research’ Category

Please join us in welcoming our three summer employees: Ashley Wong, Enya Barbeau, and Nigel Klemencic-Puglisevich. They officially started on May 19th and although we have yet to meet in person, they have already become invaluable members of our team!

ASHLEY WONG
I’m excited to join the Goulbourn Museum team as the Collections Assistant this summer! As an archaeology student, I hope I can learn more about the behind-the-scenes action that goes into interacting with artefacts!

I’m currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto, double majoring in Archaeology and East Asian Studies, with a minor in Linguistics. I’ve had the privilege of volunteering in the university’s archaeological lab, handling artefacts from Wadi Ziqlab, Jordan, and so in my time as Collections Assistant I want to learn more about the life of artefacts in a museum versus the life of artefacts in the lab.Down the line, I also hope to further my technical skills to continue into museum work or pursue life as an archaeologist. I will be returning to Toronto in the fall to continue my studies but I hope to make the most out of my time here at the Museum!

ENYA BARBEAU
I’m thrilled to be joining the Goulbourn Museum team this summer as the Programming Assistant. I earned a Bachelor’s Degree with a Double Major in History and Visual Arts from University of Ottawa and recently graduated from the University of Toronto with a Master’s Degree in Museum Studies.

My background lies in heritage interpretation and programming. I spent three years developing and delivering public programs for the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum in Ottawa.
In the past two years, I have also had the privilege to work with cultural institutions like the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto Museum of Contemporary Art, and Canadian Women in Film Museum in the areas of collections management, visitor research, and exhibition development.

When I’m not eating (and sleeping and breathing) all things museums, I enjoy learning about the past through books, podcasts, and television show binges. I also keep up a creative practice in painting, drawing, and other visual art forms.

I look forward to planning virtual and on-site activities that engage the Goulbourn community. Here’s to a fun-filled, if unusual, summer season!

NIGEL KLEMENCIC-PUGLISEVICH
I’m so excited to be joining Goulbourn Museum this summer as the Museum Assistant! I’m currently attending Carleton University for a BA in History and Greek & Roman Studies with minors in Medieval Studies and Islamic Studies. I’ve worked for years in local history institutions in Ontario and am excited to experience Goulbourn Museum and all the former township has to offer, even during this complicated time of social distancing. I hope during my time working with the museum that I’ll get the opportunity to learn more about museum operations and management as well as historical research.

I grew up in Bowmanville, Ontario where I was lucky enough to work with Clarington Museums & Archives for over four years. From there, I began working with more local museums and exploring my love of history further. Upon moving to Ottawa, I began to once again work in museums and further developed my love for this industry. I hope after my degree to move to Malta and take my love of history to a graduate level.

In my spare time, I work mostly on researching my family histories from Malta, Constantinople, England, Slovenia, and Croatia. I also enjoy reading, cooking, gardening, and painting.

I look forward to the summer I’ll be spending with Goulbourn Museum and learning so much from the staff and community!

We are challenging YOU to get silly and recreate old photos of Goulbourn Township!

The photos (below) depict families from as far back as the 1800s.

HOW IT WORKS: Once you’ve chosen a picture, use your imagination to recreate the scene with the people, props and pets you have at home!

Click on the thumbnails below to take a closer look at the photos and find the perfect one to replicate. To keep the challenge fresh, a new series of photos will be added each week.

Participants can share their masterpieces (in either colour or black-and-white) on social media with the hashtag #YoreYourselfChallenge, and tag the Museum. Photos can also be emailed to info@goulbournmuseum.ca. Submissions will be compiled into a gallery that can be viewed on the Museum’s website and social media.

Have fun!

The Museum is looking for three post-secondary students for the following summer positions:

Collections Assistant: Duties include working with the collection, cataloguing artefacts, supporting research requests and daily operations.

Program Assistant: Duties include the delivery and development of public programs and events, and visitor experiences.

Museum Assistant: Duties include facilitation of visitor services, operational administration and to support ongoing daily operations.

• All Candidates require excellent English language skills and computer competency. Successful candidates will have a background in museum studies, art history, library and information studies, business, education, marketing, graphic design or a similar field. French is an asset.

• Positions are dependent on funding and run for 16 weeks at $15.00 per hour for 37.5 hours per week. Work includes weekends and statutory holidays. There is no public transportation to the Museum site.

• To apply, email a cover letter and resume (PDF format only) to tracey@goulbournmuseum.ca by 11:59 p.m. Thursday, April 30, 2020.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the unique circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, job descriptions may be altered to accommodate the Museum’s needs as employees work from home. Additional requirements will include internet access and personal electronic equipment; including a personal computer and smart phone both with audio and video capabilities. 

We had so many great entries in the “My Family Is…” Exhibit Contest! Thank you to everyone who participated! Our winner is……the Hambly family from Stittsville!

Their exhibit was a true family affair with contributions from parents Mandy and Rob, their children Jack and Lucy, and a special appearance from Shirley “Nana” Hambly who was interviewed in England. The video can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/VJXmsuWnvYE.

“We hope you like our exhibit that tells family stories and favourites from grandparents to grandkids in England, America and Canada,” Mandy wrote in her submission.

“We enjoyed unearthing old photos and sharing laughs and history with each other. What a great week – stuck at home! – to work hard on a project that honours our family by illustrating what’s unique about “us”.

Goulbourn Museum’s Education Officer, Sarah Catterall says the Hambly’s exhibit showed attention to detail and had a fantastic blend of artefacts, photos, texts, and video. “The winning “My Family Is…” exhibit clearly demonstrates family working, creating, and learning together- both near and far,” says Sarah. “Well done to the Hamblys!”

To take a closer look at the photos from the Hambly’s exhibit, please click on the images below.

Stay tuned for more fun at-home activities to be announced next week!

The Museum may be closed but staff has been busy developing online programming to help families connect, keep busy and have fun while you spend time at home. You can’t come to the Museum, but the Museum can come to you!

Follow along with us on social media where each day we will share an activity for you to do at home. Keep your eyes open this week for a contest and prize announcement!

Day 1 Activity: Call someone who you consider to be family, and ask them to tell you about your shared history. Some questions to ask may include:

• How many generations have you/we been in Canada?
• Where did you/we come from?
• What was life like for your parents/grandparents/ancestors?
• What stories do you know from your parents/grandparents/ancestors about our history?

Watch the Day 1 Video HERE.

Day 2 Activity: Now that you have learned more about your own family, create a family tree and see how far back you can go! Ask other members of your family to join in and help! Download a Family Tree template. Watch the Day 2 Video HERE.

Day 3 Activity: Find objects in your home that have cool family stories! Watch the Day 3 Video HERE.

Day 4 Activity: Official Contest Launch!! Get creative & design an exhibit about your family history, using what you’ve learned this week!  The winner will receive one of our very popular POCKET WATCHES and have their exhibit featured at the Museum. **CONTEST CLOSES FRIDAY, MAR 27** Click HERE for all the details!

Dear valued friends of the Goulbourn Museum:

Due to COVID-19 (Coronavirus), and in the abundance of caution, we have decided to close the Museum during March Break. This includes the cancellation of our March Break Craft Camp, Yap & Yarn this Sunday, March 15, and the Family Craft Day (Too Slow Gotta Go!) on March 29th.

Further updates will be posted regularly.

For more detailed information about, and general precautions regarding COVID-19, please visit the Public Health Agency of Canada.

We also recommend the following helpful video from Vera Etches, Ottawa’s Medical Officer of Health.

Thank you for your understanding.
~ Goulbourn Museum Staff & Board of Directors

Board Members will be elected at the Museum’s Annual General Meeting on April 21, 2020.

Contact Information:
2064 Huntley Road, Stittsville K2S 1B8
info@goulbournmuseum.ca
(613) 831-2393

Looking for the perfect gift for someone who grew up in Goulbourn? We’ve got you covered! These are just a few examples of how you can shop locally at Goulbourn Museum Museum.

Village Pins: Our Village Pins make great stocking stuffers and at just $1 a piece you can afford to get them for the whole family! We have pins for Ashton, Hazeldean, Munster, Richmond and Stittsville as well as a commemorative 1818 pin for Richmond.

Local Honey: We sell jars of honey (as well as lip balm and hand cream) made right here in Stittsville by Simply Honey. If you suffer from pollen allergies, did you know that when you eat local honey you’re thought to be ingesting local pollen? As a result you may become less sensitive to the allergens in your geographic area! At just $10 per 500 gm jar, our honey is cheaper (and less painful) than allergy shots! Definitely a sweet deal!

Goulbourn Tree Ornaments: These wooden tree ornaments resemble tiny cabins that early settlers might have lived in. Each one is engraved with the name Goulbourn and, just like a settler, you build it yourself! The ornaments sell for $14.00.

Heart Maps: Do you know someone who left their heart in Goulbourn Township? These hand embroidered maps by Sadie & June are uniquely hand stitched and framed – made to be a reminder of the places, people, and adventures you hold dear. The Museum carries maps of Ashton, Goulbourn, Munster, Richmond, Stanley’s Corners, and Stittsville. Maps are $25.

John Curry’s New Book: John Curry’s long-awaited book Richmond’s Got Spirit! is the perfect gift for anyone with ties to Richmond. The local historian delves beyond the annual fall fair and now departed Richmond Bakery to celebrate this remarkable 200-year-old village. As an added bonus, John Curry will be at the Museum signing copies of his book on Sunday, December 15 from 1-4 p.m.

The Museum’s gift shop is open Wednesday – Sunday from 1-4 p.m. and accepts Visa, MasterCard, cash and cheques.

The Goulbourn Museum is partnering with 3D Virtual Crafting on a project application with the Virtual Museums of Canada. Our team’s goal is to submit a proposal for the development of a digital storytelling experience (online game) that explores the personal stories of early Canadian settlers in the former Goulbourn Township.

To help our team develop a successful proposal we need your support.  Two questionnaires have been developed by our team, one for educators and one for students (Grades 4-8). The goal of these questionnaires is to gather information so that we can create a product that incorporates the feedback and interest of our community and beyond.

• TEACHERS:  If you are a teacher, please take a few minutes to complete this short questionnaire HERE
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• STUDENTS: If you are a student in Grades 4-8, please take a few minutes to fill out this short questionnaire HERE.

If your household cannot complete a survey, please share this with friends and family who can help. 

Thank you. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Isabella Pratt Allen, who was born on the ninth line of Goulbourn Township in March of 1837, is quoted on this newly installed exhibit panel at the Goulbourn Museum.

The great grandson of Goulbourn settler Isabella Pratt Allen is hoping to connect with other descendants and gather for the unveiling of a new exhibit at the Goulbourn Museum on Saturday, August 17.

Robin Ritchie, an Ottawa lawyer, estimates that descendants of his great grandmother must number well over 200. “Many of her descendants are still in the Ottawa area but many have moved away and we’d like to get the word out to all of them about this event,” he said. Descendants can reach out to Mr. Ritchie via email (rritchie@perlaw.ca) to share the details of their family connection.

The outdoor exhibition shines a spotlight on Stanley’s Corners, the area surrounding the Museum. Isabella, who was born on the ninth line of Goulbourn Township in March of 1837, is quoted on one of the exhibit panels. Her quote, originally published in The Evening Citizen in 1936 when she was in her 100th year, recalls the harrowing times of the early settler in the Ottawa Valley. “We seemed hemmed right in with bush. We could only see a short distance from any point,” she said. “The constant fear of all the settlers was that a fire might start in the bush and that they would be caught in it.”

At the event to launch this permanent outdoor exhibit, Mr. Ritchie will also be donating a portrait of Isabella that dates to the late 1800s. The Museum’s brand new heritage garden will also be unveiled.

“The exhibit highlights old businesses and people’s memories of Stanley’s Corners,” said Tracey Donaldson, Manager and Exhibitions Curator at the Goulbourn Museum. Each outdoor panel will feature details about a specific heritage plant to incorporate the new garden. “We want to teach the community about the importance of gardens and how they would have been depended on in Goulbourn’s early years,” she explains. “Plants would have been used for everything from food, medication and dye.”

Living off the land was something Isabella would have grown up doing. Raising 11 children while her husband was often away for the winter months in the logging camps of the Ottawa Valley meant Isabella had to be strong, industrious and energetic. She thought nothing of walking three miles to Richmond, and back, for groceries and supplies. She was known never to take an afternoon nap in her entire life, not once. There were just too many things to get done on the Twin Elm farm.

“She was a remarkable woman by any standard,” said Mr. Ritchie of his great grandmother who passed away quietly in 1942 at the age of 105.

To celebrate the launch of the exhibit and garden, the public is invited to the Goulbourn Museum for a Corn Roast on Saturday, August 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Relatives and descendants of Isabella Pratt Allan are encouraged to attend. The event will feature musical entertainment, games and activities and of course, fresh corn donated by Fallowfield Tree Farm. Families can bring a blanket and enjoy an afternoon feast while reveling in some old-fashioned fun on the Museum grounds. Cost is by donation.