2021 Closure Notice
August 12th, 2021
GOULBOURN MUSEUM has decided that its doors will remain closed to visitors for the remainder of 2021. This decision was an easy one, but not a happy one. We wish to continue to put the health and welfare of our staff, volunteers, and visitors first during these uncertain times. We believe we can best do this by continuing our focus on coming to you remotely.
Until we can meet again in-person, we hope you enjoy visiting our grounds outside, following us on social media, participating in our #WhatsItWednesday challenges, exploring our virtual tours and exhibits, reading the letters of Privt. Sefton Stewart, discovering our Summer Seekers program, and much more.
We’re so excited for what 2022 might bring and to see you again at the Goulbourn Museum when it is safe to do so. Thank you to our community for your ongoing support!
2021 Speaker Series: The Science Behind The Costume
April 26th, 2021
Discover the world of historical costuming with Loree Tannett as she shares her process for creating clothing items that bring the past alive. Goulbourn Museum invites you to join us for this exciting second installment of our 2021 Speaker Series on Wednesday, May 19 at 7:00 pm.
You’ve probably seen people dressed up in period garb at living history museums or historical re-enactments – but what goes into making these costumes? Loree Tannett will give you a behind-the-scenes look at the steps required for creating historical costumes, including the extensive research required, sewing individual clothing items, and putting together an outfit.
Loree Tannett is a Perth-based seamstress and costume designer. She enjoys merging the look of historical costuming with the comfort of modern clothing. She thinks that using costumes makes the museum experience more real and gives visitors a look into the lives of the people of the area highlighted in the museum.
This event will take place over Zoom. Upon registering, participants will receive an email confirmation. On the day of the event, we will email participants an invitation to access the Zoom meeting. Please register by noon on May 19 in order to receive the Zoom invitation.
The event will start promptly at 7:00 pm and run for one hour. We encourage attendee participation during the Question and Answer period.
For any questions, please email register@goulbournmuseum.ca.
See you there!
Watch Now! How the Women’s Institute Preserves Community Histories
April 26th, 2021
On April 15, 2021 Goulbourn Museum welcomed Mara Benjamin, curator of the Erland Lee Museum, to speak on the key role that Women’s Institutes have played in preserving the local histories of small-town Ontario. If you missed the live event, you can watch the recording on our YouTube channel.
NOW HIRING: THREE POSITIONS
April 1st, 2021
The Goulbourn Museum is excited to announce that we are looking for three post-secondary students for the following positions:
- Assistant Museum Curator: Duties include working with the collection, cataloguing artefacts, supporting research requests, and daily operations.
- Programming Assistant: Duties include the development and delivery of public programs and events and facilitating visitor experiences.
- Assistant Museum Administrator: Duties include updating social media channels and website, supporting communications and marketing, and assisting with operational administration.
Interested? Click above on the job titles above to learn more about each one. Apply by emailing your application to tracey@goulbournmuseum.ca by 11:59PM on April 18, 2021.
2021 Speaker Series: How Women’s Institutes Preserve Community Histories
March 30th, 2021
Learn about the instrumental role that Women’s Institutes have played in preserving local histories with guest speaker Mara Benjamin.
About this Event
Goulbourn Museum invites you to join us on Thursday, April 15 at 7:00 pm for the inaugural installment of our 2021 Speaker Series. Join Mara Benjamin, curator at the Erland Lee Museum, as she walks us through the key role that Women’s Institutes have played in preserving the local histories of small-town Ontario.
Title: One Tweedsmuir at a Time: How the Women’s Institute preserves community histories
Topic: Since its inception at the Erland Lee (Museum) Home in 1897, the Women’s Institute (WI) has been dedicated to empowering, educating, and supporting women. WI members have worked tirelessly to improve their communities through fundraising and advocacy and have preserved their local histories through Tweedsmuir Community History Books for generations. Now, nearly 150 years after the WI began, we continue to record our histories for those who come after us through branch Tweedsmuirs. Thanks to the support of Library & Archives Canada, we have been able to scan and make public hundreds of Tweedsmuirs through our Virtual Archives website. So, while our method of preserving history may be changing, our dedication to our communities remains the same. For Home & Country.
About the Presenter: Mara Benjamin is the Curator at the Erland Lee (Museum) Home. Prior to coming on as curator, she was an active volunteer at the museum and worked as the Lee’s summer intern for a few summers during her undergraduate degree. Mara completed an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology & Archaeology from McMaster University before going on to earn her Master of Museum Studies degree from the University of Toronto. When she is not working at the museum, reading about museums, or visiting museums, Mara enjoys hiking, crocheting, and tending to her house plants and balcony garden.
Event Logistics: To register, click HERE. Upon registering, participants will receive an email confirmation. This event will take place over Zoom. On the day of the event, we will email participants an invitation to access the Zoom meeting. Please register by noon on April 15 in order to receive the Zoom invitation.
The event will start promptly at 7:00 pm and run for one hour. We encourage attendee participation during the Question and Answer period.
For any questions, please email register@goulbournmuseum.ca.
What’s in a Name: Questions & Answers
March 6th, 2021
During the live “What’s in a Name?” discussion on February 23rd, the Museum received many questions. Due to time constraints, we could not answer them all. We’ve taken unanswered questions directly from the Zoom Q&A and Chat transcript and have done our best to provide answers, which you can read by clicking HERE. These answers are subject to change as the Museum continues its research.
What’s in a Name: A Transparent Look at Sir Henry Goulburn and Slavery
February 24th, 2021
If you watch the video above, please fill out this follow-up survey.
Last night, Goulbourn Museum hosted a live discussion on Goulbourn Township’s namesake, Sir Henry Goulburn. This discussion was recorded and can now be watched on our YouTube!
For more information on this event, please click HERE.
Meet our Program Coordinator: Miriam Tepper!
February 9th, 2021
We’re welcoming Miriam Tepper to our team as our Program Coordinator!
I am pleased to be joining the Goulbourn Museum as their program coordinator. Everyone is so friendly, helpful, and supportive and I am glad to be working with them. Over the next four months, I look forward to contributing to the museum and the Goulbourn community. Hopefully, the resources and lessons I develop will be enriching and enjoyable for the museum’s participants over the course of next year.
I have an MSc. in museum studies from the University of Leicester and have worked in the museum field since 2018. Since my mother introduced me to museums as a child, I have volunteered at various institutions since I was 12, both in science and heritage. It is exciting to be working with a new museum and learning its history, mandate, and about the community it serves.
I am an avid gardener. I started my own butterfly garden 17 years ago and it has expanded since then. Seventy-four plants grow in it, and 3/4ths are native species. I have also salvaged and maintained gardens that were neglected at other heritage museums. In addition to the butterfly garden, I have worked on herb gardens, ornamental gardens, and vegetable gardens. Local wildflowers are an interest of mine, and I am able to identify and name most of them.
What’s in a Name: A Transparent Look at Sir Henry Goulburn and Slavery
February 3rd, 2021
Do you know the origin behind the names of places you encounter everyday? The names and the history of the people for which places have been named are often forgotten. For many, Goulbourn is one of those names. First established in 1818, Goulbourn Township included the towns of Richmond, Stittsville, Munster, Ashton, and many small hamlets. This area is now amalgamated into the City of Ottawa, but the name Goulbourn is still very present. Goulbourn Middle School, Henry Goulburn Way, and Goulbourn Museum make up some of the present-day bearers of the name in the area.
On February 23rd, Goulbourn Museum will be hosting a live discussion on the Township’s namesake, Sir Henry Goulburn, and how historic naming practices affect people today. We’ve invited experts and community groups to lead the discussion as panelists, including Museum staff and Black History Ottawa.
The discussion will focus on three areas:
- The history of Sir Henry Goulburn centred around his participation in the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the War of 1812. As well as his involvement in slavery through his ownership of sugar estates such as Amity Hall in Jamaica.
- Contemporary case studies on how other communities and organizations have approached controversial historic naming practices.
- Diverse perspectives on how historic naming practices impact today’s community.
Registration Instructions:
Register for the event on our Eventbrite page by clicking HERE.
Upon registration, participants will receive a confirmation email with a link to the meeting through the event page on Eventbrite. You will access the Zoom meeting link through this page. Participants will receive a reminder email prior to the event.
Please note: You must sign into your Eventbrite account to access the event page with Zoom link. If you do not already have an Eventbrite account, simply sign up using the same email address you used to register for tickets.
If you would like more information, please feel free to contact us at info@goulbournmuseum.ca.
Meet our Applied Museum Studies Intern: Nicole Gratrix!
January 28th, 2021
Through a partnership with Algonquin College’s Applied Museum Studies program, we want to welcome Nicole Gratrix to our team!
I am so excited to be working with the Goulbourn Museum team for my Applied Museum Studies placement. From January until the end of April, I will be working on educational programming projects for the Museum as an intern.
I completed the Visual and Creative Arts program at Sheridan College before changing paths and taking Applied Museum Studies at Algonquin. I love to teach and learn, and I’m fond of history and the arts, so programming was the way to go. I’ve previously worked in interpretation, administration, and education at a few different institutions in the Simcoe-Muskoka area.
Outside of work and school, I do a bit of illustration here and there. Some of my merchandise designs appeared at RuPaul’s DragCon LA in 2018, which was pretty exciting!
Working with the Museum during the pandemic is sure to be a valuable experience full of unique challenges. I look forward to working alongside such a friendly and passionate team, and I can’t wait to see what the next few months have to bring!
