Museum Renovation update

Last month the Museum’s renovation project hit a bump in the road when the crew discovered that the north wall support had disintegrated. Construction had to be stopped until engineers could go back to the drawing board and come up with a solution.

We now have an update! The proposed new floor plans have been submitted to a mechanical engineer for review and the City is awaiting the shoring drawings from the contractor’s engineer in order to proceed with the replacement of the rim beam at the top of the existing footing/bottom of the wall.

We’re keeping our fingers and toes crossed that everything is tickety-boo and that we will see the crew back on site soon!

The Goulbourn Museum is now accepting applications for its Outdoor Artisan Market on Sunday, November 19, 2017. All products must be original and handmade by the artist. Space rental is $50 and includes one 6’ table and two chairs. This is a juried event and vendors will be chosen carefully to ensure a well-balanced show with quality products. 

Click HERE to apply.

Currently in its fifth year, the Museum’s Old Fashioned Christmas & Outdoor Artisan Market is a popular annual event which attracted close to 800 visitors in 2016. In addition to the market, the day also includes vintage Christmas activities and photos with Santa.

The joists have been removed causing the weight to remain solely on the wall supports.

Unfortunately an accumulation of time, and water build up has disintegrated the north wall support, leaving the crew uncertain how to proceed.

An engineer has been called to the site to analyse the situation, and determine how to continue with the work. While everything has been running smoothly thus far, it’s never easy to predict what obstacles may arise when working with old buildings!

The floors have been pulled up, and underneath our laminate flooring were the original hardwood, barn board, and beams.

So far the only item that has been found to date is the Humpty Dumpty chip bag, but we’re still anticipating a few more treasures under those old floorboards!

Upon arriving at the museum Wednesday morning, a great surprise awaited us. A crew from the City had arrived (as well as a POD). The work is underway!

This week the experts at Bytown Lock & Safe used a hydraulic lift to carefully remove the last artefact from the Museum. Doctor Chanonhouse’s safe would have housed his most expensive and dangerous medicines, as well as his money. It would have been very difficult to break into, and nearly impossible to move at 700 pounds without modern tools. It is now safely tucked away until the fall when the Museum reopens with brand new floors!

Staff also worked diligently to find temporary homes in the History Centre for everything from artefacts, craft and event supplies, and furniture. It was a chore to find a place for everything, but we did it!

We had hoped construction would begin this week but we’ve been assured it will begin on Monday. Fingers crossed!

It took two truck loads, over 500 ft of bubble wrap, and lots of elbow grease to completely empty the Museum but we did it! Next week we’ll let the professionals move the 700 lb safe that once belonged to Dr. Chanonhouse.

While Canada celebrates its 150th birthday the Goulbourn Museum building is quietly turning 145 this year. If its walls could talk they would tell tales of boisterous town hall meetings, lively dances, community parties and, for the last 27 years, Museum exhibitions and events. And although its walls are still standing tall, the Museum’s floors are telling a story of their own. They have started to sag and show their age.

“After years of struggling to build exhibits on drastically uneven floors and worrying about our visitors with mobility issues, we are thrilled to announce that the City of Ottawa will be replacing our floors this summer,” says Tracey Donaldson, Acting Manager. In order to prepare the space for its face lift, Museum staff will be emptying the building of all exhibits beginning July 4th, and safely storing the artefacts in the History Centre. The construction project is expected to last all summer and will include the addition of some storage and the removal of the raised stage area so all of the floors are one level and accessible.

It is anticipated that the Museum will be under renovation from July to September and, once complete, staff will have to reinstall and reconstruct each exhibit. “We hope to reopen our doors to the public again in October,” says Keith Hobbs, Goulbourn Museum Chairperson. “Although the Museum cannot host visitors during this time, we will continue to have a presence in the community through offsite events and exhibits.” Staff will also continue to work full-time hours in the History Centre and research appointments can be accommodated upon request.

“We apologize for any inconvenience our temporary closure may cause but hope you will agree the end result will be worth the wait,” says Hobbs.

The Museum will be posting regular updates on its blog and social media so the public can follow the construction progress.

We were very lucky to have been able to hire two wonderful students this summer. Both have worked for us in the past so they have been able to hit the ground running.

Sarah Allan – Museum and Exhibition Assistant

I am very excited to be back at the Goulbourn Museum. My last summer here was a blast, and I’m looking forward to another fast-paced, event filled summer. It’s never a dull moment at the Museum and with such a great staff and community it’s sure to be memorable.

While I took a year off of school to travel, I will be returning to Queen’s next semester to further my education. I’m continuing my studies in History, which is why I am so fortunate to be able to work in the Museum amongst the history of my hometown.

I was born in Richmond, and have since relocated to Barrhaven, though I have Goulbourn in my roots. I love the Museum, and all of the outreach it does in the local community, and I am happy to be a part of it again!

Jamie Stirling – Curatorial Assistant

I am incredibly honoured to be returning to work with the team at Goulbourn Museum for the second time as a summer student. This summer I will be working as the Curatorial Assistant to help look after the artifacts in the museum’s collection and assist in research.

In May of this year, I had the opportunity to travel to Japan with my family. While we were in Tokyo, I was able to visit a rather interesting museum that was all about the invention of Cup Noodle instant ramen. We learned all about the invention of Cup Noodle in 1958 and how it took over the world (and even space)! The exhibit also wove in six lessons in creativity and reminded visitors to think outside the box and look at things from a different perspective through art and a variety of interactives. The Cup Noodles Museum did an excellent job of creating a well-rounded museum experience and they inspired me to remember to bring all and any ideas to the table in my own experience as a museum worker.

I will be returning to Algonquin College for my third and final year in the Applied Museum Studies program this fall. I will remember the lessons I learn every day from the Goulbourn Museum, the AMS program, and beyond so that I can help create a memorable experience for all museum visitors.