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.