Artisan Profile: Button Box Originals
November 22nd, 2014
Button Box Originals creates unique, hand-made earrings using upcycled buttons and beads.
“I rarely create the same pair twice,” says owner Karen Mitchell. “I find it exhilarating to come up with the designs and then have people of all ages not only excited to buy them but to come back and tell me how much they love them.”
If you’re looking for a colourful gift or that perfect stocking stuffer, Button Box Originals will have a booth at Goulbourn Museum’s Outdoor Artisan Market on November 30th. Save the date!
Button Box Originals: Facebook
Meet Sarah Norton – Community Programmer and Marketing Assistant
July 11th, 2014
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| Sarah Norton |
This is my second summer working at Goulbourn Museum as a summer student. I do a wide variety of jobs including; off site presentations, assisting with Family Craft Days, and various other tasks that make every day new and exciting.
I am currently finishing my General Degree in Cultural Studies and Anthropology at Trent University and this fall I will be entering my first year of the Applied Museum Studies Program at Algonquin College.
By working at the Goulbourn Museum I am able to explore an assortment of jobs and tasks which sustain and maintain local heritage. This position has also allowed me to assist in the development of research and educational programs to keep local history alive.
Meet Mackenzie Bridgenaw – the Museum’s Curatorial Assistant for the Summer
July 11th, 2014
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| Mackenzie Bridgenaw |
This is my first summer working with the Goulbourn Museum as one of their Curatorial Assistants. Needless to say, I was thrilled when hired and am enjoying my work with the Museum. In general, I have a broad amount of tasks to fulfill – largely working with the collection, accessioning and caring for it.
I have recently completed my studies at Algonquin College with the Applied Museum Studies program, and will be attending Carleton University’s Canadian Studies program this fall. My previous experience in the museum field was with my internship at the Museum of Canadian History (formerly Civilization) where I assisted in maintaining the ethnographic collection, managing loans and updating current exhibitions.
My experience with the Goulbourn Museum compliments the skills I will require in the future, and I am happy to work with such an exceptional staff. I look forward to the coming months and all the experiences I will share with my colleagues.
DOORS OPEN: Get a behind-the-scenes tour of Goulbourn Museum’s collection
June 4th, 2014
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| Members of the 100th Regiment will be at Goulbourn Museum this weekend for Doors Open Ottawa. |
Goulbourn Museum cares for over 8,000 artefacts and this weekend only the public can get a rare private tour of the collection.
The Museum is once again participating in Doors Open Ottawa, a two-day event offering free access to over 120 of our National Capital’s most prestigious and architecturally appealing buildings; many of which are not normally open to the public.
Goulbourn Museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 7th and Sunday June 8th. In addition to taking a scheduled tour, visitors can also learn the history of the buildings, enjoy spinning and weaving demonstrations by the Richmond Village Spinners and Weavers Guild, and historical reenactments by the 100th (Prince Regent’s County of Dublin) Regiment.
We hope to see you this weekend!
Please note that our Homegrown Heroes exhibit will be under construction during Doors Open. The official opening of this exhibit will be at our Father’s Day event on June 15th.
Beechwood Cemetery’s Annual Historical Walking Tour this Sunday, June 8th
June 3rd, 2014
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| Costumed actors bring historical figures to life during the tour. |
Save the date! It’s Beechwood Cemetery’s Annual Historical Walking Tour this Sunday.
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of its outbreak, the theme for this year’s tour is the First World War. The tour includes five stops at the gravesites of men and women who fought in the trenches in Europe, cared for the injured or guided the country through the difficult war years. The tour will include war-time Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden, nurse Minnie Gallagher and Lt Alexis Helmer, whose death inspired John McRae’s famous poem, ‘In Flanders Fields.’ Costumed actors will bring these historical figures to life.
Don’t miss this stroll through beautiful and historic Beechwood, the National Cemetery of Canada.
Date: Sunday June 8, 2014
Time: 2:00 pm
Location: Beechwood the National Cemetery of Canada, 280 Beechwood Ave.
For more information contact Nicole at 613-741-9530 ext 121, or email: info@beechwoodcemetery.com
The event is outdoors. Refreshments will be served after the tour. Enter by Beechwood Avenue entrance. Tour and parking are free. Wear good walking shoes.
HOMEGROWN HEROES – Free Father’s Day Event at Goulbourn Museum June 15
June 2nd, 2014
Step back in time this Father’s Day for Homegrown Heroes – a free family event commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the First World War and the 75th Anniversary of the Second World War.
Challenge dad in the military obstacle course, send messages in Morse Code and check out a WWII jeep. Visitors can also add the name of a loved one to the Museum’s Memorial Tree, a new addition to the site that was generously donated by the Fallowfield Tree Farm.
The event will feature military groups, demonstrators and re-enactors, games, silent auction, book sale, and an old-fashioned photo booth with professional photographers from Henry’s. The Glen Scottish Restaurant and Pub will be onsite with their Tartan Kitchen serving up their famous fish & chips.
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| This WWII jeep is from the personal collection of long time Stittsville resident Jeff Mosher. |
The Museum will also be launching a new exhibit that tells the story of how WWI & WWII impacted the social history of Goulbourn Township. Visitors will learn about the changing role of women, war-time economy, and the evolution of the family dynamic.
All ages are welcome and admission is free.
Young Barrhaven Students Conduct Research on WWI Veterans from Richmond
May 2nd, 2014
We recently met Rob More, a teacher at St. Emily’s Catholic School in Barrhaven, and learned about some great research his students have been doing on WWI Veterans from Richmond.
The students first searched the regiment number and looked up each veteran’s attestation papers online. They then went onto ancestry.ca and looked at census rolls to find out family information. Finally, Mr. More went to the cemeteries and gave them the death information.
Following a format that was established by fellow teacher Blake Seward of Smiths Falls High School, students prepared brief bios and recorded them. Five videos featuring 37 biographies can be found on the Goulbourn Museum’s YouTube site. One pupil even represented her class at the Regional Heritage Fair and presented her findings on veteran Peter Haggerty.
Mr. More’s love of research also extends beyond the classroom. He and Brian Tackaberry have just completed a commemorative booklet on the 103 men from Almonte who died in WWI. The book is being released in August. He is currently compiling research on the Lanark veterans which will also be coming out in booklet format in August. You can see what he has accomplished HERE:
Next year Mr. More is publishing a booklet on the Beckwith WWI veterans and, in two years’ time, has his sights set on a publication about the WWI veterans from Barrhaven/Richmond.
We’re Hiring! Application Deadline for Summer Student Position is May 7th
April 24th, 2014
The Goulbourn Museum is looking for a Curatorial Assistant for 37.5 hours per week for 14 weeks at $11.00 per hour. Job duties include: registering artefacts and conducting an inventory of the collection; assisting with public programs and exhibitions; providing museum tours; and creating content for newsletters and social media sites.
The successful candidate will be a post-secondary student enrolled in a history, museum studies, arts or business program. The position requires strong English language skills, both oral and written. Computer competency is required, particularly in Microsoft Office and the Adobe Creative Suite. The ability to use a digital camera, experience using a database, French language skills, and First Aid training is desirable. The successful candidate will be required to obtain a police records check. The Goulbourn Museum is an equal opportunity employer.
Job shifts include Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays. There is no public transportation to the Museum site. Applications will be accepted by email, post, or in-person until 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7, 2014.
To be eligible for this position, the candidate must:
• Be a Canadian Citizen, permanent resident or have refugee status
• Be legally titled to work in Canada
• Be between 16 and 30 years of age at the start of employment
• Be a full time post-secondary student who intends to return to school
• Be registered in the YCW candidate inventory
2064 Huntley Road, Stittsville ON, K2S 1B8
goulbmus@rogers.com
613-831-2393
Seeking Nominees for Board of Directors
March 18th, 2014
Combine your love of heritage with your personal skills and play a major role in the success of the Goulbourn Museum.
Goulbourn Museum’s mandate is to disseminate the material and oral history of the Goulbourn community by collecting, preserving, displaying and interpreting local artefacts. The Museum offers a range of education programs to increase the public’s understanding and enjoyment of local history and offers a History Centre for local history and genealogical research.
The management of the Goulbourn Museum is overseen by an elected Board of Directors and that Board currently has two vacancies. The Museum is seeking nominations to fill those positions; elections will take place at the Annual General Meeting of the Museum on April 26, 2014.
If you are interested in becoming a Board Member or would like to nominate someone else for candidacy, please submit a statement to the Museum by March 31, 2014 describing the skills, knowledge and experience you can offer. All submissions must be marked to the attention of the Nominating Committee and can be emailed to: info@goulbournmuseum.ca or delivered to the Museum at 2064 Huntley Road, Stittsville, ON K2S1B8.
Board meetings are currently held during the morning of the second Friday of each month. A list of the current Board Members can be found on the Goulbourn Museum’s website. Click here to download the Nomination Form and By-laws.
A Star Among Us!
December 10th, 2013
Barbara Rielly is a heritage researcher and volunteer at Goulbourn Museum. While recording the materials and makers of our artefacts she has discovered a host of hidden treasures in our collection. This is her account of one such find.
By Barbara Rielly
It isn’t often that we museum types get to meet genuine, bona fide stars. But those of us lucky enough to have spent much time with this fine lady know that we have indeed had our brush with fame. Star of stage and screen, the inspiration and subject of more than 40 books our fair lady has thrilled generations. At its height, her fame and power was such that companies went into legal battle over her, she was the spokesperson for activists and provided the pattern which many a mother followed. Her beauty is such that she needs no further introduction, ladies and gentleman I present to you RAGGEDY ANN!
Raggedy Ann has been the beloved friend to little girls since her creation in 1915. A series of books featuring Ann and her brother Raggedy Andy soon followed and continued to be produced right up until 1977. With over 40 titles in print, these books are still available today. Raggedy Ann dolls are still in production though the manufacturers have changed over the years. There were a number of patterns out there that mothers and their daughters could use to make Ann themselves and it is one of these dolls that we have here at Goulbourn Museum. Our Raggedy Ann has outrageously long carrot coloured hair and her matching orange outfit has a floral decorative band that is hand drawn as are her features. It is likely that our Ann was made in the 1970s or 1980s when Raggedy Ann had her triumphant comeback tour complete with her own comic book, a Broadway musical, and two television specials. Raggedy Ann had her own museum for many years and was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2002. Click HERE to learn more about Raggedy Ann and her exploits.
I have to admit it has been fun checking out the doll collection at Goulbourn Museum in no small part because it brings back memories. Play is one of the great things about being a kid and dolls were something with which most children would have played. It’s only in recent years that kids have multiple dolls to play with so we can be sure that Ann would for most of her life have been the beloved ‘only doll’ in a child’s life. It is not hard to picture our Ann propped in a chair waiting for her little girl to get home from school.
I remember Raggedy Ann’s massive popularity in the 1970s and had several friends with Anns similar to she who waits at Goulbourn Museum. Given Raggedy Ann has been around for almost a century now, and that there is a new line of plush Raggedy Ann and Andys coming out, we can expect to see her around for a while yet.
