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May is museum month and Wed., May 18, 2022, marks International Museum Day. The Port Colborne Historical & Marine Museum has planned events for residents and visitors to celebrate the power of community museums.
Community Exhibit Adventure
Highlighting the power of museums, the museum is curating a ‘build your own exhibit’ adventure, as they collectively create a mini exhibit that celebrates our local history! Tune in to the museum’s Instagram stories every Tuesday and Thursday to vote on which artifacts you would like to see displayed. The final exhibit will be unveiled on May 18 from 12 to 5 p.m. at the Port Colborne Historical Marine Museum, 280 King Street.
International Museum Day event
The department of museum and culture will be hosting an event on May 18 at 4 p.m. at the Roselawn Centre, 296 Fielden Avenue, to recognize the donors that contribute archives and artifacts to our community museum.
Honoured guest, William J. Thomas will be donating his archives to Amanda Emery, museum registrar, adding various copies of his manuscripts to the collection. Mr. Thomas will be honoured by Mayor Steele and the Friends of Roselawn Centre (FORC) for his support of the preservation of heritage and culture with his contributions to the Roselawn Centre through the Canadian Authors’ Series.
“Donors are essential to the preservation of local heritage for future generations,” said Terry Huffman, accession committee chair. “We’re thankful for our donors and looking forward to recognizing Mr. Thomas”.
Engage with the museum
Like and follow the museum’s social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram, and be sure to use the hashtag #mayismuseummonth. Or, visit the museum’s website at www.portcolborne.ca/museum.
Become a museum member
Annual museum memberships for 2022 are sponsored by Bell Marine. To become a museum member (for free), complete the online form at www.portcolborne.ca/museummembership.
About International Museum Day
The International Council of Museums (ICOM) established International Museum Day in 1977 to increase public awareness of the role of museums in the development of society, and it has been steadily gaining momentum ever since. In 2021, the celebration amplified its impact by the development of hybrid activities all around the world, reaching 89 million Internet users through social media, news articles, blog posts, podcasts and more! On International Museum Day 2022, May 18, ICOM will be exploring the potential of museums to bring about positive change in their communities through three lenses: the power of achieving sustainability, the power of innovating on digitalisation and accessibility, and the power of community building through education. To learn more, visit their website.
About Port Colborne Historical and Marine Museum
Located at 280 King Street, Port Colborne, The Museum and Heritage Village feature a century of heritage buildings in a landscaped setting of historic gardens, pathways, trees and flowers, picket fences, and a memorial pavilion with picnic tables and benches.
The Village includes the original 1869 Georgian-revival style Home and Carriage House of Arabella Williams which houses the main exhibit galleries, Humberstone's first log schoolhouse where school tours are held, the 1850 log home of John and Sally Sherk, the F.W. Woods and Sons 1880 Marine Blacksmith Shop, a 1915 Edwardian Cottage, which is the home of Arabella's Tea Room, where volunteers serve Afternoon Tea with hot homemade tea biscuits and preserves, a Marine Exhibit Lighthouse, a reproduction of the parapet of Port Colborne's Lighthouse, which displays marine artifacts and ship models, and a Heritage Resource Centre which holds the Museums Reserve Collection and is open for research by appointment.
The Museum interprets and exhibits the history of Port Colborne and the Welland Canal. Marine artifacts include the Wheelhouse from the Yvon Dupre Jr. Tug Boat, the anchor from the Raleigh and a Lifeboat from the S.S. Hochelaga.
The Museum is the home of Canada's Century Car, the 1901 Neff Steam Buggy, one of Ontario's oldest existing automobiles, built by Benton Neff at the Neff Foundry in Humberstone, which is part of Port Colborne today.
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