April 30, 2004 May is Museum Month

Museums are invaluable repositories of our cultural heritage and provide great educational and entertainment possibilities.  In May there is a province wide celebration of Ontario Museums.  Dozens of special events will take place in Ontario’s 600 museums, galleries, archives and historic sites.  International Museum Day will be celebrated on May 18^th the day some of our local museums open for their summer run.  Today I want to look at museums in the Community Voices area or nearby to encourage a visit this spring, summer or fall. 

For information on the Ontario wide activities, log on to www.museumontario.com or call 1-800-Ontario.  You can also buy a copy of the excellent “Guide to Ontario Museums” online or by mail ($19.95 + tax and shipping) through this website.  For local museum information I use the North Bay Chamber of Commerce at Seymour and the Bypass or the Phone Directory and Community Guide (p. 41) which gives hours, fees and phone numbers.  It also includes a full page on the Sturgeon River House Museum in Sturgeon Falls & 2 pages on the Quint Museum.  Copies of the phone book are available at the Chamber of Commerce if you don’t have a copy. 

North Bay 

Looking at our area as a wheel with North Bay as the hub serves as a good way to look at a museum visitation plan.  North Bay has several choice locations. 

The North Bay Area Museum at 100 Main Street downtown has interesting material on early settlement and transportation, etc.  The transportation theme will be expanded when the museum sets up displays in the old CPR station in the future.  From May 10 to June 30 a “Riding the Rails” exhibition will look at the many railways that helped create North Bay today.  The museum is open year round and has many activities throughout the year.  On May 15 a trip to the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton will provide a look at their remarkable Arboretum and Rock Gardens and 100,000 spring blooms.  Membership in the museum provides a museum publication Artifacts on a bi-monthly basis to help members keep up to date. 

While at the North Bay Museum have a look at the fine art and gallery store at the W.K.P. Kennedy Gallery at 140 Main Street nearby.  The Museum also has a shop. 

While in North Bay drop in to the Dionne Quint Museum located at the Chamber of Commerce at Seymour and the Bypass and have a look at the Model Train Museum at the same site. 

Another fascinating site is the Canadian Forces Museum of Aerospace Defence at the North Bay Airport.  Sunday is the best (1-4) time to go but they are open Thursday and Friday in July and August.  Last but not least visit the Heritage Carousel and the Heritage Miniature Train at the waterfront.  

The Eastern Spoke of the Wheel 

While traveling on the eastern spoke of the wheel (Hwy. 17) toward Mattawa drop down Hwy. 630 to Eau Claire and see the Eau Claire Gorge.  When you get back on Hwy. 17 drop in to the Voyageur Museum at the Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park (no charge).  In Mattawa they have their museum in a beautiful 2-storey log building on Explorer’s point – one of the most spectacular views in the district. 

The Western Spoke 

Traveling west to Sudbury and Science North and other Sudbury attractions stop at the Sturgeon River House Museum 2.5km south of Sturgeon Falls.  It has a 4 km walking trail with bridges and observation decks. 

The Southern Spoke 

The Callander Bay Heritage Museum is located in downtown Callander and is the former home of Dr. Dafoe the Quint doctor.  Their current exhibition on the Quint Films is fascinating.  The Nipissing Museum on Hwy. 654 south of Callander is located in an old log building and a new modern one in the village of Nipissing on the South River near Lake Nipissing. 

The Clark House Museum on the West side of Hwy. 11 at Powassan has an interesting collection of artifacts and archival material from the local area.  The Commanda General Store Museum on Hwy. 522 west of Trout Creek is located in a fabulous old general store with a long history. 

The Northern Spoke 

As you head up Hwy. 11 to the historical Tri-towns of Cobalt, Haileybury and New Liskeard stop at Marten River Provincial Park.  They have an old logging camp complete with all of the old logging equipment.  In Temagami look for the old Fire Tower and visit the site.  The old stone train station in town has been restored and has an old ticket and telegraph office, waiting room and a craft store.  In Latchford visit the House of Memories Museum and an old sawmill, bunkhouse and Loggers Hall of Fame.  The Tri-towns have many interesting sites and Cobalt was recently chosen as “the most historic site in Ontario.” 

1895 Wedding Dress recently donated to the Callander Bay Heritage Museum.

If anyone has any artifacts they want to donate like the wedding dress shown here talk to your museum of choice or check with the Institute of Community Studies and Oral History at Nipissing University.  The wedding dress now on display at the Museum in Callander was worn by Hannah Shields when she married William Durrell in 1895.  It is worn in the photo by Rebekah McMartin their 10-year-old great great granddaughter at an Anderson family reunion in Chisholm Township last summer.