The Ontario Historical Society

Campbell House Museum: Tales of the Grotesque
2023-11-01 20:00 - 22:00, 2023-11-03 20:00 - 22:00, 2023-11-04 20:00 - 22:00 (America/Toronto) | Campbell House Museum, 160 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 3H3, Canada
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—while I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, as of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. “’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—only this and nothing more …”
An immersive horror opera, Tales of the Grotesque invites visitors to explore Victorian Toronto through the eyes of literature’s most twisted author, Edgar Allan Poe, and come tapping at the door to the unknown.
In this haunting adaptation of the works of Edgar Allan Poe, join the visitors of the melancholy House of Usher on a candlelit journey into the macabre. Despite their apprehensions, a stubborn doctor, a resentful medium, and a murderer attend the funeral of an eccentric recluse—only to question the circumstances surrounding her untimely death. As they begin to outstay their welcome, they uncover evidence of a connection between their disturbing pasts and the sinister presence stalking their every move. With their secrets exposed, they must be willing to summon their ghosts to survive the supernatural forces at work, and confront the meddlesome housekeeper who knows more than she claims.

Ontario Archaeological Society 2023 Symposium
2023-11-03 - 2023-11-05 | Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre, 33 Victoria St N, Southampton, Ontario, N0H 2L0, Canada
Planning for the 2023 Annual Symposium of the Ontario Archaeological Society is underway and we are happy to announce that it will be hosted in Southampton! It will take place in the treaty territory of Saugeen Ojibway Nation (Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation and Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation) and near the home of the Historic Saugeen Métis. Most events will happen at the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre and the Southampton Town Hall from November 3rd to the 5th. Excitingly, as this year also marks our 50th Annual Symposium, we hope to also take the opportunity to celebrate this amazing OAS milestone together!

Guelph Historical Society Evenings with History: "In Our Fathers' Footsteps"
2023-11-07 19:30 | Guelph Museum, 52 Norfolk St, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
Speaker: David Smith
David Smith will discuss the tour of Dutch villages liberated by Canadian soldiers during the Second World War that he took in 2022. The tour was organized by The Canadian Remembrance Torch and called “In our Fathers’ Footsteps.”

Esquesing Historical Society: A Short History of the Lorne Scots Regiment
2023-11-08 19:00 | Knox Presbyterian Church, 116 Main St. S., Georgetown, ON, L7G 3E6, Canada
The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin, & Halton Regiment), the local Militia (Army Reserves) regiment has served Canada and the local community since before Confederation. While its official birthday is in September 1866, its history predates the War of 1812. A company of the regiment has been in Georgetown since 1863 and has included many residents who have served in war and peace. Charles Veale will present the history of the regiment starting with the 1793 Milita Act and continuing to the COVID-19 Pandemic and will touch on a few more recent developments.

Conférence de la Société d’histoire de Toronto - Le destin d’Inuits du Labrador décédés en France aux XIXe et XXe siècles
2023-11-08 19:00 | online
En 1880, un Inuk du nord du Labrador, Abraham, accepte une offre de partir pour l’Europe pour une année, avec femme et enfants, afin d’y être exhibés dans des zoos. Il espère ainsi gagner des revenus qui lui permettront d’améliorer le sort de sa famille. Trente-cinq ans plus tard, John Shiwak s’enrôle et devient un des meilleurs tireurs d’élite du régiment de Terre-Neuve lors de la Grande Guerre.
Tous deux ont le mal du pays et ne rêvent qu’à rentrer au Labrador. Le destin en a toutefois décidé autrement. Abraham décède à Paris en janvier 1881; John en Cambrésis en novembre 1917. Leurs familles et la communauté du Labrador n’ont jamais su ce qui leur était arrivé jusqu’à récemment.
Venez découvrir ces deux histoires tragiques ainsi que les démarches entreprises pour rectifier les erreurs du passé et commémorer leur mémoire.
*Lien pour s’inscrire:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/billets-le-destin-dinuits-du-labrador-decedes-en-france-aux-19e-et-20e-siecles-682454097577?aff=oddtdtcreator&from=b018ca1928df11ee8f05e69217a0df9b&keep_tld=1

Bradford West Gwillimbury Local History Association 2023 Christmas Potluck
2023-11-11 | Bradford Public Library, 425 Holland St W, Bradford, Ontario, L3Z 0J2, Canada
Location: Zima Room

Historical Society of Ottawa: Lowertown East: Urban Renewal & The Aftermath
2023-11-12 13:00 | Ottawa Public Library, Main Branch, 120 Metcalfe St., Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5M2, Canada
Guest speaker: Mark Aubin, Author, ‘Blight’
The 1960s were a time when civic leaders were anxious to bulldoze the past to make way for the modern thruways and dazzling glass towers of the future. What chance did the families and businesses of a working class neighbourhood like Lowertown East have of standing in the way of “progress”?
All are welcome to attend without charge.
Location: Ottawa Public Library, Main Branch, auditorium

La Société d'histoire de Toronto - Visite du cimetière York
2023-11-12 13:00 | York Cemetery, Beecroft Road 160, Toronto, Ontario, M2N 5Z5, Canada
Départ* : 13h à l’entrée du cimetière au 160 chemin Beecroft (ouest de Yonge)
Fin : retour à l’entrée
Guides : Gilles Huot et Rolande Smith
Au début du 19e siècle, le terrain occupé par le cimetière York était une ferme qui appartenait à Joseph Shepard. Une avenue tout près porte son nom. Ensuite et successivement un terrain de golf et un petit aéroport, le site devient finalement un cimetière qui reçoit sa première sépulture en 1948. Plusieurs personnalités y sont enterrées : une princesse impériale, un joueur de hockey légendaire maintenant associé au « double double », une journaliste brillante morte trop tôt et plus encore. Ce cimetière a aussi un aspect militaire assez prononcé et on y trouve quelques bâtiments et monuments remarquables.
*Comment s’y rendre? Par métro, descendre à la station North York Centre. Une fois sur la rue Yonge, marcher vers le sud jusqu’au North York Blvd. Marcher ensuite vers l’ouest sur le North York Blvd, ce qui vous mènera aux portes du cimetière (le point de départ de notre visite). Il y a un stationnement public au 180 Beecroft Road, juste à côté des portes du cimetière.
Visite gratuite, la SHT passe le chapeau à la fin de la visite.
Pas besoin de s’inscrire, pas de chien.
Contact : smth7631@rogers.com ou gilles.huot3@sympatico.ca

Oakville Historical Society Speakers' Night - Tracing the Norton family tree
2023-11-13 19:30 | St. John’s United Church, Oakville, 262 Randall Street, Oakville, Ontario, L6J 1P9, Canada
Alan Norton, while not a genealogy expert, has extensively researched, over the last 50 years, multiple branches of his family’s history. Not only will he share some of the fascinating stories and pictures he uncovered about his family tree, but he will also share some of his learnings for those of you who might also be interested in tracing your own family history. You won’t want to miss this great OHS Speakers Night event.

Kingston Historical Society November 2023 Meeting (In-Person and Virtual)
2023-11-15 19:00 | Kingsbridge Retirement Community, 950 Centennial Dr., Kingston, Ontario, K7M 0G8, Canada
Kingston has long relied on haunted walks and its role as penitentiary warden of the nation to bolster its tourism. Queen’s doctoral candidate Kaitlyn MacDonald’s research into what is called “Dark Tourism” will delve beyond the superficial into the historical construction behind our fascination with the abnormal and suggest ways in which such analysis may be used to enhance both our historical understanding and tourism management.

We return to in-person meetings in January, now at the Kingsbridge Retirement Community which has graciously agreed to let us use their very comfortable theatre lounge for our meetings. This is a most attractive location with comfortable armchairs and the most up-to-date audio-visual equipment. The spaciousness of this venue also allows us to offer light refreshments and an opportunity for socialization after each lecture.
The Kingsbridge Retirement Community, 950 Centennial Drive is the tall building just south of Princess Street. Ask for the theatre lounge on the lower floor. Enter by the prominent door on the east side. Someone will be at the door to give you directions and to check your double vaccination status. There is free visitor parking along the north side of the building. Express buses #501 and 502 serve upper Princess Street to very near Kingsbridge. Bus #4 offers slower service along Princess Street from downtown. Use the Centennial Drive bus stop.
Covid precautions: Please wear a mask on entry to the building, but you may remove your mask once in the room. Proof of vaccination is mandatory. The building is kept meticulously sanitized.

Simcoe County Historical Association Presents "The Convoy through a Sailor's Lens"
2023-11-15 19:00 - 20:30 | online
Simcoe County Historical Association invites you to attend this special evening to share the memories of WWII as brought to us by the photographs collected by Mark Burchell and his father John.
John served with the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserves during World War 2. The photographs tell the story of a sailor going through training, two shore postings and culminating with a posting to the HMCS Restigouche tasked with escorting 14 convoys during the period September 1942 to July 1943. Register HERE

London & Middlesex Historical Society: November 2023 Meeting
2023-11-15 19:30 | Old Courthouse, Ridout Street North 399, London, Ontario, N6A 2P1, Canada
Annual General Meeting/Show & Tell
A brief AGM of LMHS executive members reports of 2023 activities. This is followed by attendees showing items about London and area and giving brief history about or maybe asking for help identifying the object.
The speaker programme for the London and Middlesex Historical Society takes place on the third Wednesday of the month at 7:30 pm at the Old Courthouse building, 399 Ridout St. N., London.
​Notice: Limited free parking in lot behind the Courthouse, off King Street West. Entry/exit to the building is from the south (by stairs from side door). Please check the City of London website due to major road construction in the downtown area.
Remember to arrive early as someone is required to let you in and no one is on duty after the meeting starts.
Everyone is welcome to attend. Bring a friend. These monthly meetings are free to the public.

Toronto Railway Museum - Free Online Lecture, Laying the Tracks to Victory
2023-11-16 19:00 - 20:30 | online
Join us for “Laying the Tracks to Victory: Sergeant Biggs and the Canadian Railway Troops of the First World War,” an online lecture on November 16!
Did you know that Canada during the 1910s had the best and most experienced trainmen in the world? These Canadian railway professionals were recruited to build & maintain thousands of kilometers of tracks on the Western Front – their great contribution is rarely discussed and is certainly a neglected part of history.
Learn about the Canadian Railway Troops of WWI that enabled the Allies to win the war with Ryan Goldsworthy of the Royal Canadian Military Institute. This lecture will be illuminated by several original artifacts related to the Canadian Railway Troops of 1914-1919, including the rare medal set and uniform of Canadian Sergeant William Thomas Biggs.

Thunder Bay Museum PA Day Camp UP! UP! and AWAY!
2023-11-17 09:00 - 16:00 | Thunder Bay Museum, 425 Donald St E., Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7E 5V1, Canada
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it . . . your own flying creation?
Did you know that during WWII airplanes were built here at Canadian Car and Foundry? These were the famous Hawker Hurricanes.
Come to the Thunder Bay Museum for a PA Day about the air, the sky, and things that fly.
Spaces are limited to 14 children.
Member registration opens Wed. Nov. 1, 2023.
PA Day Camp runs from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm with drop off times between 9:00 am – 9:30 am and pick up times between 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm. Camp is for children ages 6-12.
Attached you will also find the emergency contact form and photo release form.
PLEASE NOTE: if your child has food allergies, medical, or any special accommodations please submit the forms in advance of your child’s start date. This will ensure that any allergies or needs can be properly accommodated.
Emergency Contact and Photo Release Form.pdf
Please see our website for more information and details about this day.
https://www.thunderbaymuseum.com/learn/kids/paday-camp/

Please do not hesitate to contact the Education and Outreach Coordinator at education@thunderbaymuseum.com or 807-623-0801 x 116 if you have any further questions about our PA Day Camp.

Thunder Bay Museum Holiday Market and Open House
2023-11-18 | Thunder Bay Museum, 425 Donald St E., Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7E 5V1, Canada
The holidays are quickly approaching and we want to help you find the perfect gifts! Visit the Thunder Bay Museum’s annual Holiday Market and Open House to purchase exquisite hand-made arts, crafts, and baking from local vendors, while experiencing three floors of exhibits and soaking in the holiday cheer.
Admission to the Holiday Market and Open House is completely free and registration is not required for this event.
Vendor registration: https://thunderbaymuseum1.wildapricot.org/event-5335705
(please note that space is limited)

Vendors

Celestial Strawberry Glass
Jennifer’s Gluten-Free Kitchen
Lynn Martin
Keramiikka Maan
Nome’s Home
Sister Bear Designs Inc.
Kathy Toivonen

Lang Pioneer Village Museum Christmas Bazaar
2023-11-18 09:00 - 14:00 | Lang Pioneer Village Museum, 104 Lang Rd, Keene, ON, K0L 2G0, Canada
Get a jump start on your holiday shopping with the Christmas Bazaar taking place Saturday, November 18 from 9 am to 2 pm at the Peterborough County Agricultural Heritage Building at Lang
Pioneer Village Museum (146 Lang Road)! This indoor/outdoor market will feature a variety of local vendors selling unique hand-crafted gift items.
Enjoy a hot beverage or sweet treat while you browse the selection of goods. With Indigenous items, framed photography, beeswax items, hand-carved, turned and burned wooden items, knit, sewn and crochet goods, hand- crafted bath bombs and scrubs, jewelry, pottery, tinware and more, you are sure to find something for even the hardest to buy for! For those needing a lunch break, hot dogs and refreshment will be available to purchase from the kitchen. There will be a variety of raffle items to be won including two fully decorated trees and over $1000 worth of
prizes, and photos with Father Christmas from 10 am to 12 noon.
For vendors wishing to participate in this year’s Christmas Bazaar, there are a few outdoor vendor spaces still available. Interested businesses should reach out to roconnell@ptbocounty.ca for details.
If you are looking for unique gifts for a loved one this holiday season, be sure to visit Lang Pioneer Village Museum’s Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, November 18 from 9 am to 2 pm at the Peterborough County Agricultural Heritage Building (146 Lang Road, Keene- second entrance on the left on Lang Road). Admission is by donation.

The Historical Society of Ottawa - The First Museum Club Excursion
2023-11-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum, Old Slys Road 11, Smiths Falls, Ontario, K7A 3M3, Canada
Join us on November 18 for a special guided tour of the Smiths Falls Heritage Museum which will be followed by a fascinating presentation by Ted & Marion Outerbridge, proprietors of Smiths Falls’ Keyhole House..

Spaces are limited. Pre-registration is required:

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/hso-museum-club-excursion-tickets-734716214977?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

For those who wish to get together for coffee afterward, let us know — we’ll be making a reservation at the nearby Station Country Kitchen & Eatery. Bring a friend!

Over the next couple of years it is our intention to plan similar visits to the terrific local museums within the City of Ottawa as well as the surrounding area. We will not be providing transportation but we will invite those who are interested in carpooling to let us know and we will do our best to coordinate arrangements.

As always, we encourage you to email us any questions or comments you may have: info@historicalsocietyottawa.ca

Albion Bolton Historical Society Presents The Life & Times of Cy Wallace Presented by Nathan Hiller
2023-11-20 19:30 | Albion Bolton Community Centre (Meeting Room C, 2nd Floor), 150 Queen St. South, Bolton, Ontario, L7E 1E3, Canada
Using Cy Wallace’s memoir, which he titled Reflections, Notes and
Ramblings of My Life & Times, you’ll see place and events which stayed
close to him throughout his life. Showcasing his numerous sketches and
designs and using local photographs from the Albion Bolton Historical
Society, Nathan will take you down this Memory Lane. No doubt many
who knew Cy have a story or two that they can share with us.

Oshawa Historical Society - Local History Speaker Series: Movie Night Unarchived
2023-11-21 18:00 - 20:00 | Oshawa Public Library McLaughlin Branch, 65 Bagot Street, Oshawa, Ontario, L1H 1N2, Canada
For the final Local History Speaker Series of 2023, we are hosting a movie night, screening the National Film Board of Canada Documentary, Unarchived.
In community archives across British Columbia, local knowledge keepers are hand-fashioning a more inclusive history. Through a collage of personal interviews, archival footage and deeply rooted memories, the past, present and future come together, fighting for a space where everyone is seen and everyone belongs. History is what we all make of it.
November’s Local History Speaker Series is taking place Tuesday, November 21 at 6PM. The Speaker Series will be held at the McLaughlin Branch of the Oshawa Public Libraries, in the lower level auditorium, located at 65 Bagot Street, Oshawa.
The Local History Speaker Series is an event presented in partnership between the Oshawa Historical Society and the Oshawa Public Libraries.

Peterborough Historical Society Public Lecture - Don Willcock “The Peterborough and County Military Museum”
2023-11-21 19:30 | Lion’s Community Centre, Burnham Street 347, Peterborough, Ontario, K9H 1T5, Canada
The Peterborough and County Military Museum is a recent
addition to Peterborough’s several history museums. Having
opened in October 2022 in the Peterborough Armoury, the
PCMM is currently a satellite branch of the Hastings and
Prince Edward Regiment Museum in the Belleville Armoury
but is in the process of becoming a stand-alone entity.
Peterborough has a long and distinguished history of military
service which the museum displays through artefacts from
most of Canada’s conflicts. Don Willcock will give an
illustrated talk on the creation of the PCMM and on some of
the exhibited artefacts.

Caledon East & District Historical Society Presentation the History of Caledon East Fire Fighting 1950-1990
2023-11-22 19:30 | St. James Anglican Church in Caledon East, 6029 Old Church Rd., Caledon East, Ontario, L7C 1H8, Canada
Hope you can join us for our next presentation Wednesday, November 22nd, 2023 at 7:30 pm with guest speakers Diane Allengame and Rick Jones
to share the History of Caledon East Fire Fighting 1950-1990.

Visitors $5, Members and Students Free.

Canada Black Music Archives Launch
2023-11-23 16:00 - 20:00 | City of Toronto Archives, Spadina Road 255, Toronto, Ontario, M5R 2V3, Canada
Join us for an unforgettable evening at the Canada Black Music Archives Official Launch Pop-Up featuring live performances by Liberty Silver and DJ Carl Allen.Canada Black Music Archives (CBMA) is a brand-new digital repository dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich and diverse musical heritage of Black Canadians.
🍻 Plus, savour a beer on us from Lake of Bays Brewing Company!
Click to reserve your spot and celebrate Canada’s rich history of Black music with us.

Oakville Historical Society Annual Publications Sale
2023-11-25 14:00 - 16:00 | Oakville Historical Society, King Street 110, Oakville, Ontario, L6J 1B1, Canada
We are pleased to invite you to our annual OHS publications sale. Books, Maps, Prints, and Playing Cards available!
Cash, cheque or credit/debit cards accepted

Thunder Bay Museum - Free Public Lecture - Shawn Patterson - Fur Trade Fort William: A Chronology Through Art, 1805-1882
2023-11-26 14:00 | Thunder Bay Museum, 425 Donald St E., Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7E 5V1, Canada
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the reconstruction of fur-trade-era Fort William, please join Shawn Patterson from Fort William Historical Park for an intimate tour of forty-five works of art featuring the trading post throughout the 19th century.
Shawn will share stories regarding each piece, discussing how the works were discovered, who the artists were, why they visited the region when they did, and how some of the pieces were used to inform the reconstruction of Fort William fifty years ago.
The works of eighteen artists will be featured, including well-known watercolourist William Armstrong, but most of the pieces were captured by lesser-known amateurs who sketched the Fort while passing through. Of special note is Paul Kane’s masterpiece in oil: Chief at Fort William – Maydoc-game-kinungee, the sketch for which was taken on the Kaministiquia River on September 19, 1848.
Following a one-hour A/V presentation, the second-floor exhibition will be open for exploration for those who attend in-person, and Shawn will be on-hand to answer questions and listen to your perspectives on the collection.
Shawn Patterson is the Collections Team Leader at Fort William Historical Park where he has been interpreting the Canadian fur trade since 1991. While the living history exhibits contained within the fifty buildings on the Fort’s twenty-five-acre historic site are Shawn’s primary responsibility, he also oversees the costuming department, pursues historic research, and trains program staff. Interpretive mentoring is one of the favourite facets of his job, so should you come to visit (and you should!) you’ll often find him performing many of his curatorial duties on the historic site, in-costume, and in-character.

Free Museum Admission during the event
Refreshments will be available

Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum: Famous & Infamous – Julian Rance on Dame Cicely Saunders
2023-11-27 14:00 - 15:30 | Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum, 43 Castlereagh Street, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, L0S 1J0, Canada
Join us for a program in the galleries once a month when we discuss the life and times of a famous or infamous person or event from the past.
Free admission. No reservations required.

Thunder Bay Museum Free Public Lecture - Kelly Saxberg - A Tale of Two Qallunaat
2023-11-28 19:30 | Thunder Bay Museum, 425 Donald St E., Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7E 5V1, Canada
A Tale of Two Qallunaat is a one hour documentary about the legacy of two women artists who travelled to the Arctic in the early 1970s and what happens when elders and youth in today’s Pond Inlet and Iqaluit encounter that unique record of the past.
This will be an in-person event that is free to view. The lecture will be broadcast live via ZOOM for those who cannot attend in person and recorded and then to the Museum’s YouTube at a later date.

North Toronto Historical Society: Harvey Low, "Growing Up in a North Toronto Chinese Laundry: Sam Low Laundry"
2023-11-29 19:00 | Northern District Branch, Toronto Public Library, 40 Orchard View Boulevard, Toronto, Ontario, M4R 1B9, Canada
Speaker Harvey Low, NTHS member and long-time resident of North Toronto.

Model Railroad Club Toronto Holiday Show
2023-12-02 11:00 - 16:00 | Model Railroad Club of Toronto, 11 Curity Avenue, Toronto, ON, M4B 1X4, Canada
The Model Railroad Club of Toronto celebrates the holidays!
Now in its 85th year, the Club has welcomed thousands to view Canada’s premier O scale model railroad.
Inspired by the Central Ontario Railway, the railway captures the flavour of Central Ontario including industries and natural features. Look for holiday touches along the railway!
The Club appeals to a child’s sense of wonder and an adult’s interest in technology, artistry and history. See trains pass through cities, towns and countryside, popping in and out of tunnels and crossing bridges overhead. Explore model railroading techniques ranging from homemade to 3D printing. The club uses true-to-life (prototypical) switching, signals and dispatching of passenger and freight trains, which are controlled digitally, all on wifi.
Saturday December 2 & Sunday December 3, 2023
11 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.
Purchase tickets at the door: cash, debit, credit card
Children $10, Seniors $12, Adults $15, Family rate: $45.
11 Curity Avenue, Toronto 416-536-8927
http://www.modelrailroadclub.com/
Note: basement location, not wheelchair accessible.
Parking is free, and TTC access is via the 91 Woodbine Bus from Woodbine Station.
We hope to see you there
