The Ontario Historical Society

Historical Society of Ottawa (Virtual): The Role of Art and Artists in Ottawa's History
2023-04-26 19:00 (America/Toronto) | online
When the Arts Canada Institute wanted to commission a series of new books about the history of art and artists across Canada, it began by approaching Jim Burant to write a book about the art and artists of Ottawa.
The comprehensive book that resulted from Jim’s work is a spectacular illustrated tour of Ottawa’s surprising artistic past.
It also proves a striking reminder of how invaluable the earliest sketches and paintings of Bytown are to our understanding of our past… and of how the photographs of Topley and Karsh and others have provided us with further lasting images of those bygone eras.
Thanks to the brushes and camera lenses of these long ago artists, we are able to witness the Chaudiere Falls before tamed… the Rideau Canal first being surveyed by Colonel By… Vice-Regal couples hosting early skating parties… the great fires that swept through Ottawa-Hull… Winston Churchill visiting during wartime.
History from even further back is preserved in ancient Indigenous pictographs.
And what of 20th century artists like Mine & MacLeod and contemporary artists like Annie Pootoogook?
Join us on Wednesday, April 26 @ 7 p.m. on Zoom with archivist and author Jim Burant as guest speaker for our HSO Speaker Series presentation, “The Role of Art & Artists in Ottawa’s History”.

North Toronto Historical Society: The Don: Inmates, Guards, Governors and The Gallows
2023-04-26 19:00 | Northern District Branch, Toronto Public Library, 40 Orchard View Boulevard, Toronto, Ontario, M4R 1B9, Canada
Join writer and researcher Lorna Poplak as she presents facts behind the Don Jail’s location and construction and shares tales about inmates, guards, governors, gangs, officials and even a pair of star-crossed lovers whose doomed romance unfolded in the shadow of the gallows. The illustrated talk will highlight the Don’s tumultuous descent from palace to hellhole, its shuttering and lapse into decay, and its astonishing modern-day metamorphosis.
Copies of Laura’s book, The Don: The Story of Toronto’ Infamous Jail will be available for purchase prior to the presentation.
Masks are not required, but are strongly recommended.
NOTE: this meeting will not be available online.

The Historical Society of St. Catharines Online Lecture (Virtual): Local Sport History
2023-04-27 19:30 | online
Presented by presented by Liz Vlossak, Brock University history professor with an interest in local sport and co-director of the Sport Oral History Archive via Zoom.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82274108094&nbsp

Toronto Branch OGS - Black History in Ontario: Free Online Series
2023-04-27 19:30 - 20:30 | online
Toronto Branch is excited to announce our next online series, which will focus on Black history in Ontario. If you’re interested in learning more about this topic you’ll want to join us on April 13, 20 and 27 at 7:30 pm EDT.

Three speakers will tell us about their extensive research into the history of people of Black heritage in Ontario. They’ve discovered some fascinating individuals and sources for research.

April 13: The Underground Railroad
In the first session on April 13, Adrienne Shadd will discuss her research for the book The Underground Railroad: Next Stop, Toronto! You will learn about Deborah Brown and other freedom seekers who settled in the York Township west area.

April 20: The Search for Alfred Lafferty
In the second session, Hilary Dawson will share her search for Alfred Lafferty, a Black educator and lawyer. The Lafferty family arrived in Canada in the 1830s as penniless and illiterate freedom seekers from the United States. You’ll learn how Alfred excelled and became the first Canadian-born Black lawyer in Ontario.

April 27: Black History in Ontario, 1793–1965
And in the final session on April 27, Winston Anderson will present an overview of events in Ontario, beginning with the Act to Limit Slavery passed in 1793 and taking us forward to 1965. He will explore the lives of people of Black heritage, both free and enslaved, who shaped Toronto.

Each session will consist of a presentation and an opportunity to ask questions. The lectures will be recorded, so that registrants who can’t attend the live presentations may watch at a more convenient time. There is no charge for the series but you must pre-register HERE

Myseum of Toronto: Nuville at the Brickworks, Natural Medicine | MYSEUM INTERSECTIONS FESTIVAL
2023-04-29 11:00 | Evergreen Brick Works, 550 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3X8, Canada
Step into the shoes of a citizen from a megacity of the future in this experimental role-playing game.
RaaraLab invites attendees on this interactive walk, set in a Torontonian sci-fi future. Be a part of the first audience to test this experimental game!
In order to join this unique test group, you’ll need a smartphone, a set of headphones, and a keen curiosity to explore the early stages of this unconventional new game.
On this Nuville tour, you’ll test a live-action-role-playing game directed through your phone. You’ll role-play with fellow attendees as Nuville citizens who are on a mission to hack the city’s “algorithm.” You’ll be directed to complete a series of tasks that challenge the flow of urban life by rebuilding your relationship to place, presence and humanness.
Step into the world of Nuville.
In the world of Nuville, you live in a future where the planet’s population has found refuge from the climate crisis in a megacity built by artificial intelligence. Built on robotic intelligence, productivity is the name of the game – but at what cost to humanity?
While Nuville appears to be the high-tech city of our dreams, humans have become disconnected from city-building, history, the environment, and each other. Wanting to reconnect, you join a collective of citizens-turned-hackers, called “Hacker D-Central,” who want to hack the system and make Nuville more human.

Wampum Belts: Woven through Anishnaabe History
2023-04-29 13:30 - 15:30 | Simcoe County Museum, 1151 ON-26, Minesing, Ontario, L9X 0Z7, Canada
What is Wampum? How was it by the First Peoples of Eastern Woodland? Join Brian Charles, an Indigenous Historian for the answers.
Register early for this free in-person event HERE
This workshop is offered in partnership with the Simcoe County Historical Association and the Simcoe County Museum.

Myseum of Toronto: SweetWater: Artist-Guided Tour and Closing Ceremony (All Are Welcome)
2023-04-30 14:00 - 18:00 | Black Creek Community Farm, 4929 Jane Street, North York, Ontario, M3N 2K8, Canada
Join us for the final journey through SweetWater, an installation of art and ceremony woven through the forest of Black Creek Farm.
All are welcome to join Sweet Grass Roots Collective for conversation, food and ceremony in the Wiigwam.
— Thanksgiving Address by Wyandot FaithKeeper Catherine Tammaro
— Opening Words with Anishinaabe Elder Vivian Recollet
— Closing Ceremony in the Wiigwam
For this final journey, there will be a sacred Fire lit by Fire Keeper Joshua Recollet with Helper Randy Merasty.
About the SweetWater
This unique installation explores maple tapping from an Indigenous perspective and honours the maple’s sweetwater through ceremony and art. In a guided walk through Black Creek Community Farm’s forest, you’ll experience traditional Indigenous maple baskets and settler-style aluminum maple buckets which have been Indigenized through visual art and audio soundscapes.
Through sound, song and sweetwater, this experience invites you to make meaningful change as a treaty person yourself.

Lundy's Lane Historical Society Presents Terry Boulton, "Commercial Fishing in Niagara-On-The-Lake" From Boom to Bust"
2023-05-01 19:00 | Niagara Military Museum, 5409 Victoria Ave., Niagara Falls, Ontario, L2E 4E2, Canada
The next regular meeting of the Lundy’s Lane Historical Society will be held Monday May 1 at 7 p.m. at the Niagara Falls Military Museum, 5409 Victoria Avenue. Parking is in the rear.
The speaker for the evening will be Mr. Terry Boulton, a local historian from Niagara-on-the-Lake. Mr. Boulton has prepared a very interesting presentation entitled: “Commercial Fishing in Niagara-On-The-Lake: From Boom to Bust.”

Guelph Historical Society Evenings with History: Guelph Historical Railway Association
2023-05-02 19:30 | Guelph Museum, 52 Norfolk St, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 4H8, Canada
Join the GHS in a fundraiser to support the restoration of the Guelph Historical Railway Association’s Passenger Coach. The GHS will match donations at the door up to $2,000.
Speaker: Eric Repaci
Eric Repaci from the Guelph Historical Railway Association will discuss the restoration of the coach and the fundraising efforts to get them back on track after recent thefts. Their restored 1960’s rail coach will generate revenue and give riders an educational experience of historical rail travel.
Free & open to the public
Donations welcome

UEL Association of Canada - Governor Simcoe Branch (In-Person and Virtual): May 2023 Meeting
2023-05-03 19:30 | St. David’s Anglican Church, 49 Donlands Ave., Toronto, Ontario, M4J 3N5, Canada
“The Battle for Western Jersey: The Battles of Quinton’s Bridge and the Hancock House” — Presentation by Joshua Loper
Wednesday, May 3, at 7:30pm – on Zoom; Register here
The meeting will take place in the downstairs meeting room at St. David’s Church, 49 Donlands. If you plan to attend in person, RSVP to Anne Neuman at anneneuman@hotmail.com or 905-888-1278.
These two battles are both almost comical on one hand and heartbreaking on the other. A thunderstorm of epic proportions, charging a bridge, a midnight attack, a pregnant woman, and gunshot-terrified cavalry horses…These events lead to the culmination of our story. Artifacts of the campaign will be included.
Joshua Peter Loper, DPS, W1812S, SF&IW, SAR, DMWV, SUV, SSAWV, SFWW, SSWW, BS, CJ(cert), UE, MBP(e), MBP(s), CCHS, ALK
Historian Joshua Loper grew up in Salem and Cumberland County, New Jersey. He specializes in Early America history – the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. The Loper family are direct Mayflower, Half Moon, and Kalmar Nyckel descendants
Joshua joined Gov. Simcoe Branch in 2021 and was subsequently appointed to our Board of Directors. He has both Loyalist and Patriot (Rebel) ancestors.
He and his family live in Wilmington, Delaware.

West Toronto Junction Historical Society (Virtual): Tackling the Junction’s Assessment Records – Part 2 of Researching the History of Your House
2023-05-04 19:00 | online
Join us on May 4, 2023 at 7 pm for a presentation on Zoom by Jane MacNamara on using online assessment records to fill in details on the history of your house and its residents.
Advance registration is required. To register for the May 4 2023 presentation and meeting visit: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUucumtrzkvHdZ1IJXdgM2WxOi7DRsxwPpP.
If you haven’t used Toronto assessment records in your research, you’re missing a great source to fill in the 10-year gaps between census. And now that FamilySearch.org has digitized the 19th-century assessment rolls for today’s Toronto—we can use them from home to find out more about our occupier or landholder ancestors and their communities. This session will help you figure out the wards and other divisions needed to locate a household, and to understand what you’ve found. We’ll go beyond the flawed indexing with maps, directories and other tools. Family Search holdings include West Toronto Junction assessment rolls from 1888 to 1899, as well as pre-incorporation York Township from 1882. (Later years are at the City of Toronto Archives.)
Jane E. MacNamara is the author of Inheritance in Ontario: Wills and other Records for Family Historians (OGS/Dundurn) and writes about genealogy at wherethestorytakesme.ca. A longtime member of the Ontario Genealogical Society, Jane lectures about research methodology, Ontario, and English family history to genealogical and historical groups throughout southern Ontario. She teaches courses for the OGS Toronto Branch, most notably hands-on courses about Ontario records.

Mattawa Museum Red Dress Day – MMIWG2S+
2023-05-05 11:00 - 14:30 | Mattawa Museum, 285 First St., Mattawa, Ontario, P0H 1V0, Canada
The REDress Project
AN AESTHETIC RESPONSE TO THE MORE THAN 1000 MISSING AND MURDERED ABORIGINAL WOMEN IN CANADA.
The REDress Project – Jaime Black (jaimeblackartist.com)
In support of the REDress Project, the Mattawa Museum will be hosting an outdoor exhibit and activities from 10 am – 4 pm on Friday, May 5th. The museum gift shop will also be open.
We are looking for red dresses, t-shirts to be hung in the outdoor exhibit.

ACO NextGen 10th Annual Design Charrette
2023-05-06 09:00 - 17:00 | Charbonnel Lounge, 81 Saint Mary Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1J4, Canada
Register to join as a participant at ACO NextGen’s 10th annual Design Charrette, occurring Saturday, May 6th at the historic Charbonnel Lounge, Toronto.
Spaces in Between: 820-830 Church Street
This year’s charrette presents a unique challenge to participants, as we ask them to consider the greater context of heritage conservation within our urban fabric, exploring the “spaces in between”. Our theme draws on the tensions between varying concepts of heritage and how space/place can serve as an intermediary between diverse community needs/uses given present day urban challenges.
820-830 Church Street is a slice of underused space sitting in the shadow of the Toronto Reference Library, a Raymond Moriyama designed architectural gem, and steps away from Bloor-Yonge station, the busiest station within our subway system. The site is adjacent to several heritage designated districts, and a significant number of either designated or listed buildings.
We encourage participants to propose thoughtful interventions that take into account the history of the site, the rich heritage stock surrounding it, and the socio-economic needs of the neighborhood it serves. What does this site need? How should it respond to the history around it?
Participants will meet at the Charbonnel Lounge before embarking on a walking tour of the site. (The project site is a 13 minute walk from Charbonnel).
In teams of 4, students and emerging professionals will be tasked with creatively re-envisioning the design and use of the subject site, considering it’s surrounding historical contexts and urban socio-economic needs.
Final designs will be presented to a panel of esteemed judges, who will provide comments and select a winning team. Networking to follow.
The event will occur between 9am-5pm, with light refreshments provided. Participants are encouraged to bring their laptop and writing/drawing supplies as desired.
We look forward to having you join us for this exciting event!
ONCE REGISTERED, please fill out the linked Google Form for event organisers to create teams with! https://forms.gle/i94rV15QweMkEP3D8

16th Annual Coptic Studies Symposium
2023-05-06 09:00 - 17:00 | St. Vladimir Institute, 620 Spadina Ave., Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2H4, Canada
Emerging Scholars In Coptic Studies: Exploring Interdisciplinary Perspectives and New Research
Co-sponsored with The Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, University of Toronto and The Coptic Museum of Canada
This symposium marks a turning point on the future of Coptic Studies scholarship in Canada. Ten students from four universities and in different academic disciplines will be presenting their MA or PhD research. Five established Coptic Studies scholars from the US and Canada will be “discussants” facilitating (and stretching) the discussion on each of the papers.
Attendance by registration: cscopticstudies@gmail.com.

Madill Church 150th Anniversary Celebration
2023-05-06 10:00 - 15:00 | Madill Church, 233 Old Muskoka Rd., Huntsville, Ontario, P1H 2J2, Canada
A Community Legacy
The church’s first service was May 8th, 1873, just one year after construction began on land donated by John Madill. Each family of the congregation donated two round logs and labour.
Almost 150 years later the church is a provincially significant building and one of Ontario’s few remaining square log churches commemorated by a provincial heritage plaque.
The adjoining cemetery includes graves of many Muskoka pioneer, including Captain George Hunt, “Pioneer Citizen after whom Huntsville was named.”
— Live music
— Guest Speakers from Ontario Historical Society and Madill Church Preservation Society
— Children’s Program
— BBQ hamburgers / hotdogs available
— Displays showcasing the Church’s past
— Legends and Lore walking tour
— Souvenirs available
— Pioneer Artisans

Campbell House Museum: Costume Society of Ontario Coronation Tea
2023-05-06 13:30 - 15:30 | Campbell House Museum, 160 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 3H3, Canada
In honour of the Coronation of King Charles III, The Costume Society of Ontario will be hosting a tea on May 6th at 1:30 – 3:30 pm.
The Costume Society of Ontario invites you to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III at a special Coronation Tea at Historic Campbell House, on May 6, at 1:30 pm. Just $30.00 per person for a delightful afternoon of elegant sipping and nibbling. Enjoy an informal presentation on meeting and greeting the Royal Family by a Guest Speaker who has spent many an occasion with members of the House of Windsor, including the late Queen Elizabeth II and her eldest son, to be crowned King Charles III on the very morning of the Coronation Tea. Space is limited. Don’t be disappointed. Reserve your place before we are sold out.

West Willowdale Neighbourhood Association 2023 Annual General Meeting
2023-05-09 18:30 - 20:00 | North York Central Library, 5120 Yonge St., North York, ON, M2N 5N9, Canada
We invite you to join us for our Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at North York Central Library (5120 Yonge Street) in Meeting Room 1. While this is an in-person event, we are looking into the possibility of having an option for neighbours to attend virtually.
This year, the WWNA AGM will be held jointly with Edithvale-Yonge Community Association. The agenda for the meeting can be found on their website: https://edithvaleyonge.wordpress.com/annual-general-meeting/.
On behalf of the WWNA community, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Jim Gratsas, Gary Manoim and Steve Mullins for their dedication and unwavering commitment to the neighbourhood as they step down as Board members. Since there are now vacant positions on the Board of Directors, WWNA is seeking neighbours to join the Board. If you are interested, please submit your name, contact information and a short profile by email to westwillowdale@gmail.com in advance of the AGM.
We encourage new membership and membership renewals at any time. Membership is only $20 for one year or $30 for 2 years per household. Payments can be made by Paypal, E-transfer or cheques on our website https://westwillowdale.com. If you are not sure of your membership status, please email us at westwillowdale@gmail.com.
Looking forward to seeing you at the AGM!

Thunder Bay Museum Free Public Lecture (In Person and Virtual): Dr. Peter Raffo - Naming the New City at the Lakehead
2023-05-09 19:30 - 21:30 | Thunder Bay Museum, 425 Donald St E., Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7E 5V1, Canada
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 posted to the Museum’s YouTube at a later date.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE WEBINAR
How did Thunder Bay get its name? Why were two almost identical names placed on the ballot when citizens were asked to make their choice from three options in the 1969 plebiscite? Was the result contrived by local and provincial politicians who wanted a clean break with the past? Or was it a genuine expression of the electors’ will?
Dr. Raffo seeks answers and discovers some interesting new evidence.
Speaker Bio: Since 1970, Peter has maintained a continuing interest in the amalgamation of the Twin Cities. He has published several articles in Papers and Records on the history and consequences of this seminal event in the life of Thunder Bay. In 1995 he oversaw the creation of an Oral History of Amalgamation, which included interviews with politicians, city administrators and staff who had been involved in the process.
Free Museum Admission during the event. Refreshments will be available.

Historical Society of Ottawa: Lady Aberdeen's Call to Action: The Lasting Legacy of The May Court Club
2023-05-10 13:00 | Ottawa Public Library, Main Branch, 120 Metcalfe St., Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5M2, Canada
Guest speaker: Nancy Pyper, Past President, May Court Club of Ottawa
On the eve of May Day 1898, Lady Aberdeen summoned together the daughters of Ottawa’s “finest families” and challenged these young women to make it their mission to help others – to carry their talents and concern forth into the world under the banner of service. Thus was the birth of the May Court Club, an organization which has answered Lady Aberdeen’s call admirably for over a century, fighting tuberculosis, providing care and support to those in need.
Come hear about the remarkable legacy of Ottawa’s May Court Club.
Plus, Grant Vogl joins us for “What’s New at the Bytown Museum”.
All are welcome to attend without charge.
Location: Ottawa Public Library, Main Branch, auditorium

Town of York Historical Society: "Dear Mom" Letter Writing Event
2023-05-11 13:00 - 14:00, 2023-05-11 18:00 - 19:00 | Toronto’s First Post Office, 260 Adelaide Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M5A 1N1, Canada
Partake in a traditional Mother’s Day celebration by writing a letter of appreciation to your Mom or Mother-Figure!
Join Toronto’s First Post Office for one of two writing sessions on May 11th to learn the history behind Mother’s Day, and of course, write your letter to Mom as they would have in the 1830s, complete with a wax seal. Younger participants will have the option to craft their own paper carnation flower, the official symbol of Mother’s Day, in lieu of writing a letter. In addition, copies of transcribed letters from our collection written from a mother to her son will be on display! All ages are welcome. Pre-registration is required and spots are limited!
(TYHS Members benefit with complimentary postage within Canada. Non-members participants are welcome to purchase postage to send their letters at the Post Office!)

Grey Roots Museum Presents The Early Black Settlers of Negro Creek
2023-05-13 14:00 - 16:00 | Grey Roots Museum & Archives, 102599 Grey Road 18, RR4, Owen Sound, Ontario, N4K 5N6, Canada
Join the Direct Descendants and Community Friends of Negro Creek in the Grey Roots Theatre, as they present The Early Black Settlers of Negro Creek.
Genealogist researcher Nancy Lee will share her research on some of the first families who came to the area, author Gael Jackson will read from her recently released book on Father Thomas Miller, artist Tony Miller will discuss the paintings he has created about his Negro Creek ancestors, and singer-songwriter Rob Green along with museum curators, Carolynn and Sylvia Wilson, will speak about the advocacy activities of the group.
Through words, images and song, this event celebrates the Negro Creek settlement and the work of descendants to commemorate this important history in Grey County.
The event runs Saturday May 13, from 2:00 – 4:00 PM.
Admission is free.

Richmond Hill May 2023 Meeting: The History of Hogg’s Hollow and York Mills
2023-05-15 19:30 | Wallace Hall, Richmond Hill Presbyterian Church, 10066 Yonge Street, Richmond Hill, Ontario, L4C 1T8, Canada
Speaker: Scott Kennedy
Scott Kennedy returns to the Richmond Hill Historical Society to speak about his latest book, Tales from the Hollow: The Story of Hogg’s Hollow and York Mills. The book was published in November 2022.

The Richmond Hill Historical Society meets on the third Monday of each month (except July and August) at 7:30 pm in Wallace Hall at the Richmond Hill Presbyterian Church, 10066 Yonge Street in Richmond Hill. All are welcome to attend.
Bring a friend or two! Guest Fee $5.00. Yearly memberships are available at $40.00 for Family and $25.00 for Individuals.
Light refreshments are served following the meeting.
For further information about meetings or programs, please call Andrea Kulesh at 905-884-2789

Museum of Lennox and Addington: Canoe for Change
2023-05-16 19:00 | Museum of Lennox & Addington, 97 Thomas Street East, Napanee, ON, K7R 1L1, Canada
Husband-and-wife team Carol Vanden Engel and Glenn Green will join us for Tuesday Night at the Museum in May. Listen to stories of their inspiring journey to paddle across Canada!
Canoe for Change is the story of husband-and-wife team Glenn Green and Carol VandenEngel who together accepted the challenge to paddle across Canada as a retirement gift to themselves. Traversing through oceans, rivers, lakes and creeks, the couple completed a journey across Canada from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. Canoeing and portaging over 8,500 kilometers, they were privileged to see Canada from thousand-year-old water trails and form connections to nature that many have lost.
— Doors will open at 6:30pm with the presentation to start at 7:00pm.
— $3/person
— No pre-registration required
Carol Vanden Engel and Glenn Green have always had a passion for the great outdoors. These passions take them hiking, backcountry camping, snowshoeing, and canoeing. After enjoying fulfilling office careers, now in retirement, they continue to do the things they love: traveling off the beaten path, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and always looking for the next challenge. Glenn and Carol live together in Kingston, Ontario.

Peterborough Historical Society May 2023 Lecture: “Heritage Conservation and Urban Regeneration”
2023-05-16 19:30 | Bagnani Hall, Catherine Parr Traill College, 315 Dublin St, Peterborough, Ontario, K9H 2Z4, Canada
NOTE: OUR MAY MEETING WILL BE HELD IN-PERSON. The date is Tuesday, 16 May 2023 and the location will be Bagnani Hall at Traill College.
“Heritage Conservation and Urban Regeneration”: A Panel Discussion and Round Table on Development and Adaptive Reuse
Challenges facing urban development are much in the news, among which affordable housing, densification, public transit, environmental urgency, economic vibrancy, financial capacity, cultural and recreational demand. Is the preservation of heritage buildings and spaces compatible with solutions to other urban challenges? What constructive approaches can developers, architects, engineers and city planners bring to the adaptive reuse of heritage properties?
The panelists are Deborah Keay, Manager, Municipal Engineering with D.M. Mills Associates in Peterborough: and Roy Turner, Senior Architect with Lett Architects, Peterborough. The moderator is Dennis Carter-Edwards, retired Cultural Resource Manager with the Trent-Severn Waterway. Come and join the discussion.
Tuesday, 16 May 2023, Bagnani Hall, Traill College, 7:30 p.m. All welcome. Street parking on London and Dublin Streets.

Woodland Cultural Centre: Virtual Tour of the Former Mohawk Institute Residential School
2023-05-17 18:00 | online
The Woodland Cultural Centre presents a screening of the Mohawk Institute Residential School. Your donation will help support our education department to create and deliver virtual programming at the Woodland Cultural Centre. We want to continue to deliver the highest quality programs centered on a Hodinohsho:ni worldview, celebrating, and sharing Indigenous cultures, languages, and art.
The virtual tour video was created with local production company Thru the Reddoor, and it follows the guide, Lorrie Gallant, as she gives a tour of the former Mohawk Institute Residential School. During the video Lorrie provides the history of the institution over its 140 year history. Viewers will get to see the different rooms in the school, from the girls’ and boys’ dormitories, the cafeteria, laundry room, and other rooms throughout the building, as well as hear interviews from five Survivors of the Mohawk Institute.

North York Historical Society May 2023 Meeting: Stories That Justify an Outrageous Hat Collection by Craig Colby
2023-05-17 18:30 - 20:30 | North York Central Library, 5120 Yonge St., North York, ON, M2N 5N9, Canada
In March 2020, during the great COVID-19 lockdown, television producer Craig Colby’s work disappeared. He marked the time by wearing a different baseball hat every day, posting a picture with a story about each one on social media. A community of friends started sharing their hats and stories, too.
After 125 days, Craig ran out of hats, but gained new insight into what each cap told him about his own life. In isolation, Craig experienced triumph and heartbreak, love and loss. He was meeting his childhood sports heroes and floating weightless with an astronaut. The stories in ALL CAPS weave a tapestry of human connection, one hat at a time.
This is an in-person program. No registration required.
This program is co-sponsored by the North York Historical Society and the Society and Recreation department of the North York Central Library.

Kingston Historical Society May 2023 Meeting (In-Person and Virtual)
2023-05-17 19:00 | Kingsbridge Retirement Community, 950 Centennial Dr., Kingston, Ontario, K7M 0G8, Canada
The point is often made that our world of instantaneous communication through the internet was foreshadowed by the telegraph in the nineteenth century. Graeme Roy, a docent and board member of the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario, will give us an intimate glimpse of “How the telegraph connected Canadians in the early years of Confederation”. He will reinforce his lecture with a demonstration of telegraphic equipment brought from his extensive collection at the Smiths Falls museum.

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.

Stayner Heritage Society 2023 Annual Meeting
2023-05-17 19:00 | Stayner Community Centre, 269 Regina St., Stayner, Ontario, L0M 1S0, Canada
Stayner Heritage Society Annual Meeting will be held on May 17th, 2023, at Stayner Community Centre, 269 Regina Street commencing at 7 p.m.
Our guest speaker will be Brian Pounder. Brian was an original founder of our Heritage Society and we look forward to his SHS reflections over the past 25 years.

Toronto Railway Museum (Virtual): "Rails Across Ontario" with Ron Brown
2023-05-18 19:00 - 20:30 | online
Join us and author Ron Brown as we travel back to a time when the railway ruled the economy and the landscape. Based on Ron’s book, Rails Across Ontario, this presentation will take us to places in Ontario that retain vestiges of our railway heritage, including old stations, roundhouses and other often forgotten railway structures, as well as railway experiences you can still enjoy.
Explore historic stations, railway museums, heritage train rides, and historic bridges. Follow old rail lines along Ontario’s most popular rail trails. Find out where steam engines still puff across farm fields and where historic train coaches lead deep into the wilds of Ontario’s scenic north country. Discover long forgotten but once vital railway structures, such as roundhouses, coal docks, and water towers. Learn about regular VIA Rail routes that follow some of the province’s oldest rail lines and pass some of the province’s oldest rail lines and pass some of its most historic stations, including one that has operated continuously since 1857.
TICKETS
Tickets for this event are free, although registration is required.
Attendees will get access to our exclusive Zoom meeting room, where they can engage directly with the presenter and museum historians in a post-lecture Q&A. The event will begin at May 18th, 7:00 P.M Eastern Standard Time, and will end at May 18th, 8:30 P.M EST.
ABOUT RON BROWN
Ron Brown is a geographer and travel writer, and vice president of the East York Historical Society. He has published more than 20 books on such topics as ghost towns, back roads, and Ontario’s most unusual places, as well as several titles on Canada’s railway heritage.
