Click HERE for Part 1, HERE for Part 2, and HERE for Part 3 Welcome to our People of the Parks […]
People of the Parks Part 3: The Southwest
Click HERE for Part 1 and HERE for Part 2 Welcome to our People of the Parks blog series. This four-part […]
People of the Parks Part 2: The Northeast
Click HERE for Part 1 Welcome to our People of the Parks blog series. This four-part series is a companion to […]
People of the Parks Part 1: The Northwest
Welcome to our People of the Parks blog series. This four-part series is a companion to “You are Here,” our temporary exhibit […]
Artifact of the Week: Brian Bellows Hockey Card
This week’s artifact is Brian Bellows hockey card from 1991, while he was playing for the Minnesota North Stars. Brian […]
Know Your Neighbours – Delos White Beadle
In Canada, Delos White Beadle of St. Catharines, a prominent figure in horticulture and gardening, exemplified how legitimacy in horticulture became increasingly tied to institutional affiliation, publishing, and participation in formal associations.
Know Your Neighbours – Sidney Rose Badgley
The architect of Massey Hall in Toronto, Sidney Rose Badgley was born in 1850 in Ernest Township, Ontario near Kingston. As a young boy however, the family moved to St. Catharines. Badgley attended Grantham Academy on Church Street, a building that still stands today and is home to Bridges Niagara.
14th Annual Guided Spirit Walks – Historical Profiles
The challenge, which I always enjoy, is simultaneously selecting historic persons to include on the tour whose burials are located on an enjoyable walking tour route that also fit into the theme of that year’s tour, and whose life story can appropriately carry a relevant historical narrative.
Artifact of the Week: Wedding Slippers
This week’s artifact is a pair of wedding slippers worn by Elizabeth Campbell (neé Oille) at her wedding on September […]
Artifact of the Week: Derby Hat
This week’s artifact is a derby hat worn by George Doty, President of the St. Catharines Riding and Driving Club […]
VMLS via Podcast – Election 1917
On today’s episode of VMLS via Podcast we’re sharing a lecture presented by our own Kathleen Powell titled ‘Election 1917: Wartime Canada Goes to the Polls.’
Artifact of the Week: Wedding Card
This week’s artifact is a congratulatory card sent to Elizabeth Fraser and Albert Anderson for their wedding on February 19th, […]
VMLS via Podcast – From Anatevka to St. Catharines: the History of the Jewish Community in St. Catharines
On today’s episode of VMLS via Podcast we’re sharing a lecture titled From Anatevka to St. Catharines: the Early Years of the Spiritual Home of the Jewish Community, presented by special guest Howard Slepkov. This lecture was originally recorded on March 1, 2022.
Museum Chat Live! E901 – Finding Home: Tales from the StoryLab 1
In this 3-episode series, host Sean Dineley lets a sampling of long-time St. Catharines residents do most of the talking. […]
Another Successful Year for Guided Spirit Walks
We are so thankful to our audiences and our volunteers for another very successful Guided Spirit Walk season at Victoria Lawn Cemetery. The walks bring history to life through theatrical performances based on the histories of the folks who made an important mark in our city. Thank you also to the many folks who reached out with kind comments of enjoyment and enthusiasm! We appreciate it!
2023 Guided Spirit Walks – Meet Your Guide: Jane
The annual Guided Spirit Walks are back again this September and we’re excited to share the profiles of the historic people included this year, and our wonderful cast of volunteer performers who will portray them.
Artifact of the Week: Stan Mikita Hockey Stick
This week’s artifact is a commemorative hockey stick signed by Stan Mikita. Mikita grew up in St. Catharines and played […]
2023 Guided Spirit Walks – Dr. Chauncey Beadle
The annual Guided Spirit Walks are back again this September and we’re excited to share the profiles of the historic people included this year, and our wonderful cast of volunteer performers who will portray them.
Artifact of the Week: White Military Gloves
This week’s artifact is a pair of white gloves which belonged to Gerald Steele and were used with his Royal […]
2023 Guided Spirit Walks – Alpheus St. John
Our spirit walks often employ a few fictional characters to help advance plot or narrative and to help other characters along. Especially when we get a lot of volunteer interest, we can have a bit more fun with larger scenes, more dialogue, and more interesting characters. We’re so pleased to have some local students join us as the fictional granddaughters of Alpheus St. John. In their scene, they are particularly curious about figuring out the history of the name of St. Catharines!
2023 Guided Spirit Walks – Elias Smith Adams and Susan Merritt
The annual Guided Spirit Walks are back again this September and we’re excited to share the profiles of the historic people included this year, and our wonderful cast of volunteer actors who will portray them.
For our next character/actor profiles, we meet Elias Smith Adams and Susan Merritt portrayed by Des Corran and Brenda Schultz.
2023 Guided Spirit Walks – George Rykert
Fictional settlers, (representing real opinions from historical sources) Abigail MacDonald, Jessie Frey, and Sarah Bryan have a bone to pick with Rykert after his town plan is laid out in the most awkward and disadvantageous ways. The scene unfolds quickly into familiar rants about road quality, property development, and the beginnings of urban settlement in our town.
2023 Guided Spirit Walks – Gertrude Yale
The annual Guided Spirit Walks are back again this September and we’re excited to share the profiles of the historic people included this year, and our wonderful cast of volunteer actors who will portray them.
For our first character/actor profile, we welcome back Gertrude Yale, played by Amanda Balyk.
Artifact of the Week: Military General Service Medal
This week’s artifact is a medal issued to Sergeant Angus Cooke I, who lived in Grantham Township from 1831-1860, for […]
Artifact of the Week: St. Catharines Collegiate Institute Medal
John Henderson was employed as Classics Master and later as Headmaster of the St. Catharines Collegiate Institute from 1872-1909. This […]
From the Shelves of Merritt’s Mercantile – Volume 2
For this installment of our Curator’s pick of books from our gift shop, I would like to highlight the book A Future in Doubt: The rise and demise of one small Jewish community and what it says about the future of synagogues everywhere, by Howard Slepkov. Published in January 2021, this book is not only a great history of the St. Catharines Jewish community, the building of the local synagogue, but it is also a really wonderful look at Jewish life in Canada in the 20th century.
Guided Spirit Walks 2021 Character Exclusives
This year’s Guided Spirit Walks tour theme, “Before they were Famous,” provides a diverse cast of characters.
Museum Classroom: William Hamilton Merritt Biography Mobile
An interactive biographic activity on William Hamilton Merritt, one of the founding fathers of the Welland Canal.
Betty Lampard: St. Catharines’ first drama critic
Born in New York City, Betty’s interest in all things entertainment began at a young age. She was the daughter […]
St. Catharines’ own historic election
A historic election season is in full swing south of the border, with Hillary Clinton becoming the first woman to be a […]
Know Your Neighbours – Solomon Northup
Solomon Northup was born on July 10th, 1808 to a manumitted black slave named Mintus who took on his former […]
Three Marys, Leading the Way
The St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre’s exhibition “Leading the Way: Pioneering Women in St. Catharines” features three Marys, […]
Know Your Neighbours – Lt. Col. Frank Case McCordick
Frank Case McCordick was born to parents Mr. and Mrs. William Henry McCordick on June 2, 1873. McCordick was born […]
Lillian Phelps: St. Catharines’ own suffragette
St. Catharines’ Lillian Phelps was a well-known activist and speaker at the turn of the century. Throughout most of Lillian’s […]
Know Your Neighbours – Air Commodore Leonard Joseph Birchall, Savior of Ceylon
Leonard Joseph Birchall was born in 1915 and raised in St. Catharines. He attended Connaught Public School the St. Catharines […]
Know Your Neighbours – Neil Edward Stevens
(b. 1947-) Neil Edward Stevens was a reporter who documented hockey all over the world for over three decades. He […]
Know Your Neighbours – John Charles Rykert, K.C.
John Charles Rykert was born in St. Catharines on March 10, 1831 to parents George R. Rykert (b.1797 in Rhinebeck, […]
Know Your Neighbours – Charles Blisset Millner
Charles Blisset Millner was born in Bristol England in 1805. He arrived in St. Catharines around 1820. On the 2nd […]
Know Your Neighbours – Frank Edward Poynton
Frank Edward Poynton was the son of Mr. and Mrs. F. Poynton of 20 Tame Road, Witton, Birmingham, England. Frank […]
Gwendolyn Mulock: St. Catharines’ first female doctor
I first became aware of Gwendolyn Mulock, St. Catharines’ first female doctor, during preparation for the Museum’s 2014 Guided Spirit […]
