On today’s lecture, we join Curator and Supervisor of Historical Services Kathleen Powell as she talks about the history of Packard Electric and the early manufacturing of Oldsmobile and REO cars here in St. Catharines. The lecture was originally presented on June 2, 2020.
2021-2022 Educational Programs
Ready for 2021-2022! We are thrilled to announce our 2021-2022 educational program offering. We have an exciting line-up of safe, […]
VMLS via Podcast – Tracing the Tracks of the Underground Railroad
On today’s lecture, we join our public programmer Sara Nixon as she traces the tracks of the Underground Railroad and examines the legacy of Freedom Seekers arriving in St. Catharines in the 1850s. This lecture was originally presented on May 26, 2020.
Reminiscences of 10 years of Guided Spirit Walks
There’s nothing quite like a guided tour through a cemetery. There are a lot of versions of this type of event. A spooky walk in the dark, a theatrical ‘spirit walk’ featuring actors portraying folks buried in the cemetery, or even an afternoon historian-led walking tour. Everyone has their favourite experience but it’s the theatrical spirit walk that advances important and personal historical narratives with a high return on interpretive value. The spirit walks also have the unique ability to allow us to lift the primary sources found in the Museum’s collection off the pages of the archives and bring them to life. In most cases, there may not be another opportunity to present those archival sources to the public.
One Hour in the Past E404 – Restaurants and Taverns
On this episode, we welcome Christine Girardi, Assistant Curator from the Niagara Falls History Museum to join us for a discussion on the history of taverns and restaurants.
VMLS via Podcast – Open for Business: The Welland Canal in 1830
The story of the first full operating season of the Welland Canal in 1830 is interesting because it challenges the dominant narrative of a well organized, well financed, well run, and generally successful endeavour, when in actuality, it was plagued with problems and failures.
Guided Spirit Walks 2021 Character Exclusives
This year’s Guided Spirit Walks tour theme, “Before they were Famous,” provides a diverse cast of characters.
VMLS via Podcast – The 1918 Pandemic in St. Catharines
On today’s VMLS via Podcast is Kathleen’s lecture on the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic in St. Catharines, presented May 12, 2020.
History from Here: The Royal Canadian Henley Rowing Course
Home of the St. Catharines Rowing Club, Brock University Rowing, the Ridley Rowing Club, and the Ridley Graduate Boat Club; a training site for numerous school rowing teams, and a venue for rowing competitions of all levels, including the highly reputable Henley Regatta – the Royal Canadian Henley Course has welcomed and cultivated world-class rowers and coaches on its waters, since 1903.
On this episode of History from Here, Sara takes you to Rennie Park, across from the Henley Grandstand, to learn about the Royal Canadian Henley Rowing Course in St. Catharines, Ontario.
Wrapped up in History: Guided Spirit Walks Costume Design
One of the most important (and fun) features of our Guided Spirit Walks productions is the costumes. They help to bring our show to life and immerse the audience into past societies.
STC StoryLab Presents: Scott Street Church
Day-to-day our lives may seem ordinary, but everyone’s unique experiences are what make our stories special. These stories tap into feelings of nostalgia, happiness, sadness, and more. These are the stories that help to make St. Catharines what it is today. At the St. Catharines Museum, our goal is to collect these stories and share them for generations to come.
History from Here: The Welland House Hotel at 30 Ontario Street
This episode of History from Here brings you to the site of the Welland House Hotel, destroyed by a devastating fire in July 2021.
Remembering the Welland House
From what we’ve seen online and in the news over the last few weeks, it is clear that the loss of the Welland House Hotel has hit the St. Catharines community hard. It is no different here at the St. Catharines Museum. Within all the varied work of a museum, the history of the Welland House would come up at least once a week among staff, volunteers, researchers, and visitors in some way. It’s tangible loss is stark.
History from Here: Lakeside Park at Port Dalhousie
Once widely touted as the “Playground of Ontario”, Lakeside Park has been a destination for summertime fun for more than a century. What started as a boisterous port town grew to be a hub of entertainment, leisure, and play that drew thousands of locals and tourists each summer.
Picture This: Photo Albums
Photo albums are an interactive medium and tools for conversation and storytelling. Similar to the art of scrapbooking, the process of compiling an album involves organizational choices that, though they may seem insignificant at the time, collectively shape our memories of certain people, events, or experiences.
Eureka! Inventive Moments from our History
For Museum Week’s “Eureka Moments” theme, we’re counting down the top 5 Eureka Moments in St. Catharines history.
There are definitely more than 5 eureka moments in St. Catharines history, so if we left one out that you feel MUST be included, add it in the comments!
Searching for Family History – Kids Scavenger Hunt
This kid’s activity is part of the St. Catharines Museum’s Museum Week, is a global festival celebrating cultural institutions across the online world. In celebration of #ChildrensEyesMW day, we’ve created this scavenger hunt to spark children’s curiosity in their family history.
One Hour in the Past E403 – Military Rations
On this episode, we welcome Michael Ashford from the Niagara Military Museum, located in Niagara Falls, Ontario to discuss one hour of research into military rations.
One Hour in the Past E402 – Mealtimes
This season on One Hour in the Past, we are cooking up some food fun! Each episode this season takes down the research rabbit stew of food and food related topics! We will also be joined by some special guests from other museums around the Niagara region.
On this episode, we welcome Sarah Kaufman, the Managing Director/Curator of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum to discuss the timing of food consumption: mealtimes.
Museum Chat Live! E607 – The Howe Report Revisited
On this episode of Museum Chat Live! Sara and Adrian revisit their lecture on the Howe Report presented as a part of the Museum’s Virtual Museum Lecture Series in November of 2020. The lecture focussed on the Howe Report, or using it’s proper name, “The Refugees from Slavery in Canada West: a Report to the Freedman’s Inquiry Commission,” written by Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe after his visit to St. Catharines in 1863 to report on the condition of refugee Freedom Seekers to Congress. Howe’s interviews were transcribed and reveal a lot about our community in 1863.
We Need Your Postcards – New Exhibit at the Museum
Postcards have a quiet yet significant place in the history of our community. In mid-nineteenth century, postcards were an inexpensive way to send brief messages quickly to friends and family, either close to home or across the country. At the height of their popularity in the early twentieth century, postcards accompanied the tourism boom, serving as a photographic collectable in an age where camera equipment wasn’t quite commercial. The widespread movement of photographic postcards depicting idyllic scenes helped promote tourism in cities and towns across the country.
Museum Classroom: Historic Moments in Canada – Commemorating Contribution and Sacrifice (I/S)
Explore the significance of the contributions and sacrifices Canadian men and women made while serving in WWII.
Museum Classroom: Historic Moments in Canada – Pandemics in History
Trigger: The following lesson plan explores the historical and present-day impact pandemics have had on Canada and St. Catharines’ communities […]
Museum Classroom: Remembrance Day Family History Interview
STCM Museum Classroom lesson plan on Remembrance Day and conducting family history research during the World Wars.
Curator’s Pick – November
As we enter November and this month of Remembrance, this Curator’s pick is a book that tells the story of […]
One Hour in the Past E305 – The Fur Trade
On this episode of One Hour in the Past, Kathleen and Adrian tackle the expansive history of the Fur Trade.
Museum Chat Live! E604 – Victorian Tweets: Contradictions Performed
As modern, progressive people of the 21st century we enjoy a certain distance from the romanticized and contradictory Victorian period but are we really that different from our Victorian ancestors?
On this third and final episode of this special podcast series, we’ll finally tell you what we think about our post-modernist status as non-Victorians. Enjoy the episode.
Curator’s Pick – October
If you are looking for a couple of great reads in leading up to Remembrance Day in November, I recommend these two books by Canadian author Tim Cook. Both books make an effort to provide a human face to Canada’s participation in the First and Second World Wars.
Museum Chat Live! E603 – Victorian Tweets: Chronological Identity
As modern, progressive people of the 21st century we enjoy a certain distance from the romanticized and contradictory Victorian period but are we really that different from our Victorian ancestors?
On this second episode of the special podcast series, we’ll explore our chronological identity. Wait. What? Our chronological identity? Listen to the episode to find out more.
2020-2021 Virtual Education Programs and Experiences
Our 2020-2021 virtual education programs and experiences will lead you on some fun historical adventures! Download our e-brochure today.
One Hour in the Past E304 – Maps and Mapping
Have you ever noticed that a simple information search can lead you in strange and wonderful directions? As in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, historical research can lead you down a winding rabbit hole that might take you off your original path and lead you to new and amazing historical places!
Museum Chat Live! E601 – Creating Where’s the Pig?
On this episode of Museum Chat Live!, we take you on a journey through the creation of the St. Catharines Museum’s Where’s the Pig? virtual adventure series and dig a little deeper into its inspiration and why this kind of museum work is so important!
One Hour in the Past E303 – The Prime Ministers
On this episode of One Hour in the Past, Kathleen and Adrian explore the complicated histories of Canadian Prime Ministers.
Museum at Home: Let’s Make Butter!
Making butter would have been a regular part of the week for many people living in St. Catharines, but luckily, it’s pretty easy and very straightforward.
One Hour in the Past E302 – The Family Compact
On this episode of One Hour in the Past Kathleen and Adrian discuss their research into the secretive and mysterious Family Compact, which with their control of the governing Tory Party, concentrated power in their small group in Upper Canada between ~1800 and 1841.
Museum Classroom: Commemoration in Stamps
Learn about the importance of stamps and their role in the history of communication through this interactive activity of designing your own stamp.
Lego Challenge: Built Heritage Edition – Knox Presbyterian Church
We LOVE to build with Lego and now YOU can build along with us at home! Each week, Adrian will challenge you to build a different historic structure in St. Catharines using Lego and the
This week, we’re building Knox Presbyterian Church!
Lego Challenge: Built Heritage Edition – The Carnegie Library
We LOVE to build with Lego and now YOU can build along with us at home! Each week, Adrian will challenge you to build a different historic structure in St. Catharines using Lego and the photos we post as a template. This week, we’re building the Carnegie Library!
Lego Challenge: Built Heritage Edition – Clendennan House
We LOVE to build with Lego and now YOU can build along with us at home! Each week, Adrian will challenge you to build a different historic structure in St. Catharines using Lego and the photos we post as a template.
Museum Classroom: 19th Century Letter Writing
Learn about the different methods of communication from the past and the benefits of reading letters through this interactive 19th century letter writing activity.