This week’s artifact is a goffering iron from the second half of the 19th century. Also called a fluting iron […]
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!
Artifact of the Week: Boy Scout Uniform Shirt, 1948-1953
This week’s artifact is a Boy Scout uniform shirt which belonged to Bill Sinnett. In his youth, he was a […]
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.
Artifact of the Week: Firefighter’s Speaking Trumpet
This week’s artifact is a speaking trumpet from the St. Catharines Fire Department c. 1881. These devices were used to […]
One Hour in the Past E601 – Dictionaries
On today’s episode of One Hour in the Past Kathleen and Adrian discuss the simultaneously boring and cool history of dictionaries.
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.
VMLS via Podcast – Home Sweet Home
On today’s episode of VMLS via Podcast we’re sharing a lecture about urban development in St. Catharines – a long and storied tale. This lecture was originally presented on November 16, 2021 by Sara Nixon.
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: 1958 Minor Baseball Crest
This Canadian Legion (H.T. Church Branch) badge recognizes the 1958 minor baseball all stars. 2011.20.5 Find more information and other […]
Museum Chat Live! E802 – Why Does History Change? A Perspective on the Evolution of Museums
In this episode of Museum Chat Live! Sean discusses the history of museums since the late 1700s. He delves into […]
VMLS via Podcast – Canada’s Game in the Garden City
On today’s episode of VMLS via Podcast our Visitor Services Coordinator Adrian Petry gives a lecture about the rich and exciting history of hockey in our city. Hear stories from the early days of pick-up on a frozen Welland Canal to Stan Mikita and the big-league games here at the Garden City Arena.
Artifact of the Week: Festival Wine Glass
This week’s artifact is a wine glass from the 1976 Niagara Grape and Wine Festival in St. Catharines. The annual […]
VMLS via Podcast: The Busiest Piece of Railway in Canada
On today’s episode of VMLS via Podcast special guest Andy Panko explores the Welland Canal Construction Railway, a railway built specifically to service the construction of the Welland Ship Canal. His lecture is titled “The busiest piece of railway in Canada” and was originally presented on October 5, 2021.
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 […]
VMLS via Podcast: Adventures in Housekeeping
As the 20th century dawned with new excitement and a look forward to the next century, St. Catharines was in a period of growth and prosperity. Did that rosy picture translate into the home and domestic life? Look behind closed doors and catch a glimpse of the domestic sphere and how it was changing with the new century.
Artifact of the Week: Arctic Flying Suit
This week’s artifact is an arctic flying suit used by Air Commodore and famed “Saviour of Ceylon” Leonard Birchall during […]
Artifact of the Week: Canadian Navy Badges
These badges were owned by Frederick William Davis for his service in the Canadian Navy. 2004.13.75 Find more information and […]
Artifact of the Week: Horse Hair Couch
This week’s artifact is a horse hair couch donated by Mrs. Eldridge Affleck. Horse hair was commonly used in 19th […]
Artifact of the Week: Fire Chief Pedal Car
Fire Chief Car No. 503 is a children’s riding car manufactured by American Machine and Foundry. It is constructed of […]
Artifact of the Week: Metric Converter
This week’s artifact might familiar to some. It’s a slide rule conversion tool for the metric system. Anyone else have one these lying around? This one belonged to Fred Davis, who worked on the Great Lakes.
The St. Catharines Women’s Literary Club
To mark International Women’s Day, we are looking at the rich history of the Women’s Literary Club, a St. Catharines institution for the education and enrichment of women in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Artifact of the Week: Commemorative Coin
This commemorative coin celebrates the third World Rowing Championships held in St. Catharines in 1970. The coin was issued by the Empire Lodge of Odd Fellows.
Artifact of the Week: Dining Tablecloth Brush
This dining tablecloth brush used locally, is similar to other types of clothes brushes used in this area, c. 1840. Brushing crumbs, dust, and lint away helped to keep the cloth clean, which was especially useful before machine washing made it easier to wash large items frequently.
Filling in the Gaps: Historical Records After the Underground Railroad
The stories told over this blog series highlight moments of success, aspiration, challenge, pride, joy, and determination in the lives of Black individuals. These are universal concepts we all feel and experience. These are stories of everyday people, People of Colour who lived, went to school, worked, made friends, and pursued a full life in St. Catharines. These were the lives Freedom Seekers aspired to for themselves and their families when they arrived in St. Catharines more than 170 years ago.
Life in the City Directories: Historical Records After the Underground Railroad
One brief line in a city directory can offer endless possibility in delving into the working experiences of the people who lived and worked in St. Catharines throughout our past. By tracing the names of Black community members from the earliest editions of our directories in the 1850s through to today, we can trace the legacies first sowed by Freedom Seekers, as well as the continuity of determination and hard work within the community.
Artifact of the Week: Cream Separator
Donated by a resident of St. Catharines, this model of cream separator was sold by Eatons, and may have been purchased at the Canadian Department Store at the corner of William Street and St. Paul Street. CDS was a division of Eatons.
Life in the Year Books: Historical Records After the Underground Railroad
As a source, high school yearbooks certainly bring light to the achievements of Black students through the decades of the 20th century, but beyond this, they also offer unique insight into how these students navigated such a formative period of their lives. Though the Black student population in St. Catharines’ high school was small through most of the 20th century, students of colour made considerable impact in their school communities, from their academic successes to contributing their talents to clubs and sports teams. Black experiences, visible on the pages of local yearbooks, shows us all aspects of student life: friendship, school spirit, team participation, and aspirations.
Life in the News: Historical Records After the Underground Railroad
Newspapers are an important source of information in finding the historical pulse of a community. While the documentation isn’t perfect, and there are always gaps of subjects that didn’t receive coverage, the news stories and photographs can tell us a lot about the tangible history of the subject of news and the history of the community’s intangible biases and interests.
Who Stayed? Historical Records After the Underground Railroad
There is no information available as to why this population change, although the historical record might help shed some light on some of the reasons, such as difficulty finding work due to discriminatory hiring practices, people moving to be closer to family or support groups in other communities, people moving back to the United States after the Civil War, etc. We can only speculate based on the historical information available. The numbers don’t illustrate motivations.
Artifact of the Day: Telegraph
This telegraph machine was used by the St. Catharines Fire Department.
Should I Stay? Historical Records After the Underground Railroad
Our series this year will look at the lives of those of the Black community left behind – those few Freedom Seekers who stayed to build a new life and those, along with their descendants, who had been the backbone of the community’s efforts to help during the Underground Railroad.
Artifact of the Week: Avondale Dairy Milk Crate
A wooden milk crate used by Avondale Dairy Ltd, c. 1940.
VMLS via Podcast: A Model City
On today’s episode of VMLS via Podcast we’ll hear a presentation from our own Sara Nixon with her lecture titled ‘A Model City: the 1913 St. Catharines Board of Trade Yearbook’. The lecture was originally recorded on May 11, 2021.
Stories From the Front: St Catharines’ Wartime Sources Part Four
John D. Hills was taken prisoner of war by the Germans after the raid at Dieppe in 1942. He remained a prisoner until his liberation in 1945.
VMLS via Podcast – The Fight for History with Dr. Tim Cook
On today’s episode of VMLS via Podcast we’ll hear from war historian and author Dr. Tim Cook. Tim’s book ‘The Fight for History’ looks at the significance of remembering the Second World War. This lecture was originally presented on April 27, 2021.