MuSEEuM November 2013

November 2013Promoting museums in Ontario, Canada.

Melissa Shaw,Museum Assistant,CollingwoodMuseum, displaysa very special pieceof that town’shistory.

Details inside...

October 2013 • Page 2

MuSEEuMwww.issuu.com/museeum

MuSEEuM is published byDon Beaulieu of SpringwaterTownship. Your input, sub-missions and advertising sup-port are appreciated.

Don can be contacted at:

[email protected]

Mailing address is:

1497 County Road 92,Elmvale, OntarioL0L 1P0

Cheques for advertising orsponsorship support shouldbe mailed to the above ad-dress & made out to DonBeaulieu. Electronic invoices/receipts are available, allowingconvenient payment by PayPalor credit card.

Your existing advertisementartwork is welcome, or Doncan design an advertisementfor you, based on your sup-plied information. Advertisingis sold per calendar month/issue. See the online advertis-ing rate card for details and di-mensions.

Feature articlesCollingwood MuseumVaried and changing exhibits 6Kim Dorland: You Are HereAt the McMichael Canadian Collection 20

MuSEEuM • Promoting museums in Ontario, Canada

3 Barrie Art Club; permanent collection5 New Deputy Minister Scopify ROM; The latest technology to explore exhibits12 Internment Camps in Kent County Overview of Chatham-Kent Museum13 Notes from the Ontario Museum Association; Speech from the throne14 “Open Government” launched New museum for Plympton-Wyoming; historical society making progress15 Wellington County Museum and Archives; Harness brass, barn lanterns and license plates Rememberance Day event all month at Canadian War Museum in Ottawa16 Grey Roots Museum and Archives; Fall lecture series underway17 Christmas at Ridge House Museum in Ridgetown29 MuSEEuM Notes; Comments from publisher Don Beaulieu31 Sample advertisement sizes for businesses interested in supporting MuSEEuM

October 2013 • Page 3MuSEEuM • Promoting museums in Ontario, Canada

Barrie Art Club permanent collection:Publisher’s favourite

I’ve been a member of theBarrie Art Club on and off for acouple of decades, as other en-deavours allowed the time andenergy to be involved. The per-manent collection at the clubhas always been a highlight, butit’s not often promoted or evenviewed, as it is hanging on pan-els one needs to swing open inorder to view the works.

This piece pictured below isthe product of a collage demon-

stration at the club in 1965 byJohn (Jack) Martin. He wasdemonstrating the use of Liqui-tex products; the first water-based acrylic paints in 1955. Thispiece is titled Black and White,although there are warm tonesfrom the press-board substrateappearing through the thinnestlayers of the media.

It wasn’t until after I pho-tographed the painting for thisarticle that I realized what ap-

pealed to me about this image:I like maps, satellite images andsuch. This looks like an image offarmland, with fields, variouscrops, laneways, perhaps forestand rivers. THAT’S why it ap-peals to me. I have no idea ifthere was any purpose or repe-sentation intended; likely it isjust patches showing tech-niques and tools.

From what I have been ableto research, this abstract is nottypical of Martin’s work. I hadbetter results Googling ‘Jack’rather than ‘John’; there is thevery popular Victorian era JohnMartin (July 1780–February1854), characterized as an Eng-lish romantic painter.

It is interesting to note acouple of publications he wasinstrumental in producing: AGuide to Waterloo County(early 1960s) and in 1963, Pathsof History in Perth and Huron,written by Anthony L. Kearley.

Martin was born in Nun-eaton, Warwickshire, England,but his home was in Ayr, On-tario. His list of accomplish-ments is long and his con-tributions to the art world arehighly respected.

By Don Beaulieu, publisher of MuSEEuM

Lamentations of JeremiahMixed media on paper board.29.75 x 21.75 inches. 1958

EzikielOil on canvas20 x 24 inches.1954

Canadian Tired; Team-Mates6.8 x 8 inches. 1947

November 2013 • Page 4MuSEEuM • Promoting museums in Ontario, Canada

Delivered to farms in the District of Muskoka, SimcoeCounty, Dufferin County, York Region, Peel Region &neighbouring communities.

Monthly farm newspaper

Connect with the farm community!www.farmviewonline.com

Publisher, John Beischer

Telephone: 705-722-0138 • 1-800-467-7804Facsimile: 705-722-6036 • 1-800-467-7808

Email: [email protected] Thirtieth Sideroad, Utopia, Ontario L0M 1T0

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THANK YOUto all of our localmuseums for

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Prime Minister StephenHarper announced changes inthe senior ranks of the PublicService. Effective November 4,2013, Colleen Swords, formerlyAssociate Deputy Minister ofAboriginal Affairs and North-ern Development, becameDeputy Minister of CanadianHeritage. Outgoing DeputyMinister of Canadian HeritageDaniel Jean became DeputyMinister of Foreign Affairs.

In Ottawa, Ms. Swords hasheld various positions includ-ing Legal Adviser, Director ofthe Economic and Trade LawDivision, Deputy Legal Adviserand Legal Officer responsiblefor human rights, humanitar-ian law, and peace and securityissues. Prior to joining DFAIT,she worked in a legal aid clinicin Toronto.

A graduate of Brock Univer-sity, Osgoode Hall Law Schooland the Europa Institute of theUniversity of Amsterdam, sheis a member of the Law Societyof Upper Canada.

New DeputyMinister of

CanadianHeritage

New DeputyMinister of

CanadianHeritage

ScopifyROM is the world's first Scopify™smartphone application. It puts digital tools sim-ilar to those used by curatorsand scientists into your hands.Interact with selected museumobjects in ways never beforepossible as you investigate,make discoveries and reveal thelarger story each object repre-sents: a story about life, history,or the planet.

Uncover exclusive ROM cu-ratorial secrets by using yoursmartphone* as a series of“scopes”:

• Add skin to skeletons and see what theylooked like when alive

• Decipher various codes and languages• Travel high in the air to examine objects from

a unique perspective• Restore aged objects to their original state• See an object where it was discovered.Suitable for both adults and families, Scopify-

ROM offers over a dozen objects to investigate.These can be found in the ROM’s Ancient Cul-tures, Biodiversity, Fossils & Evolution, Earth &Space, and Canada collections.Play games

Scopifying the ROM lets you unlock fivegames:

Footprints: in this time-sensitive, Mix ‘n Matchmemory style game, users are required to matchup footprints to animals as quickly as possible. In

a unique ScopifyROM twist, a right or wrong an-swer leads to a pop-up with more information

about the animal they haveselected.

Bat Hunt: an arcade-stylegame where players let theirdevice come alive in order tofly and steer one of three bats,using echolocation to avoidobstacles and catch prey.

Other games are Coin Co-nundrum, Crossbow De-fender, and Dino Dig.

It’s recommended to down-load and install ScopifyROM

before visiting the Royal Ontario Museum, but itcan be done there. For further information visit:www.rom.on.ca/en/education/online-activities/scopifyrom*On iOS, ScopifyROM is compatible with the iPhone 4 and later, iPod Touch(4th generation) and later, as well as iPad 2 and 3 and iPad mini. On An-

droid™, the application will run on most high-endnewer devices.

The latest hi-tech way to explore artifactsat the Royal Ontario Museum

http://www.rom.on.ca/en/education/online-activities/scopifyrom


Collingwood Museum

...curiosities to poignant artifacts


Continued next page...

Collingwood MuseumMuseums began in Renaissance

Europe as cabinets of curiosities inprivate homes. In similar fashion,the Collingwood Museum had itsbeginnings as a treasure-trove ofprivately held curiosities, collec-tively known as the Huron Insti-tute, which was founded the early1900s. The first location of the Insti-tute was in the basement of the orig-inal town library. A fire in 1963resulted in many of the artifacts suf-fering water damage. Some originalartifacts of the Institute continue tobe displayed in the current museum.

The Collingwood Museum ishoused in a reproduction of theCollingwood Railway station. It wasbuilt in 1998, based on the plans forthe original station which was builtin 1873. The original buildinghoused the museum for a numberof years before it was replaced bythe current structure. There is a se-quence of photographs on displayshowing the original building beforeand after a fire (1932), demolition ofthe remaining original structure(deemed unsafe) and rebuilding ofthe current facility. Some modifica-tions were made, but overall, the1998 building is based on the origi-nal plans which are held in the Na-tional Archives. Areas which were

originally large roof canopies arenow inside gallery areas.

Never stagnant, the museumcontinues to change and expand itsexhibits. Museum Assistant MelissaShaw is looking forward to a revi-talization of the galleries over thenext few years. Aging display caseswill be replaced. Some of thesecame from the Royal Ontario Mu-seum in the 1960s. New cases willallow improved displays and per-haps storage.One exciting part ofthe plans is the creation of volun-teer workspaces as well as areas forstaff to develop exhibits and con-serve artifacts. A very wide displaycase (8–9 feet) which began its life ina jewelery store in town, has beenmoved to the fire station where itwill house artifacts from the mu-seum collections and the Colling-wood Fire Department.

Piece of military past survivesWhen MuSEEuM contacted the

Collingwood Museum about thisarticle, the question was posed toShaw “What is your favourite arti-fact?”. That is always a tough ques-tion for museum staff andvolunteers to answer; there are somany interesting items at hand.

Pictured on the front page of thisissue is a panel showing Colling-

Pictured here are a couple items included inthe the Huron Institute Collection: A hand-made model ship, and sawsh snout (with53 “teeth”) reportedly caught off the coastof Australia.

Museum has a history of its own



wood area men whowere members of the157th Battalion “A” Com-pany. These men werefrom communities suchas Glen Huron, Cree-more, Stayner, Nottawaand others. This groupwas involved in theclearing of land onwhich Borden waserected, along with thecompany from Barrie.Each photograph is in-dividual, adhered to acanvas sheet which issecured on a back-boardand finished with shel-lac. There is one imagemissing from the panelitself, but it is in pos-session of the museum,waiting for conservationtechniques to preventfurther deterioration.

Shaw recalled thatin 2009 “We were inlarge storage, movingthings around andfound this. No one hadever seen it before”. Atfirst, museum staff hadno idea who any of themen pictured were, northe company they be-longed to. It was as-sumed to be World WarI related. They put a



call out to the community, in-cluding some of the pictures ofthe men. Shortly after begin-ning to receive informationabout the subjects of the pho-tographs, a composite repro-duction of the much largerpanel was located. This com-posite included the names andranks of each soldier. It is be-lieved the first large panel un-covered in storage wasassembled by the photographerto re-photograph to create a

single image which was thenframed and included the textdetails. The final presentation isapproximately two feet square.

What the original panel in-cludes which the reproduc-tions do not, is a legend. Thislegend, pictured below, de-notes whether the men werekilled in action, wounded,gassed, et cetera. The symbolsof the legend have been pen-ciled onto the panel, above orbelow each image. It is not

known who created the legendand began to mark the panel,but it is left incomplete. Despitebeing such an intriguing andinformative piece of history, itstill manages to provide ques-tions yet to be, or perhaps,never to be answered. Cur-rently, no record of it coming tothe museum has been found.Perhaps the family of the donorwould be able to fill in some ofthe details. The Webb Studio ofCollingwood is credited on thesmaller composite version.

This piece was featured inthe museum’s military exhibitin 2009. Upon its conservation,perhaps we will see it on prouddisplay once again.

Shipbuilding historyCollingwood is known as

being a ship-building town.Photographs of side-launchesare iconic.

Officially opened in 1883 onthe Queen’s birthday asCollingwood Dry Dock, Ship-building and Foundry Com-pany by J. D. Silcox and S. D.Andrews, it was renamedCollingwood Shipbuilding in1892. The core business wasbuilding lake freighters to fit thenarrow locks of the St.Lawrence Seaway.

Over the company’s lifetime

it built over 200 ships. DuringWorld War II, the company wascontracted to build 23 warshipsfor the Royal Canadian Navyand Royal Navy, mostlycorvettes and minesweepers.The shipyard was acquired byCanada Steamship Lines (CSL)in 1945. Ships were also builtfor the United States navy.

Business slowed in the 1970sand by the 1980s orders were insevere decline. Foreign compe-tition producing cheaper ves-sels killed many of Canada’sshipbuilders. The last shipcompleted, C.C.G.S. Sir WilfridLaurier, for the Canadian CoastGuard was launched in De-cember of 1985. The companyfolded in 1986.

Theatre involvementThis year, the Collingwood

Museum was involved withthe town’s Gaslight Tour groupwho produce theatrical per-formances depicting historicalevents of the town. Historicaladvice was provided for thefour performances which in-cluded The Storm of 1913 (per-formed on the anniversary ofthe storm), a performanceabout women welders duringthe second world war, anotheron the dangers of working inthe shipyard and finally, the

This detail of the original panel shows the legend. Symbolshave been penciled onto the canvas above or below many ofthe photographs, but not all men have been labelled. The leg-end brings to light the grief and tragedy behind the initialsense of valour this artifact presents.



closing of the shipyards.Another favourite museum piece

of Shaw’s was on display outsidethe Theatre Collingwood offices inthe Press Gallery of 65 SimcoeStreet; the original doors from theCollingwood Shipyards building.She anticipates that this year’s moreprominent involvement with thisannual event will encourage historybuffs to visit the museum as well asperhaps attracting theatre-goers.These doors, plus framed images ofthe shipbuilding business, line thehallway through November 2013.The Collingwood Shipyard doors

will be on display at the museumafterward.

Shaw spoke of one of the shipswhich was lost during that fatefulstorm of November 1913. The S.S.James Carruthers. The Carrutherswas built at Collingwood, Ontarioby the Collingwood ShipbuildingCompany. “It was launched in Mayof 1913” says Shaw, “It was thelargest cargo ship to be launched inthe United Empire”.

The ship was owned by the St.Lawrence & Chicago Steam andNavigation Company of Toronto,Ontario, with the official registry

Public performances:

Thursday, November 14th7–11 p.m.

Special guest:Ronnie Douglas

Harbour Street Fish Bar10 Keith Street, Collingwood

Thursday, November 28th7–11 p.m.

Special guest:Dean McTaggart

Harbour Street Fish Bar10 Keith Street, Collingwood

Wayne Buttery705-718-5637

[email protected]

Live bl

ues

at its

best!

Full band • 4 piece

The original doors of the Collingwood Shipyards are out of storage and ondisplay at 65 Simcoe Street in the arts district of Collingwood this month.


10 Coldwater Road, Coldwater, Ontario L0K 1E0705-686-3883 • [email protected]

www.thechristmasvillager.ca

Jan–May–closed Monday,June to Dec–open 7 days a week

Unique Christmas Décoritems, jigsaw puzzles, edu-cational games and toys,Christmas tree ornaments,greeting cards, candles,baby toys, family boardgames and so much more.

number 131090.Hull number forthe Carruthers was00038. It was a steelhulled, propellerdriven lake freigh-ter. She was 529feet in length, 58feet wide and 27feet deep. Grosstonnage was 7862and net tonnage5606.

Visit the Colling-wood Museum toexplore the historyof Collingwood in-cluding its geolog-ical past. There’s a“Ship Sidelaunch”every 15 minutes.The Museum offersexhibits, specialevents, educationp r o g r a mm e s ,archives and re-search facilities anda store. Admissionis by donation. $2is suggested.

More informa-tion is available atwww.town.col-ling-wood.on.ca/muse-um.

Collingwood, June 22, 1905—Four Men Meet a Horrible Death- James Meade, Prescott, fireman; Lyman Finch, Owen Sound,deckhand; A. Mclellan, East Tawas, deckhand; one crewmemberunknown (He joined the boat at Soo on the way down).

The fire was discovered at 2 A. M. It had started aroundthe smokestack. Captain Wright had gone to his home on PineSt. about an hour before and was preparing for bed when heheard four whistles sounded by the steamer Brittanic whichwas laying alongside. Captain Wright went at once to thedock, went aboard and woke the 1st mate J. D. Montgomeryand a wheelsman. They had to jump to the dock to escape theflames. The unfortunate men that lost their lives weresleeping in the forecastle and could not escape. The port-holes were too small to get through.

After the fire had been burning two hours the remains ofthe steamer were towed to what may be called the graveyardof the harbour - the shallow water on the west side wherea few years before her sister ship the City Of Parry Soundhad burned to the waters edge.

She was still burning as Captain Scott of the tug SaucyJim shoved her into her final resting place. The masts fellas did the smokestack.

The City of Collingwood was one of the finest steamersof the N. N. Co. and the flagship of the Georgian Bay Div.

—From the Collingwood Bulletin, June 22, 1905.

Model of the City ofCollingwood on

display at theCollingwood

Museum.

Attention Artists: Work yourmagiconphotographsat www.Donshots.ca.Peruse hundreds of images; order electronic files or printed images to useas the starting point for your next masterpiece! Only $5 for an electronicversion you can print yourself. No copyright issues.

www.Donshots.ca

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Before the beginning ofWWII, many Canadians livingin British Columbia held racistattitudes towards Japanese-Canadians. Citizens blamedthe Japanese-Canadians formany of their hardships andtroubled economic times. OnDecember 7, 1941 the Empireof Japan launched an attack onthe Seventh Fleet of the UnitedStates at Pearl Harbour, inHawaii. The bombing of PearlHarbour became the catalyst of

the forced evacuation of Japan-ese-Canadians away from thePacific Coast, under the guiseof “safe-guarding” Canadafrom Japanese spies.

The population of Japanese-Canadians in Ontario in 1941was 320. By the summer of 1942that number would double, andby the wars end in the thou-sands. Many of these peoplewere moved to Kent County,one of the most anti-Japaneseplaces in Canada.

Japanese Internment Camps in Kent CountyJerry Hind will examine the

reasons and results of thisforced evacuation of Canadiancitizens, under the shadow ofthe Second World War, andtheir experiences in KentCounty. The evening’s talk in-cludes light refreshments.

This look into Chatham-KentHistory is presented by theChatham-Kent Museum andwill take place on Thursday,November 14, 2013 at 7 p.m. in

Studio One of theChatham CulturalCentre. Ticketsare $12 and maybe purchased atthe ChathamCultural CentreBox Office, 75William Street,North, by calling519-354-8338, orat www.cktick-ets.com. A limit-ed number oftickets will beavailable at thedoor.

For over 60 years, the Chatham-KentMuseum has been selectively acquiringartifacts of local and national signicanceincluding three dimensional objects, art,and natural science specimens.

Highlights in the collection includeartifacts from the War of 1812, a nation-ally designated Gray Dort automobile,several locally made horse drawn vehi-cles, and, of course, their world famousmummy.

The museum is comprised of a mainoor area that currently houses a semi-per-manent exhibit entitled “Horse Power: AHistory of Vehicle Manufacturing inChatham-Kent” and several temporary ex-hibit galleries that feature changing exhibitson a variety of themes. To complementthese exhibits, the professional staff of theChatham-Kent Museum offers a variety ofcurriculum-based school programs, publicprogrammes, and special events.

The museum also maintains anarchival collection and research area thatis a popular destination for genealogists,authors, researchers, and students.Among the museum’s archival and re-search holdings are several extensivelocal photograph collections.

Enjoy a heritage experience at theChatham-Kent Museum (or, using the dy-namic marketing slogan of Gray Dort:“You Will Like It”).

The Chatham-Kent Museum is open7 days a week from 1pm to 5pm. Admis-sion is by donation and is located at 75William Street North, Chatham, Ontario.

Chatham-Kent MuseumAn overview...


The 2013 federal Speech from the Throne was a wide-rangingrecap of the Government’s accomplishments and a renewal of itspriority around jobs and the economy. In that vein, it promisescontinued fiscal discipline, including the freezing of federal oper-ating budgets.

For culture:For the cultural sector, the opportunity will be found in the com-

ments around Canada’s upcoming 150th anniversary in 2017. A keymilestone cited in the Speech is the establishment of the CanadianMuseum of History “to share the story of Canada with pride”. Otheridentified milestones on the Road to 2017 are largely drawn fromCanada’s military history.

The Speech also commitsthe government to “workingwith Canadians to supportcommunity projects, localcelebrations, and other ini-tiatives to commemoratethis historic occasion.”

The other reference to thearts in the 2013 ThroneSpeech is the arts tax credit,cited as a measure to helpkeep taxes low for Canadians.

By and large, ThroneSpeeches provide thebroad framework of a gov-ernment’s policy agenda.They do not generally con-tain many specifics.

Notes from the Ontario MuseumAssociation—Speech from the Throne


The provincial governmenthas announced Ontario's new“Open Government” initiative,which will give the people ofOntario a more transparentand accessible government,more opportunities to accessinformation, and engage withthe government on things thatmatter to them.

An Open Government En-gagement Team will gatherfeedback from people acrossthe province and report back tothe government in spring,2014. The focus will be onthree areas:

• Open dialogue, so it is easierfor people to connect and inter-act with government throughnew tools and technologies.• Open data, so people can ac-cess data to solve everydayproblems and come up with

new ideas.• Open information, whichmeans creating even moretransparency by sharing moreinformation.

Visit Ontario.ca/open to seewhat the government is work-ing on and learn how to get in-volved.

Of particular interest toMuSEEuM readers is this link:http://www.ontario.ca/arts-and-culture/arts-and-culture

Ontario Launches “Open Government” Get involved and have your say!

New museum for Plympton-WyomingThe Town of Plympton-

Wyoming is a community with apopulation of approximately7500. It is located within thenorth central portion of LambtonCounty, on the shores of LakeHuron, with accessibility toHighway 402, railway and readyaccess to Sarnia, London, Torontoand the United Statesof America.The Plympton-

Wyoming HistoricalSociety has recentlyelected a new Board ofDirectors and is mak-ing headway on thecreation of a new mu-seum.Members of the So-

ciety have been preparing thelower level of the town’s Cam-lachie Community Library,which is where the new museumwill be housed. This follows theirinaugural meeting in Septemberand a public meeting which washeld last month.President of the society Don

Poland says the group will con-tinue to establish policies andoutlines, defining just how theSociety will function. If you areable to help out by volunteering,contact Poland at 519-869-4909 orby email at [email protected] January 1st, 2001, the Vil-

lage of Wyoming (located onCounty Road #21, twomiles south of High-way #402) and theTownship of Plymptonamalgamated to be-come the new munici-pality of the Town ofPlympton-Wyoming.The municipality isgoverned by a seven-member Council, in-

cluding a Mayor and a DeputyMayor. The Municipal Office islocated at 546 Niagara Street inWyoming, Ont. As a result of this amalgama-

tion, it has created a larger, morediverse community, with a strongmixture of rural and urbanlifestyles.

This is a QUARTER of a page banner advertisement space.Based on: 13/4 inches by 77/16 inches (4 columns wide)

$15 per month if booked beforeDecember 20th 2013.

Support MuSEEuMwith an advertisementfor your business!

http://www.ontario.ca/arts-and-culture/arts-and-culture

http://www.ontario.ca/arts-and-culture/arts-and-culture

Ontario.ca/open


Described as ornate, functional and fun; a collection of harnessbrass, barn lanterns and license plates is hoped to hook your attentionthis fall. Bert Black is the third collector to be featured in the Welling-ton County Collects exhibit that showcases the unique collections ofWellington County residents, at the Wellington County Archives.

“From hundreds of different objects, these three collections high-light a selection of pieces that our third collector loves the most,”says Amy Dunlop, Curatorial Assistant. “There is a little bit of every-thing and each object tells a part of Bert Black’s story. That’s whatmakes this exhibition a wonderful experience for the public.”

Black explains: “In my collection, I have over 120 horse brasses,more than 150 license plates (dating from 1917 to the 1970s) and avariety of Wellington County-made lanterns, including railroad andconstruction lanterns”. When asked why he collects this stuff, hesays “Nostalgia...preserving articles that were used, or part of daysgone by, is what interests me.”

Black’s collection will be on display until January 5, 2014.If you’d like to bring your collection to the Museum, please con-

tact Amy Dunlop at: 519.846.0916 x 5232 or [email protected] get your name on the list.

The Wellington County Museum and Archives is located onWellington Road #18 between Fergus and Elora. Admission is bydonation. It is open weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and noonto 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. On the web: www.welling-ton.ca/museum.

On November 11, 1918, at 11 a.m., the First World War came toan end. It lasted over four years, killed or injured nearly 30 millionmilitary personnel and devastated some of the world’s biggest em-pires. It changed the future of people, countries and continents.Canada’s contribution was significant, unprecedented and costly.The country came out proud and victorious, heading towards na-tional autonomy within the British Commonwealth, while mourn-ing the loss or injury of 250,000 Canadians.Throughout November, we invite you to REMEMBER

Special concerts, activities and presentations make the CanadianWar Museum the place to come and REMEMBER. Please consult thewww.warmuseum.ca/remember for Remembrance Week activities.

Remembrance Dayat the Canadian War Museum1 Vimy Place, Ottawa

www.warmuseum.ca/remember

www.wellington.ca/museum

www.wellington.ca/museum


Grey Roots Museum & Archives will present the Fall Lecture Se-ries, Canadian History, Eh?, starting Tuesday, November 5, 2013.Local History teacher, Gary Weinger, will lead the lectures everyTuesday throughout November at 2:30 p.m..

The first lecture on November 5 is all about European Discovery.The presentation will focus on how Europe paid for its future in-dustrial growth on the backs of the Natives of North America.

The second lecture on November 12 is called The French vs. TheEnglish. Some questions that will be addressed are: Why is therestill tension between us? Where did it begin in our history? Whydid the French stay in Canada after 1763? And, where do we gofrom here?

On November 19, the third lecture will be about the CanadianIdentity. The presentation will explore our British, American, Na-tive and other international influences. How history has shapedthe Canadian character will also be discussed.

The final lecture on November 26, entitled From Nationhood toPresent, explores the hot button issues about why we confederatedand how we began as a player on the international stage.

The Fall Lecture Series presenter, Gary Weinger, is a graduate inHistory and Political Science from the University of Guelph andtaught High School History, English, Law and Business for overthirty years. This included years in Toronto, New South Wales (Aus-

tralia) and the Bluewater School Board (Owen Sound, Meaford andFlesherton). Seeing that only one Canadian History course wascompulsory in all of High School curriculum, he has taken to lec-turing to lifelong learning groups about the complexity and con-troversies of Canadian Studies. He believes our Canadian heritageis interesting and diverse, and that we should know more aboutwho we are and how our history still guides us. “It’s not boring!”Gary says of the Canadian History, Eh? Lecture Series.

These presentations are part of the annual Fall Lecture Serieswhich takes place on Tuesday afternoons throughout November inthe Grey Roots Theatre. Complimentary refreshments follow thepresentations. Regular daily admission to Grey Roots includes theFall Lecture Series. Grey Roots Members receive complimentary ad-mission to all Grey Roots current exhibits and events, including theFall Lecture Series.

In summary:Canadian History, Eh?Dates: November 5, 12, 19, and 26, 2013 (Tuesdays)Time: 2:30 p.m.Location: Grey Roots Museum & ArchivesCost: Regular admission. Members always free!For more information on other Grey Roots events, visit

http://www.greyroots.com/programs-events/events/

Grey Roots Museum & Archives has grown and developed into a unique facility from the CountyMuseum’s beginning in 1955 and the later establishment of a County Archives in 2000 in order to promoteand preserve the heritage of Grey County. With the consolidation of the Grey County Museum, GreyCounty Archives, and Tourism in 2004, Grey Roots has become a multi-faceted attraction. Innovative andinformative interpretive programs and demonstrations, rotating exhibits, a heritage village, archival resourcesand superior customer service come together to create an exciting and educational visitor experience.

Grey Roots Museum & Archives, 102599 Grey Road 18, Owen Sound, Ontario519-376-3690 www.greyroots.com

Fall lecture series at Grey Roots Museum and Archives is underway:Canadian History, Eh?

For more information on all Grey Roots events, visit http://www.greyroots.com/programs-events/events/

http://www.greyroots.com/programs-events/events/


What greater way to cele-brate the holiday season then atThe Ridge House Museum?Step back in time and enjoy a1875 Victorian Christmas Din-ner, November 30th starting at6:30 p.m. Enjoy dinner by lamp-light and live music surroundedby fresh greens, nuts and po-manders.

Enjoy a delicious 5 coursemeal complete with creamyonion soup, pineapple apricotglazed ham, maple roastedsquash, puréed Lima beans,fresh bread, cranberry orangeroast goose,apple herbstuffing, has-selback pota-toes, honeym u s t a r dglazed carrots,garlic cheesepeas, Christ-mas cake, blueberry pie and acheese board all paired withlocal fruit wine. Also enjoyeggnog, tea and coffee

The evening won’t be com-plete without a visit from localChristmas carolers and a few

parlor games. The Ridge House would like

to thank its sponsors; BlenheimSobeys, Parks Blueberries,Blenheim No Frills, Superstore,Chatham No Frills, RidgetownKiwanis Club, Ridge Players,Erie Street United Church andBlenheim Meats.

Tickets can be purchased atwww.cktickets.com for $100. Allprofit made from the event willgo to support the museum andfuture programing.

Ridge House Museum is at53 Erie Street South, Ridgetown.

The museumis open forChristmas cele-brations daily,from December1 to 23, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.Group tours &education pro-

grams are welcome with ad-vanced booking. For moreinformation contact RidgeHouse Museum curator byphone, 519 674 2223, or email,ckr [email protected].

It’s beginning to look like

Christmas in Ridgetown

Electronic word processor availableMay have a place in an office or technology exhibit.

Contact Don at 705-322-3323(Elmvale, Ontario)or [email protected]

Smith Corona model XD4800 (Late 1990s): An electronicportable unit. It uses daisy-wheels, carbon ribbon andcan do bold in any font available. Type into its inter-nal memory to have text justify automatically to yourspecified column width! It was an excellent way to pro-duce news letters for photocopying! Auto-correct wordsor sentences. Built in dictionary. Plus other features!

Free to agood home in a

museum!Sells online for$35—$50

[email protected]

[email protected]

By Angela Foreman-Bobier, Cultural Manager, Backus-Page House Museum

This summer, staff at the Backus-Page House Museum saved apiece of local history from a pile that was intended for the garbage.During an inventory of the museum’s extensive barn collection andsetting up of an exhibit filling the second floor of the historic barn, arandom piece of cracked wood was noticed in a pile of post construc-tion refuse. Conscientious staff members checked over that pile be-fore removal and in doing so flipped over what turned out to be aboard stamped with a crown and “Tyrconnell Cheese Factory”.

“As the settlers developed their herds of cattle, the need for acheese factory became apparent.” John Seabury Pearce, grandsonof settler John Pearce, supplied that need in 1865 by setting up thefirst cheese factory in the district in the central part of Lot 10 southof “a public road running across said lot, known as the Ireland orLake Road”. “On these 15 acres, in the westerly part of the lot andclosest to the port of Tyrconnell,” the cheese factory symbol isclearly visible in the 1877 Historical Atlas of Elgin County.”

“Cheese boxes were not even available in Elgin. Mr. Pearce andhis men had to drive to Ingersoll and back, with slow moving teamsand wagons, to obtain the boxes. A number of years later, the equip-ment from this factory was moved to Wallacetown, as it was morecentral.”

Our assumption is John Seabury Pearce tested a stencil on thispiece of wood before applying the company stamp to the boxespurchased in Ingersoll. This board is now displayed in our historicbarn for visitors to view and learn that what is now not even con-sidered a hamlet, was once a town with a functioning port, busi-nesses and factories.

Quotes and research taken from:The Pearces of “Little Ireland” Tyrconnell 1809-2009 by Alison L. PearceTweedsmuir History of Wallacetown Community Editors Members of the Wallacetown Women’s Institute

November 2013 • Page 18

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Photograph courtesy of the Backus-Page House Museum

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Kim Dorland (born 1974)Dripping Dream (Emma Lake) 2013oil and acrylic on jute over wood panel203.2 x 203.2 cm (80 x 80 in.)Courtesy of the artist


You Are Here:

Kim Dorland and the Return to Painting

This exhibition spans five gallery spaces and features approximately 140

works, including more than eighty five canvases by Dorland. One

particularly stunning work is a triptych of the French River, measuring

eighteen feet long and eight feet high. Dorland's paintings will hang in the

company of works by Canadian art icons Tom Thomson, the Group of

Seven, David Milne and Emily Carr. These works trace the evolution of the

Canadian landscape tradition, culminating in Dorland's fresh, modern

interpretations.

At the McMichael Canadian Collection in Kleinburg to January 5, 2014.


Before heading off to see Dorland and the McMichael staff prepar-ing this installation, I did some homework. I looked at his work onlineand read media reports. A common theme was a comparison to TomThomson’s work, an inspiration for Dorland, no doubt. He’s a Groupof Seven fan. One article described his art as “Tom Thomson on acid”.I could see that. Not sure how Dorland would like that description,but it seemed to fit. Until seeing his art in person I didn’t realize howdynamic his style really is. Despite finding his work intriguing on thetwo-dimensional screen, in that format it was lacking the physicaldepth and texture that makes his art so definitely Dorland.

His use of colour is often perplexing. Yet there is a realism to it. Hisuse of thick layers of paint is extreme. Yet affective. This is a blend ofsurrealism with a feeling of familiarity, of comfort not bewilderment.Within this unique representation of his scenes, there was a feeling of“I’ve been there” or “I’ve seen that”. He can take an ordinary stand ofbirch trees and through his technique, have his image evoke the quietintrigue a nature lover or artist may enjoy, just looking at the details.

The first of Dorland’s pieces visitors to the gallery will see is one ofthese birch tree scenes. It is too big to fit into the gallery space proper,so it has been installed at the bottom of the ramp leading to the exhibit.What a grand introduction to what lies ahead. A school group wasconsidering this piece as their teacher explained the artist’s methods.The young art connoisseurs were impressed.

This show has been configured to allow a dialogue with works fromthe likes of David Milne, Emily Carr, Tom Thomson and members ofthe Group of Seven. An excellent job has been done by curator Kate-rina Atanassova of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, creating avery thoughtful exhibit.

One of the most stunning techniques of Dorland’s work are theglobs of paint (my interpretation), sometimes carefully sculpted byhand. So thick in many instances that the paint has to be re-enforcedwith hardware. Below are a couple of photographs of some of his

You Are HereStory & photographs by Don Beaulieu

Kim Dorland (born 1974)Death by Landscape (for M.A.) or The Girl Disappears #4 2013oil and acrylic on canvas over wood panel304.8 x 213.4 cm (120 x 84 in.)Courtesy of the artist


Here we see the installation of KimDorland’s actual studio walls intothe McMichael exhibit. This offersan insight to alternate scenes,colours and techniques he has tried,as well as sketches and ideas dur-ing the creative process.



Kim Dorland (born 1974)In November/Zombies #3 (family)

2013oil and acrylic on jute over wood panel

182.9 x 243.8 cm (72 x 96 in.)Courtesy of the artist


smaller pieces, taken at oblique angles, to show his use of paint,which brings an unexpected relief to his art; something not appar-ent in two-dimensional reproductions. With the expert lighting inthe McMichael galleries, this dimension of his work truly standsout to its full effect.

Combined with this thick, rough application of oil paint, Dor-land often uses an air-brush for the background, which is especiallyeffective on sky and water subjects. He’s not afraid to employ a va-riety of techniques in one piece to achieve the desired result.

One of the more interesting, dare I say questionable, pieces areportraits of his wife Lori. They are very three-dimensional, formedin oil paint. Some aspects appear to be squeezed directly from atube of paint, other parts appear manipulated by hand. Atanassovaexplained Dorland’s methods with these portraits: “Portraits justsort of happen” for him. “He wants to feel the medium, he puts lay-ers of paint until the paint becomes her”. She continues... “He feels(the portraits are) very tender although they appear very crude”.He has been particularly inspired by F. H. Varley’s green portrait ofVera (which resides in the National Gallery of Canada).

The photograph of Dorland on page 18 shows him standing be-side Dripping Dream (Emma Lake). This painting depicts his notionof the disappearance of Thomson and Thomson’s influence on theCanadian art world. The empty chair, the blank canvas asking“What is there after Thomson?”

Although working closely with Atanassova and her crew at the

McMichael, Dorland admits that hanging a show may be hisbiggest weakness. He attempted some pre-planning of the showbut realized “The McMichael is actually ’way bigger than I ever re-member it to be”, which may be of benefit as many of his paintingsare very large. In his own words “They’re pretty beastly paintings.I think people were surprised by how heavy the were”.

Something Dorland has perfected is the transport methods forhis large, heavy thickly painted works. “I’ve shipped to Berlin, toL.A... and they’ve all arrived safe and sound”.

After touring the exhibition, Dorland suggests the viewer maybe able to pick out some of the source drawings and images in thereproduction of his studio which is a part of this show. Dorlandsays he takes “a lot of Polaroids, I do a lot of drawings, water-colours, iPad drawings”. Photography is the largest part of his ref-erence material.

When asked about his unusual colour palette, Dorland ex-plains that he has “always had an eye for the acidic. I like clashand making those clashes work... but there’s always a sense ofcalm, or elegance”.

Originally from Alberta, Toronto is currently his home. Heagrees it is likely the best place for him to be right now. “I do loveToronto” he says, although he can see a time in the future wherequieter, less active surroundings would be appreciated.

Woodland Waterfall, which is based directly on Tom Thom-son’s Woodland Waterfall caused Dorland some concern aboutpublic reaction. “I didn’t know what people would think of meattacking a literal appropriation, but the response has been re-ally crazy—people really like that painting. That’s a goodthing; I did my job well”.


Woodland Waterfall:Right:Tom Tomson’s painting. Thomas John "Tom" Thomson (August 5,1877–July 8, 1917) was an inuential Canadian artist of the early 20thcentury. He directly inuenced a group of Canadian painters thatwould come to be known as the Group of Seven, and though he diedbefore they ofcially formed, he is often incorrectly credited as beinga member of the group itself. Thomson died under mysterious cir-cumstances, which added to his mystique. Thomson painted thisscene in 1916.

Below:Kim Dorland’s version of Tom Thomson’s Woodland Waterfall.

Tom Thomson (1877–1917)Woodland Waterfall 1916–1917

oil on canvas121.9 x 132.5 cm

Purchase 1977 with Funds Donated byThe W. Gareld Weston FoundationMcMichael Canadian Art Collection

1977.48

Kim Dorland (b. 1974)Woodland Waterfall (after Tom Thomson) 2013oil, acrylic and spray paint on canvas over panel182.9 x 243.8 cmCourtesy of the artist


Orillia Museum of Art & History 30 Peter St. S, Orillia, ON L3V 5A9 705 326–2159 www.orilliamuseum.org Open Tuesday to Saturday 10am–4pm

FREE FRIDAY FUN AT OMAHBeginning Nov 8, 2013

ORILLIA, ON (October 28, 2013) – Orillia Museum of Art & History (OMAH) launch-es a new program for its visitors and guests. Free Fridays begin on November 8 and are generously sponsored by �e Madison County Food and Beverage Co. �e Madison County Food & Beverage Co. was founded in Orillia in 1963. Its president, Jim Dykes has played a key role in the development of the specialty co�ee market and the rise of a rapidly growing, multi–dimensional Foodservice Management Company. Dykes attributes the success of �e Madison County Food & Beverage Co. to the hard work of an incredible team providing exemplary service and premier products. Free Fridays invites the community to experience art, heritage and culture. Madison County, as the sponsor of Free Fridays shares their 50 years of business success and welcomes the opportunity to give thanks to the community it calls home. OMAH is excited to partner with this vibrant local business. OMAH plans to o�er additional programming opportunities on Free Fridays. Some of the ideas brewing include an open studio on Friday a�ernoons. Artists, budding and experienced can work in �e Dorothy Macdonald Creative Studio and be inspired by the magni�cent renovated studio space while engaging other artists and sharing their work. Also brewing will be a drop-in program designed to o�er youth a place to meet and be creative. Each week, participants will explore di�erent forms of expression that are of interest to them. A community art project spearheaded by Lois Green and Leslie Fournier will feature Madison County’s specialty ... gourmet co�ee! OMAH would also like to thank the generous support of Business for the Arts through the artsVest program. artsVest is designed to stimulate innovative business sponsorship and corporate engagement in arts and heritage.

For information, please contact: Lois Green, Education Coordinator 705 326–2159 | [email protected]

Allegory of the CaveNovember 21, 2013 - January 1, 2014

Opening Reception: Thursday, November 21, 6 p.m. Free bus from the Gladstone Hotel, Toronto, to the reception.RSVP to the Reception | Book a Seat on the Bus

Allegory of the Cave presents artworks from the currentAGM Permanent Collection and envisions how the act ofcollecting will be reanimated as the AGM embraces the fu-ture. The exhibition sheds light on the methods and truth ofindustry standards as the AGM launches a digital archivingproject for its collection and invites the public to see theprocess in motion.

XIT-RM | Nataliya Petkova: tensionsin collaboration with NAISANovember 21, 2013 - January 1, 2014The XIT-RM is sponsored by the RBC Foundation.

The works in this exhibition constitute an ensemble of in-struments for territorial readings and sound performancestriggered by movements of the performer's body that striveto shift our everyday environmental perceptions and assignsound characteristics to visual geography. Using steel nee-dles, as in phonographs,they translate immediate ter-ritorial texture into aleatoryand unrepeatable soundcompositions.

Please note:The AGM will be closed for installation fromNovember 10 - 21. There will be an openingreception on Thursday, November 21, 6 p.m.

http://www.eventbrite.ca/e/bus-to-opening-reception-allegory-of-the-cave-and-tracings-tickets-9184149037

http://www.eventbrite.ca/e/opening-reception-allegory-of-the-cave-and-nataliya-petkova-tracings-tickets-9184048737


—by Don Beaulieu,Publisher of MuSEEuM

This issue of MuSEEuM hasset a new pecedent. Publishinglate. Previous issues have beenonline on the 1st of the month.Most other papers I write for,and clubs I provide publicityfor, have end of month dead-lines. Seeing as I can’t controleveryone else’ deadlines, Imade the executive decision tomove the MuSEEuM publish-ing date to the 7th of themonth. That stretched to the13th for a number of reasons.But I am sure this issue is worththe wait.

This issue contains moreself-promotion than usual. Ad-vertising funds are needed tocover expenses. If you cansupport MuSEEuM with anadvertisement, or for a simple

acknowledgment of support,please consider doing that forthe next issue. Advertisingrates will be going up (roughlydoubling) from the introduc-tory rates which have been of-fered since our inauguralAugust 2013 issue. Deadlinefor the December issue is Fri-day, November 29th. The in-troductory rate card isavailable at www.issuu.com/museeum.

Museums will be able to ad-vertise for half price in the newyear. This would be a perfectplace to include “posters” forspecial events and exhibits.

Perhaps you have a productor service which suits the de-mographic of museum-goers,you or simply want to help

promote museums; Let’s getyour business in these pages toshow that support!

Your advertisement designis welcome (PDF or JPG), or Ican work with your ideas andinput to come up with an effec-tive design.

Perhaps you don’t haveanything to advertise, butwould like to share a storyabout your local museum, orwhat museums have meant toyou. High resolution photo-graphs are welcome. Show usyourself and your family hav-ing fun at a museum, perhapsvolunteering!

—Don Beaulieu

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MuSEEuM November 2013