It’s only February, but we’re already hitting the ground running in 2025! Our programming team has a jam-packed month ahead, from visiting schools and seniors’ homes to hosting Girl Guides right here at the Museum. If you’re looking for something fun to do on February 14th, join us for a special Valentine’s Day crafting event – perfect for those with a PA Day! Plus, we’re excited to catch up with friends and colleagues at the annual Heritage Day event at Ottawa City Hall on February 18th. Here’s what else we’re up to!
Grant Helps Safeguard Digital Collections
Thanks to a generous grant from the Ontario Genealogical Society: Ottawa Branch, the Goulbourn Museum is taking big steps to ensure the safety of its collections. The Museum received $2,500 to support the long-term preservation of digitized genealogical materials. This funding helped purchase a high-tech storage system that will protect the Museum’s digital records from data loss, ensuring that historical documents are safe for future generations.
With the new system, the Museum can store vital information on tax assessment rolls, family histories, land transactions, school records, and more – key parts of Goulbourn’s past. The system uses two drives to keep working data safe, while the other two create backup copies, so if one drive fails, nothing is lost. This effort is part of the Museum’s “Archiving Goulbourn” project, which aims to make these historical records more accessible to the public.
By digitizing these materials, the Museum is not only preserving history but also making it easier for everyone to learn about Goulbourn’s rich past. This project will allow people to search documents by keyword, use translation tools, and even listen to oral histories. Volunteers and staff have already transcribed over 177,000 words from handwritten documents! The grant helps make this possible, ensuring that both researchers and the community have access to the community’s history for years to come.
Introducing Our Collections Management Assistant Intern
Please join us in welcoming our new Collections Management Assistant, Jenna Connolly! Jenna hails from Richmond and is in her final year of Algonquin’s Applied Museum Studies program. She will be working with us until April as she completes her college internship. Read more about Jenna here.
PA Day Crafts and Activities on February 14th
Do your little ones have a PA Day next Friday, February 14th? Come craft with us at the Museum! We’ll be making pom-pom heart cards and forever friendship necklaces. Children can also enjoy Valentine’s-themed activities, play in the Village Store, and build cabins with our Lincoln Logs.
No registration necessary – just drop in between 10am and 4pm. (Parents/guardians must remain on-site with children.) Cost is by donation.
Heritage Day at Ottawa City Hall: February 18
The theme of this year’s Heritage Day event is “Heritage Champions: Crafting a Legacy of Preservation and Innovation.”
This theme highlights the enduring and essential work of heritage professionals – planners, architects, craft and trade specialists, educators, and volunteers – who are dedicated to preserving Ottawa’s rich history. The event will also showcase innovative approaches that these champions use to sustain our cultural legacy for future generations.
Anyone is welcome to attend Heritage Day which takes place on February 18 from 12:00 – 2:00p.m. at Jean Pigott Hall, City Hall.
