(At the Goulbourn Museum AGM held on Thursday, May 15, 2025, Tracey Donaldson, Executive Director, presented the Heritage Champion Award posthumously to Linda Preston for her exceptional commitment to preserving Goulbourn’s local history. Amber McCoy accepted the award on behalf of her Aunt. Photos: Stittsville Central)
The Annual General Meeting of the Goulbourn Museum took place on Thursday, May 15th in the auditorium at Hazeldean Gardens. There was a large number of people in attendance who all had a common theme – they love local history. Prior to the meeting start, guests enjoyed a mix and mingle organized by museum staff, Tracey Donaldson, Sarah Holla, Alyssa Gutoskie and Laurianne Riffault. Refreshments were served along with the famous and delicious pies baked by the ladies of St. Paul’s United Church in Richmond and enjoyed by everyone.
In appreciation of those who have given countless hours and personal time to the museum over the years, awards were presented to dedicated volunteers as follows:
The Heritage Champion Award is awarded for exceptional commitment to preserving Goulbourn’s local history through research, collections and interpretation. The Heritage Champion Award was presented to Linda Preston posthumously and presented to her niece, Amber McCoy by Tracey Donaldson, Executive Director of the Goulbourn Museum. Linda was recognized for her exceptional dedication to preserving Goulbourn’s local history through her leadership at the Goulbourn Museum where she had been President for many years. She, along with her sister, Cheryl McCoy, spent hours recording and documenting the lives of community members that were published in three volumes of their historical books entitled, Voices of Goulbourn’s Past. Her passion, service and legacy continue to inspire and enrich the community.
The Community Engagement Award is awarded for volunteers who foster strong connections between the museum and the wider community through outreach or events. This award was presented to Tara Bourgoin by Sarah Holla, Registrar at Goulbourn Museum. Tara received the award for her outstanding contributions to the Collections Working Group at which her thoughtful participation and enthusiasm have helped shape a more inclusive and community-driven collection. Her insights, curiosity and care, strengthen the Museum’s connection to the public and also ensures the stories reflect diverse local perspectives.
The Youth Leadership Award is presented for outstanding contributions by a volunteer under 25 who demonstrates initiative, creativity or leadership. Adison Terai was presented with this award by Sarah Holla for their outstanding dedication and leadership as a young volunteer. With over 140 hours contributed and 28,000 words transcribed, their work has significantly improved access to Goulbourn’s historical records. Adison’s initiative, consistency and care have made a lasting impact on the Museum’s digitization efforts and community heritage preservation.
The Behind-the-Scenes-Star is presented to volunteers who provide essential, but often unseen, support in administration, digitization or maintenance. Nancy Dale received this award from Sarah Holla for her exceptional behind-the-scenes work of transcribing over 109,000 words of historical documents. Her dedication, accuracy, and over 345 volunteer hours, have greatly enhanced the accessibility and preservation of Goulbourn’s heritage, supporting the Museum’s digital initiatives and connecting our community to its rich past. It might be noted that Nancy is the only person who was able to read much of the cursive writing from many early documents.
After the awards were presented, Phil Sweetnam shared a few words of thanks to the awardees and to everyone who is connected to the Museum and the work that everyone participates in. He shared the importance of preserving our local history and the dedicated work performed by the Museum staff – thanking them.
At the meeting the election of the Board Directors took place with the following people elected or continuing terms on the Museum Board:
- Jennifer Rowland – Chairperson
- Phil Sweetnam – Vice-Chairperson
- Jamie Burton – Secretary
- Dianne Dowling – Treasurer
- Jennifer Smith – Director
- Tanis Cappello – Director
- Tanya Hein – Director
- Barry Gray – Director
- Lesley McKay – Director
- Ian Badgley – Director
The meeting concluded with some mix and mingle discussions and congratulations to the award recipients.
The museum is a Goulbourn gem.