stcmuseum podcasts: Recent Episodes
St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre
The official podcasts of the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre: Museum Chat Live! and One Hour in the Past. Find footnotes to podcast episodes at stcatharinesmuseumblog.com. Find us online at facebook.com/stcatharinesmuseum, Twitter and Instagram: @stcmuseum, and at stcatharinesmuseumblog.com.
In this edition of Hearing History, Sean cues up the sound of roller skates and takes us through the history of this wheeled footwear and the effects it has had on culture, business, and sports in St. Catharines. Tie up you skates and come along for the ride!
Sean jumps into another sonic journey through history with a deep dive into the steam whistle. Find out where this sound originated and what role it has played in the history of St. Catharines.
This episode features an edited recording of a live panel discussion hosted by the Niagara Falls Museum on November 19, 2025. The discussion was all about Spirit Walks and featured representatives from the St. Catharines Museum, the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum, and the Niagara Falls History Museum.
episodes looking back at some of our favourite moments and episodes. We revisited the series we put together about the history of the bridges of the Welland Canal, and we revisited the series about the Victorians called Victorian Tweets. On today's last episode of season 10, we bring you a supercut compilation of our favourite instances where we used primary sources on the podcast. Using primary sources in this way is fun because we can voice them by welcoming other staff or volunteers to read out the source for our listeners. Additional enjoyment comes from hearing (rather than reading) the source, almost as if we get to meet the person who wrote the source or experienced the event firsthand. Since bringing history to the public's attention is our core purpose, we do use a lot of primary source material on the blog so we chose our four favourite instances. You can hear more by listening to past episodes wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening!Links to the episodes featured in this episode:E205 Spooky Halloween EpisodeE310 The Fallen Workers Part 5E906 Merritt’s Speech at the Turning of the SodE103 Minnie Phelps and International Women’s Day
This podcast episode includes an interview with Foster Festival playwright and actor Jamie Williams and director Emily Oriold. Representing the museum are Visitor Services Coordinator Adrian Petry and Public Programmer Sean Dineley. The group discusses the exciting upcoming production, A Niagara Christmas Carol, which is a reimagining of the classic Charles Dickens tale set around the Welland Canal in the 1840s.
On this episode of Hearing History, Sean explores the sound of a pry-cap bottle and the history of carbonated beverages in St. Catharines, including breweries and soft drink makers.
This episode in the Hearing History series explores the history of the Lakeside Park Carousel through the sounds of its incredible band organ!
It's time for the big reveal. After an interesting discussion about pablum (ironic, we know), Adrian reveals the theme (and subthemes) that linked together the episodes of this season!For footnotes to this episode, please visit stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
In the most scientific episode since the infamous gyroscope episode in season 7, Kathleen and Adrian try to tackle the fascinating and very technical history of the wirephoto.For footnote to this episode, please visit stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
Bet you didn't know how an electronic organ works! Well, now you do! In another attempt at explaining science, Kathleen and Adrian explore the history of this impressive instrument, talk family electronic organs, and sports!Footnotes to this episode can be found at stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
How does the mail get sorted? One of the first computerized and automated mail sorters was the Route Reference Computer. Despite its "state secret" level of confusing technical aspects, we learned a lot about the mail in this episode.Please visit stcatharinesmuseumblog.com for footnotes to this episode.
On this episode we're explore the important history of the electric powered wheelchair, and our research takes us through the history and importance of mobility aids today.For more info and the footnotes to this episode, visit stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
We're cracking open season 8 of One Hour in the Past with the history of the egg carton. The episode is filled with a surprising amount of unintended egg puns and lots of egg-sellent history. Enjoy the episode!For more info and the footnotes to this episode, visit stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
Throughout our 10th season, we will be including several “supercut” episodes which revisit clips from some of favourite episodes, themes, and series over the last ten years! Enjoy this look back on our Season 6 miniseries about the Victorians which was produced during the run of our temporary exhibition Victorian Tweets. The exhibition translated Victorian happenings from newspapers, diaries, letters, and more in the Museum's collection into modern (at the time) tweets. The tweets themselves acted as windows to the past but also helped visitors to see themselves in the "issues" of the Victorians. This three-part podcast series further explored notions of identity, tradition, and our modern understanding and perspective of the Victorians.
On this episode of Museum Chat Live! we're chatting local food history and baking as we wrap up our (now beloved) Food, Glorious Food Blog Series. The series was a chance for Abbey Stansfield (public programmer) and Kathleen Powell (curator) to explore local food history by baking through historic recipes in our collection. This bake-off was a way to explore food history in a first-hand way and draw attention to our temporary exhibit of the same name, on display at the Museum through the autumn of this year. Listen in for a chat about food history, writing a blog series together, challenges in baking historic recipes, the things we learned, and most importantly: our favourite desserts!
On this episode of Museum Chat Live! Sean discusses trends in museum outreach programming. He explores how museum interpretation has evolved over the years, and how history is interpreted out in the community in St. Catharines, across Canada, and around the world. This episode includes an interview with Visitor Services Coordinator Adrian Petry and a peek into what outreach programming the museum has in store for 2025 and beyond.
November 30th, 1824 is an important day in the history of Niagara. A handful of businessmen who had less than a year before formed the Welland Canal Company met at Allanburg to shovel and turn over the first sod, marking the beginning of construction of one of the most important infrastructure projects in Canadian history. As those events usually go, speeches were delivered amongst the small group on that cold day. William Hamilton Merritt's speech has been shared and reshared many times over the years as it reveals not only the hard work the Company was about to endure, but also the vision of the project itself. This vision: a great canal linking the Great Lakes and facilitating trade and settlement, and linking the world to the interior of North America was a practical reality only realized with the third and fourth Welland Canals. But they hard to start somewhere, and so Merritt called on his fellow Niagarans to join the cause and celebrate this new beginning. Today's episode of Museum Chat Live! brings a reading of an excerpt of Merritt's speech from 200 years ago to our ears. Edited and read by museum volunteer Des Corran, you can hear the optimism with which Merritt would cling to over some very challenging years of construction ahead. Enjoy the episode.Listen
In this 3-episode series, host Sean Dineley lets a sampling of long-time St. Catharines residents do most of the talking. The people whose stories you will hear have all been participants in the museum’s StoryLab program. This ongoing oral history project is all about getting the diverse experiences and perspectives of real St. Catharinites into the museum’s collection. By conducting, recording, and transcribing interviews with local residents, we hope to learn more about the wide array of people and communities who call this city home as well as how it has evolved in their lifetimes. Ultimately, the project supports our mission to collect and present a more complete story of St. Catharines.This episode is the third and final part of this series. Parts one and two provided a glimpse into the significant waves of emigration caused by the totalitarian regimes, famines, genocides, and World Wars that ravaged Europe in the first half of the 20th century. Even before this period of turmoil the ethnic makeup of immigrants in Canada had been overwhelmingly European, but beginning in the 1960s, the trend started to change. Race-based selection criteria was removed from Canada’s Immigration Policy in 1962, and new schemes like the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program and the Canadian Multiculturalism Policy helped sow the seeds for new cultural communities.Take a listen and share your thoughts with us! The views and opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre and the City of St. Catharines.
The 10th season of our Museum Chat Live! podcast is here! My, oh my, how time flies. It’s like one day you’re recording an episode about the Welland Canal and the next its… history…Anyway! Have a listen to this little preview to help set the stage for all the awesome things we have planned for the upcoming year on Museum Chat Live!
This podcast episode is in our Hearing History series, exploring local history through sound. Today’s sound is the film projector, which has been a constant feature of downtown St. Catharines for nearly 130 year! This episode follows the history of film and traces this medium’s presence in the Garden City, including cinemas, drive-in theatres, and our own home-grown stars of the silver screen! Grab some popcorn and enjoy the show!Take a listen and share your thoughts with us! The views and opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre and the City of St. Catharines.
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. With over 40 lectures on Youtube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.On today’s episode we’re sharing to provide a lecture presented on December 13, 2022 which provided an update on her work at the Shickluna Shipyard archaeological dig. After two long years away from the site, Dr. Monk will be back on the dig this summer and we’re looking forward to welcoming her back to hear more about this fascinating history.This lecture was originally recorded on December 13, 2022
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. With over 40 lectures on Youtube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.On today’s episode we’re sharing "Ponderous Fraus, Mynheers, and Jaded Farm Horses, or Early St. Catharines Before the First Welland Canal" with special guest Brian Narhi. Special guest, local historian, and Chair of the City's Heritage Advisory Committee Brian Narhi joins the lecture series once again to deliver an exciting look at the earliest settlement activity in St. Catharines.This lecture was originally recorded on November 29, 2022.
Welcome to One Hour in the Past, a podcast series presented by the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre.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!This podcast series starts with that premise! Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!Adrian really has no idea what’s going on. Kathleen has selected the topics for research this season and only shares the next topic with Adrian a day or so before they record. The script too (including the famous dictionary definition) is only handed to Adrian just before they record.Any guesses as to what theme links the topics? Keep listening through season 7 of One Hour in the Past to find out.706 Machine GunsOn this episode of One Hour in the Past, Kathleen and Adrian explore the scientifically complicated history of the machine gun and its remarkable and terrible impact in 19th and 20th century warfare. Also: it's the season finale and the mystery theme linking all of this season's episodes is revealed!
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. With over 40 lectures on Youtube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.On today’s episode we’re sharing "In the Public Interest: Public Works in St. Catharines" presented by Kathleen Powell. Museum Curator Kathleen Powell will deliver a talk about public works and early city services during the inter-war period, with special focus on the explosion of infrastructure projects taken on by municipalities at that time.This lecture was originally recorded on November 15, 2022.
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. With over 40 lectures on Youtube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.On today’s episode we’re sharing "Our Gallant Employees: Corporate Commemoration in Port-War Canada," with special guest Jonathan Vance. Special Guest Dr. Jonathan Vance, military historian and professor of history at Western University, will discuss his current research into corporate war memorials and their legacy in our communities.This lecture was originally recorded on November 1, 2022.
Welcome to One Hour in the Past, a podcast series presented by the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre.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!This podcast series starts with that premise! Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!Adrian really has no idea what’s going on. Kathleen has selected the topics for research this season and only shares the next topic with Adrian a day or so before they record. The script too (including the famous dictionary definition) is only handed to Adrian just before they record.Any guesses as to what theme links the topics? Keep listening through season 7 of One Hour in the Past to find out.On this episode of One Hour in the Past, Kathleen and Adrian explore the local history of sewing machine manufacturing, a patent war, and the pivotal role of the lock stitch!
Welcome to One Hour in the Past, a podcast series presented by the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre.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!This podcast series starts with that premise! Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!Adrian really has no idea what’s going on. Kathleen has selected the topics for research this season and only shares the next topic with Adrian a day or so before they record. The script too (including the famous dictionary definition) is only handed to Adrian just before they record.Any guesses as to what theme links the topics? Keep listening through season 7 of One Hour in the Past to find out.E704 PlasticsThey said they weren't a science podcast, but Kathleen and Adrian are back with some more fascinating science-based historical research into the history of plastics. Specially on this episode: how not to pronounce "phthalate."
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. With over 40 lectures on Youtube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.On today’s episode we’re sharing "Queenston: A Working Neighbourhood" presented by special guest Paul Miller, minister of Westminster United Church.This lecture was originally recorded on October 18, 2022.
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. With over 40 lectures on Youtube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.On today’s episode we’re sharing "Discovering Niagara's Freedom Trail" with special guest Rochelle Bush. Special Guest Rochelle Bush, trustee and historian of Salem Chapel, British Methodist Episcopal Church National Historic Site and proprietor of Tubman Tours Canada, will speak about Niagara’s Freedom Trail – the loosely connected network of important heritage sites, museums, and other historical places connected to the story of freedom and the Underground Railroad throughout Niagara.This lecture was originally recorded on October 4, 2022.
Welcome to One Hour in the Past, a podcast series presented by the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre.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!This podcast series starts with that premise! Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings.Adrian really has no idea what’s going on. Kathleen has selected the topics for research this season and only shares the next topic with Adrian a day or so before they record. The script too (including the famous dictionary definition) is only handed to Adrian just before they record.Any guesses as to what theme links the topics? Keep listening through season 7 of One Hour in the Past to find out.On this episode of One Hour in the Past, Kathleen and Adrian explore the local history of canning and a long list of all the weird things that come in cans today.
Welcome to One Hour in the Past, a podcast series presented by the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre.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!This podcast series starts with that premise! Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!Adrian really has no idea what's going on. Kathleen has selected the topics for research this season and only shares the next topic with Adrian a day or so before they record. The script too (including the famous dictionary definition) is only handed to Adrian just before they record. Any guesses as to what theme links the topics? Keep listening through season 7 of One Hour in the Past to find out. On this episode of One Hour in the Past, Kathleen and Adrian explore the history of paperclips, with a special guest appearance by Clippy!
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. With over 40 lectures on Youtube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.On today’s episode we’re sharing One Dish, One History: There Were People Here Before 1876 with special guest Karl Dockstader. Radio host, and of the Oneida bear clan Centre Karl Dockstader will walk us through a part of Niagara history that is underexplored. We'll talk about the friendships and agreements that formed to make settler people living here in Niagara possible and how that friendship may need to be rekindled to keep Niagara viable.This lecture was originally recorded on September 20, 2022
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!This podcast series starts with that premise! Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!Adrian really has no idea what's going on. Kathleen has selected the topics for research this season and only shares the next topic with Adrian a day or so before they record. The script too (including the famous dictionary definition) is only handed to Adrian just before they record. Any guesses as to what theme links the topics? Keep listening through season 7 of One Hour in the Past to find out. On this episode of One Hour in the Past, Kathleen and Adrian explore the history of paperclips, with a special guest appearance by Clippy!
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. With over 40 lectures on Youtube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.On today’s episode we’re sharing a very special lecture presented by Dr. Natasha Henry-Dixon, president of the Ontario Black History Society, and the topic expert on Emancipation Day.This lecture was originally recorded on May 24, 2022.Enjoy the lecture.
This episode of Hearing History explores the "slap shot" and how it, and other hockey history, have played into the story of St. Catharines.
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. With over 40 lectures on Youtube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.On today’s episode of VMLS via Podcast we’re sharing a lecture presented by our own Kathleen Powell titled “Election 1917: Wartime Canada Goes to the Polls.”’”This lecture was originally recorded on May 10, 2022.Enjoy the lecture.
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. With over 40 lectures on Youtube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.On today’s episode of VMLS via Podcast we’re sharing a lecture titled "The Indigenous Underground Railroad" with special guest Dr. Roy Finkenbine, professor of history and Director of the Black Abolitionist Archive at the University of Detroit Mercy. This lecture was originally recorded on April 26, 2022.Enjoy the lecture.
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. With over 40 lectures on Youtube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.On today’s episode of VMLS via Podcast we’re sharing a lecture titled Return to "Civvy" Street: Postwar St. Catharines originally presented in March, 2022 by Sara Nixon.Enjoy the lecture.
In Part 2 of this StoryLab series, host Sean shares pre-recorded stories from people who immigrated to St. Catharines from Paraguay, but whose families had originated in war-torn Eastern Europe.
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. With over 40 lectures on Youtube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.On today’s episode of VMLS via Podcast we’re sharing a lecture titled From Anatevka to St. Catharines: the Early Years of the Spiritual Home of the Jewish Community, presented by special guest Howard Slepkov. This lecture was originally recorded on March 1, 2022.Enjoy the lecture.
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. With over 40 lectures on Youtube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.On today’s episode of VMLS via Podcast we’re sharing the history of early black residents of St. Catharines with a lecture titled: ‘The Daily Grind: The Records of Freedom Seekers in St. Catharines’ presented by Abbey Stansfield. This lecture was originally recorded on February 1, 2022.
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. With over 40 lectures on Youtube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.On today’s episode of VMLS via Podcast we’re sharing about the Coloured Corps and the construction of the Second Welland Canal with a lecture presented by yours truly titled “Upper Canada’s Black Defenders take on Niagara’s Wild West.” This lecture was originally presented on February 15, 2022.
Museum Chat Live! E901 - Finding Home - Tales From The StoryLab 1 by St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. With over 40 lectures on Youtube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.On today’s episode of VMLS via Podcast we’re sharing the exciting story of the First World War as it looked to the residents in St. Catharines with a lecture given by our curator Kathleen Powell titled ‘When the World Changed.” This lecture was originally recorded on December 1, 2021.Enjoy the lecture.
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. With over 40 lectures on Youtube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.On today’s episode of VMLS via Podcast we’re sharing the fascinating story of early St. Catharines with a lecture titled: “Woe be to the malefactors” presented by our friend, historian, and chair of the City’s Heritage Advisory Committee Brian Narhi. This lecture was originally recorded on November 2, 2021.Enjoy the lecture.
Welcome to One Hour in the Past, a podcast series presented by the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre.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!This podcast series starts with that premise! Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!On today’s episode of One Hour in the Past, Kathleen and Adrian take a deep dive into the world of literary murder mysteries, with lots of pop-culture pit stops along the way. Join us for a fascinating discussion on topics from the Queen of Mystery to board games and local murder mysteries.
Welcome to One Hour in the Past, a podcast series presented by the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre.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!This podcast series starts with that premise! Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!This episode is perfect for the pamphleteers of the 18th century to the bloggers and YouTubers of today. Kathleen and Adrian explore the fascinating democratization of publishing with an episode about self-published materials.For footnotes to this episode, please visit www.stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
This episode is another sonic journey in our Hearing History series, taking full advantage of the podcast format by exploring local history through sound. Today’s sonic selection is accordion music. St. Catharines and the Niagara Region have long been home to German, Slovenian, Polish, and other European communities that have brought the accordion and the invariably fun music that goes along with it. From Oktoberfests, to cultural clubs, to television programs, to the Polka King himself, the cheerful sounds of the accordion have been an essential part of St. Catharines for at least 80 years.
Welcome to One Hour in the Past, a podcast series presented by the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre.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!This podcast series starts with that premise! Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!Cue the trumpet fanfare from your favourite Hollywood sci-fi flick! On this week's episode of One Hour in the Past, Kathleen and Adrian explore the fascinating pop-history of science fiction.For footnotes to this episode, please visit www.stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
Welcome to One Hour in the Past, a podcast series presented by the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre.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!This podcast series starts with that premise! Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!Extra, extra! On today’s episode of One Hour in the Past Kathleen and Adrian discuss the transitional and ever-changing nature of news media and the conservator's nightmare: newsprint/paper!For footnotes to today's episode, please visit www.stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
Welcome to One Hour in the Past, a podcast series presented by the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre.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!This podcast series starts with that premise! Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!On today's episode of One Hour in the Past Kathleen and Adrian discuss the simultaneously boring and cool history of dictionaries.For footnotes to the episode, please visit www.stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. With over 40 lectures on Youtube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.
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.
Sean discusses the history of museums since the late 1700s, He delves into some of the more controversial historical museum practices and offers a perspective on how and why histories presented seem to keep changing. In the second half of the episode, Sean discusses the evolution of the museum in St. Catharines with Kathleen Powell.
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. With over 40 lectures on Youtube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.
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.
This lecture was originally presented on October 19, 2021.
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. With over 40 lectures on Youtube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.
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.
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. With over 40 lectures on Youtube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures. On today’s episode of VMLS via Podcast we have a lecture presented by Curator Kathleen Powell titled: Adventures in Housekeeping: Edwardian Canadian Domestic LifeAs 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.This lecture was originally presented on September 21, 2021
This is the first episode in the new "Hearing History" series, an exploration of history and culture through sound. This episode explores the history of foghorns in St. Catharines, Canada, and around the world.Chebucto foghorn recording used by permission of the World Soundscape Project, Simon Fraser University
Promotional Graphic for the lecture on April 27, 2021.We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. Now, with over 40 lectures on YouTube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.Coming up this winter, we’ll release the audio for lectures on topics such as the history of the largest cemetery here in Niagara, Ontario’s racially segregated schools, the Third Welland Canal, and much more.More lectures are headed your way this winter over on YouTube. You can join in Live! or catch the lectures our playlist afterwards. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel – you’ll find us at St. Catharines Museum – so you don’t miss any of the fun. For more information on the lecture series, the impressive guest list, and lecture topics please visit stcatharinesmuseum.ca.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.
On this episode of Museum Chat Live!, we discuss what heritage advocacy looks like on the local level, on the ground and at the grassroots. To help us navigate the many layers to identifying, protecting, and enhancing community heritage, we’ve invite Andrew Humeniuk onto the podcast. Andrew is a member of the the St. Catharines Heritage Advisory Committee and Executive Director of The Brown Homestead here in St. Catharines.The views and opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre and the City of St. Catharines.
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. Now, with over 40 lectures on YouTube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.
Coming up this winter, we’ll release the audio for lectures on topics such as the history of the largest cemetery here in Niagara, Ontario’s racially segregated schools, the Third Welland Canal, and much more.
More lectures are headed your way this winter over on YouTube. You can join in Live! or catch the lectures our playlist afterwards. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel – you’ll find us at St. Catharines Museum – so you don’t miss any of the fun. For more information on the lecture series, the impressive guest list, and lecture topics please visit stcatharinesmuseum.ca.
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. Enjoy the lecture.
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. Now, with over 40 lectures on YouTube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.
Coming up this winter, we’ll release the audio for lectures on topics such as the history of the largest cemetery here in Niagara, Ontario’s racially segregated schools, the Third Welland Canal, and much more.
More lectures are headed your way this winter over on YouTube. You can join in Live! or catch the lectures our playlist afterwards. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel – you’ll find us at St. Catharines Museum – so you don’t miss any of the fun. For more information on the lecture series, the impressive guest list, and lecture topics please visit stcatharinesmuseum.ca.
Today’s lecture, is a bit different. We were happy to host the students of the Brock University Historical Society in symposium on the series on April 13, 2021. You’ll hear lots of different voices and stories on this episode. For more information on the work of the Brock University Historical Society, please visit their Facebook page: facebook.com/brockhistoricalsociety.
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. Now, with over 40 lectures on YouTube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.
Coming up this winter, we’ll release the audio for lectures on topics such as the history of the largest cemetery here in Niagara, Ontario’s racially segregated schools, the Third Welland Canal, and much more.
More lectures are headed your way this winter over on YouTube. You can join in Live! or catch the lectures our playlist afterwards. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel – you’ll find us at St. Catharines Museum – so you don’t miss any of the fun. For more information on the lecture series, the impressive guest list, and lecture topics please visit stcatharinesmuseum.ca.
Today’s lecture, originally presented on March 30, 2021, was presented by special guest Colleen Beard, map librarian emeritus at Brock University. Colleen’s Historic Welland Canals Mapping Project has mapped the routes of the three early Welland Canals and her presentation takes us through her website. To find the site, search Historic Welland Canals Mapping Project.
On this episode of Museum Chat Live!, your co-hosts Abbey and Sara consider the role of oral history in collecting community stories, and building community legacy.
We discuss the Museum's oral history collection project, STC StoryLab, and sit down with Reverend Dr. Paul Miller, pastor of Westminster United Church located on Queenston Street in St. Catharines, and a leader in the Queenston Neighbourhood. Through Paul's facilitation, the Museum conducted several life-story interviews with Queenston-area residents in 2021. We invited Paul onto the podcast to chat about why it was important for Queenston community members to share their stories through STC StoryLab, and while oral history projects matter.
E502
Welcome to One Hour in the Past, a podcast series presented by the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre.
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!
This podcast series starts with that premise! Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!
Computers and Cellphones
On this final episode of One Hour in the Past's 5th season, Kathleen and Adrian take a deep dive - and one that is quite meta - into the history of Museums.
For footnotes to this episode, please visit www.stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. Now, with over 40 lectures on YouTube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.
Coming up this winter, we’ll release the audio for lectures on topics such as the history of the largest cemetery here in Niagara, Ontario’s racially segregated schools, the Third Welland Canal, and much more.
More lectures are headed your way this winter over on YouTube. You can join in Live! or catch the lectures our playlist afterwards. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel – you’ll find us at St. Catharines Museum – so you don’t miss any of the fun. For more information on the lecture series, the impressive guest list, and lecture topics please visit stcatharinesmuseum.ca.
Today’s lecture, originally presented in March 16, 2021, examines the experiences of soldiers from St. Catharines who fought in the Boer War.
On this episode of Museum Chat Live!, co-hosts Abbey and Sara look at the development and evolution of the museum's Guided Spirit walks over the past 11 years. To help us understand the Museum's Spirit Walk journey, we speak to Adrian Petry, Visitor Services Coordinator at the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre. We also sit down with Guided Spirit Walk actors Ian Ashman and Kathie Leblanc to discover what is like to portray local historical figures and the impact Guided Spirit Walks has on the community.
Enjoy the episode, and connect with us to share your thoughts!
Welcome to One Hour in the Past, a podcast series presented by the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre.
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!
This podcast series starts with that premise! Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!
On this episode of One Hour in the Past, Kathleen and Adrian explore the history of extreme weather and whether a tornado can move a 110 ton dinosaur.
For the footnotes to this episode, please visit stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. Now, with over 40 lectures on YouTube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.
Coming up this winter, we’ll release the audio for lectures on topics such as the history of the largest cemetery here in Niagara, Ontario’s racially segregated schools, the Third Welland Canal, and much more.
More lectures are headed your way this winter over on YouTube. You can join in Live! or catch the lectures our playlist afterwards. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel – you’ll find us at St. Catharines Museum – so you don’t miss any of the fun. For more information on the lecture series, the impressive guest list, and lecture topics please visit stcatharinesmuseum.ca.
Today’s lecture, originally presented in March 2, 2021, examines the history of urban development in the city be exploring the city’s dead-end streets.
Welcome to One Hour in the Past, a podcast series presented by the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre.
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!
This podcast series starts with that premise! Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!
On this episode of One Hour in the Past, Kathleen and Adrian explore the history of elections, with some interesting rabbit-hole discussions of the Chief Electoral Officer and campaign posters.
For footnotes to the episode, please visit stcatharinesmuseumblog.com.
Welcome to One Hour in the Past, a podcast series presented by the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre.
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!
This podcast series starts with that premise! Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!
On this episode of One Hour in the Past, Kathleen and Adrian explore the history of electric vehicles.
Welcome to One Hour in the Past, a podcast series presented by the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre.
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!
This podcast series starts with that premise! Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!
On this episode of One Hour in the Past, Kathleen and Adrian explore the history of computers and cell Phones and with just one hour for their research, end up in some very strange places.
For footnotes to this episode, please visit stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
Welcome to One Hour in the Past, a podcast series presented by the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre.
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!
This podcast series starts with that premise! Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!
On this episode of One Hour in the Past, Kathleen and Adrian explore the history of summer music festivals and their research led them to some unexpected places.
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. Now, with over 30 lectures on YouTube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.
Coming up this winter, we’ll release the audio for lectures on topics such as the history of the largest cemetery here in Niagara, Ontario’s racially segregated schools, the Third Welland Canal, and much more.
More lectures are headed your way this winter over on YouTube. You can join in Live! or catch the lectures our playlist afterwards. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel – you’ll find us at St. Catharines Museum – so you don’t miss any of the fun. For more information on the lecture series, the impressive guest list, and lecture topics please visit stcatharinesmuseum.ca.
Today's lecture, originally presented in February 2021, features public programmer Sara Nixon with a lecture about the most prevalent and persistent myths about the Underground Railroad.
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. Now, with over 30 lectures on YouTube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.
Coming up this winter, we’ll release the audio for lectures on topics such as the history of the largest cemetery here in Niagara, Ontario’s racially segregated schools, the Third Welland Canal, and much more.
More lectures are headed your way this winter over on YouTube. You can join in Live! or catch the lectures our playlist afterwards. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel – you’ll find us at St. Catharines Museum – so you don’t miss any of the fun. For more information on the lecture series, the impressive guest list, and lecture topics please visit stcatharinesmuseum.ca.
Today’s lecture features very special guest, local historian, and trustee of the Salem Chapel, BME Church Rochelle Bush. Rochelle discusses how St. Catharines became a hub of abolitionist activity in the 1850s and 60s, and the famous names to visited St. Catharines to do their important work.
On this episode of Museum Chat Live!, co-hosts Abbey and Sara look at the ways social media platforms like Facebook are changing the way we access, understand and learn about history. We consider the relationship between social media, history-telling, and museums. To help us understand the role social media has played in shaping how we consume history, we speak to Chris Barany, founder and administrator of the Vintage St. Catharines Facebook Group. We'll chat with Chris about the intricacies of running a community-driven, history-focused Facebook.
Enjoy the episode, and connect with us to share your thoughts!
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. Now, with over 30 lectures on YouTube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.
Coming up this winter, we’ll release the audio for lectures on topics such as the history of the largest cemetery here in Niagara, Ontario’s racially segregated schools, the Third Welland Canal, and much more.
More lectures are headed your way this winter over on YouTube. You can join in Live! or catch the lectures our playlist afterwards. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel – you’ll find us at St. Catharines Museum – so you don’t miss any of the fun. For more information on the lecture series, the impressive guest list, and lecture topics please visit stcatharinesmuseum.ca.
Today’s lecture features Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator Kathleen Powell with a discussion of ‘Marking Time’ an exhibit that was on display here at the Museum, which featured textiles and fashion from the Museum’s collection which help to mark life’s significant milestones. It’s a bit more visual than our some of the other lectures, so visit our YouTube Play list to watch the lecture in-full.
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. Now, with over 30 lectures on YouTube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.
Coming up this winter, we’ll release the audio for lectures on topics such as the history of the largest cemetery here in Niagara, Ontario’s racially segregated schools, the Third Welland Canal, and much more.
More lectures are headed your way this winter over on YouTube. You can join in Live! or catch the lectures our playlist afterwards. Subscribe to our you’ll find us at St. Catharines Museum – so you don’t miss any of the fun. For more information on the lecture series, the impressive guest list, and lecture topics please visit stcatharinesmuseum.ca.
Today’s lecture, presented by Adrian Petry and Sara Nixon, explores the lives of Freedom Seekers as they settled in St. Catharines from their journeys on the Underground Railroad as recorded by Samuel Gridley Howe on behalf of the United States Congress Freedman’s Inquiry Commission in 1863. This lecture was originally presented on November 24, 2020.
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. Now, with over 30 lectures on YouTube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.
Coming up this winter, we’ll release the audio for lectures on topics such as the history of the largest cemetery here in Niagara, Ontario’s racially segregated schools, the Third Welland Canal, and much more.
More lectures are headed your way this winter over on YouTube. You can join in Live! or catch the lectures our playlist afterwards. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel – you’ll find us at St. Catharines Museum – so you don’t miss any of the fun. For more information on the lecture series, the impressive guest list, and lecture topics please visit stcatharinesmuseum.ca.
Today’s lecture explores the hidden history of the Third Welland Canal. As one of the first major infrastructure projects following Confederation, the canal was a huge success but today is mostly forgotten. Please enjoy “Lost and Forgotten: the Third Welland Canal” originally presented on October 27, 2020.
On this episode of Museum Chat Live!, your hosts Sara and Abbey explore how stories that are not based in historical evidence make their way into collective historical narratives, why fiction sometimes spurs from historical fact, and how folklore, myths, and legends can be addressed and interpreted to museum audiences.
Given that it is Black History Month at the time of this episode’s release, we’ll apply these considerations to the folklore surrounding the Underground Railroad, where St. Catharines played a prominent role, and how the St. Catharines Museum is working to address fact versus fiction in interpreting broader Black History narratives through our exhibitions and programming.
Virtual Museum Lecture Series via Podcast
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. Now, with over 30 lectures on YouTube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.
Coming up this winter, we’ll release the audio for lectures on topics such as the history of the largest cemetery here in Niagara, Ontario’s racially segregated schools, the Third Welland Canal, and much more.
More lectures are headed your way this winter over on YouTube. You can join in Live! or catch the lectures our playlist afterwards. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel – you’ll find us at St. Catharines Museum – so you don’t miss any of the fun. For more information on the lecture series, the impressive guest list, and lecture topics please visit stcatharinesmuseum.ca.
Today’s lecture features a very special guest. We were thrilled to welcome Natasha Henry, PhD candidate at York University and President of the Ontario Black History Society. Natasha’s lecture on racially segregated schools in Ontario was fascinating and we think you’ll really enjoy it. This lecture was originally produced on October 13, 2020.
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. Now, with over 30 lectures on YouTube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.
Coming up this winter, we’ll release the audio for lectures on topics such as the history of the largest cemetery here in Niagara, Ontario’s racially segregated schools, the Third Welland Canal, and much more.
More lectures are headed your way this winter over on YouTube. You can join in Live! or catch the lectures our playlist afterwards. Subscribe to our channel – you’ll find us at St. Catharines Museum – so you don’t miss any of the fun. For more information on the lecture series, the impressive guest list, and lecture topics please visit stcatharinesmuseum.ca.
Today’s lecture features Adrian Petry, visitor services coordinator here at the Museum. In this presentation, he looks at the research that goes into creating our annual Guided Spirit Walks at Victoria Lawn Cemetery, and how dark tourism like ghost walks have influenced the practice public history and the public’s imagination of historical personalities.
We are thrilled to bring our hit Virtual Museum Lecture Series to the podcast. Now, with over 30 lectures on YouTube, we’re so happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more of you can enjoy these fascinating stories and join in on the historical adventures.
Coming up this winter, we’ll release the audio for lectures on topics such as the history of the largest cemetery here in Niagara, Ontario’s racially segregated schools, the Third Welland Canal, and much more.
More lectures are headed your way this winter over on YouTube. You can join in Live! or catch the lectures our playlist afterwards. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel – you’ll find us at St. Catharines Museum - so you don’t miss any of the fun. For more information on the lecture series, the impressive guest list, and lecture topics please visit stcatharinesmuseum.ca.
Today’s lecture features special guest Dr. Adam Montgomery, one of the most recognized historians on cemetery history today. Dr. Montgomery shared the history of Victoria Lawn Cemetery in a lecture titled ‘Stones and Symbols of Victoria Lawn Cemetery’. This lecture was originally presented on September 15, 2020. Enjoy the lecture.
In the spring of 2020, we began to offer history lectures through our Virtual Museum Lecture Series live on Youtube. Now, with over 20 lectures, we’re happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more people can enjoy these fascinating stories. If you want to catch the lectures in-full, take a gander at our YouTube channel – you’ll find us under St. Catharines Museum. We will release most of the 20 lectures over the next few weeks, and as we add more lectures to Youtube, so too will they eventually appear here on the podcast. We hope these lectures provide a bit of historical joy and also spark imagination and exploration into our City’s rich history.
More lectures are headed your way this coming winter. For details and to register, please visit our website, stcatharinesmuseum.ca.
This next lecture will wrap up our VMLS podcast for 2021 just as the lecture itself wrapped up our first lecture series in the spring of 2020. ‘Lost and Historic Architectures’ was presented by yours truly on June 23, 2020. After this, we’ll be taking a little break but we’ll back with more lectures in January 2022, so stay tuned, and as always, enjoy the lecture.
In the spring of 2020, we began to offer history lectures through our Virtual Museum Lecture Series live on Youtube. Now, with over 20 lectures, we’re happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more people can enjoy these fascinating stories. If you want to catch the lectures in-full, take a gander at our YouTube channel – you’ll find us under St. Catharines Museum. We will release most of the 20 lectures over the next few weeks, and as we add more lectures to Youtube, so too will they eventually appear here on the podcast. We hope these lectures provide a bit of historical joy and also spark imagination and exploration into our City’s rich history.
More lectures are headed your way this fall. For details, please visit our website, stcatharinesmuseum.ca.
Another guest joins us for the lecture today. Dr. Keri Cronin is a historian of visual culture and faculty at Brock University with a special focus on the history of animals. Her lecture titled ‘Racetracks and Runaway Carriages’ Dr. Cronin looks at the history of horses in St. Catharines. This lecture was originally presented on Jun 17, 2020. Enjoy the lecture.
In the spring of 2020, we began to offer history lectures through our Virtual Museum Lecture Series live on Youtube. Now, with over 20 lectures, we’re happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more people can enjoy these fascinating stories. If you want to catch the lectures in-full, take a gander at our YouTube channel – you’ll find us under St. Catharines Museum. We will release most of the 20 lectures over the next few weeks, and as we add more lectures to Youtube, so too will they eventually appear here on the podcast. We hope these lectures provide a bit of historical joy and also spark imagination and exploration into our City’s rich history.
More lectures are headed your way this fall. For details, please visit our website, stcatharinesmuseum.ca.
Today’s lecture is pretty special as it features the first guests we had join us on the lecture series. Teacher Rassika Risko and her dramatic arts students from Governor Simcoe Secondary School appear in my discussion of the Shipyard Strikes from 1861 and how we turned some dramatic history into a play. And Dr. Kimberly Monk joins us to talk about the history of the Shickluna Shipyard, along with the thrilling story of the archaeological dig she is leading at the yard. This lecture was originally presented on June 9, 2020.
In the spring of 2020, we began to offer history lectures through our Virtual Museum Lecture Series live on Youtube. Now, with over 20 lectures, we’re happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more people can enjoy these fascinating stories. If you want to catch the lectures in-full, take a gander at our YouTube channel – you’ll find us under St. Catharines Museum. We will release most of the 20 lectures over the next few weeks, and as we add more lectures to Youtube, so too will they eventually appear here on the podcast. We hope these lectures provide a bit of historical joy and also spark imagination and exploration into our City’s rich history.
More lectures are headed your way this fall. For details, please visit our website, stcatharinesmuseum.ca.
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.
In the spring of 2020, we began to offer history lectures through our Virtual Museum Lecture Series live on Youtube. Now, with over 20 lectures, we’re happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more people can enjoy these fascinating stories. If you want to catch the lectures in-full, take a gander at our YouTube channel – you’ll find us under St. Catharines Museum. We will release most of the 20 lectures over the next few weeks, and as we add more lectures to Youtube, so too will they eventually appear here on the podcast. We hope these lectures provide a bit of historical joy and also spark imagination and exploration into our City’s rich history.
More lectures are headed your way this fall. For details, please visit our website, stcatharinesmuseum.ca.
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.
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!
This podcast series starts with that premise! Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!
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 Christine Girardi, Assistant Curator from the Niagara Falls History Museum to join us for a discussion on the history of taverns and restaurants.
Virtual Museum Lecture Series via Podcast
In the spring of 2020, we began to offer history lectures through our Virtual Museum Lecture Series live on Youtube. Now, with over 20 lectures, we’re happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more people can enjoy these fascinating stories. If you want to catch the lectures in-full, take a gander at our YouTube channel – you’ll find us under St. Catharines Museum. We will release most of the 20 lectures over the next few weeks, and as we add more lectures to Youtube, so too will they eventually appear here on the podcast. We hope these lectures provide a bit of historical joy and also spark imagination and exploration into our City’s rich history.
More lectures are headed your way this fall. For details, please visit our website, stcatharinesmuseum.ca.
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.
Virtual Museum Lecture Series via Podcast
In the spring of 2020, we began to offer history lectures through our Virtual Museum Lecture Series live on Youtube. Now, with over 20 lectures, we’re happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more people can enjoy these fascinating stories. If you want to catch the lectures in-full, take a gander at our YouTube channel – you’ll find us under St. Catharines Museum. We will release most of the 20 lectures over the next few weeks, and as we add more lectures to Youtube, so too will they eventually appear here on the podcast. We hope these lectures provide a bit of historical joy and also spark imagination and exploration into our City’s rich history.
More lectures are headed your way this fall. For details, please visit our website, stcatharinesmuseum.ca.
Today’s lecture on the Spanish Flu Pandemic in 1918 was presented by Curator/Supervisor of Historical Services Kathleen Powell on May 12, 2020.
In the spring of 2020, we began to offer history lectures through our Virtual Museum Lecture Series live on Youtube. Now, with over 20 lectures, we’re happy to bring the lecture audio to the podcast format so that more people can enjoy these fascinating stories. If you want to catch the lectures in-full, take a gander at our YouTube channel – you’ll find us under St. Catharines Museum. We will release most of the 20 lectures over the next few weeks, and as we add more lectures to Youtube, so too will they eventually appear here on the podcast. We hope these lectures provide a bit of historical joy and also spark imagination and exploration into our City’s rich history.
More lectures are headed your way this fall. For details, please visit our website, stcatharinesmuseum.ca.
Today’s lecture was the very first to be presented way back in May of 2020. Next Stop: The NS&T was presented by me, Adrian, and looks at the early history of the St. Catharines streetcar network.
Museums have come a long way from our stuffy tradition of cases filled with objects and their accompanying labels in overbearingly cold rooms. When it comes to museum interpretation today, museums are emphasizing meaningful engagement, connection, sharing, and creating opportunities for participation and dialogue, as we interpret history to our visitors – whether in-person or online. And over the last few years, increasing literature has emerged around the values and opportunities of a play-based approach to learning. Museums can be places of both play and learning – for both children and adults.
On this episode of Museum Chat Live!, we chat with St. Catharines Museum Visitor Services Coordinator Adrian Petry to talk about the role and interpretive value of play in museums, and to take a closer-look at the inspiration and thinking behind some of St. Catharines Museum’s play-based programs.
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!
This podcast series starts with that premise! Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!
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.
For footnotes to this episode, please visit our blog: stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
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!
This podcast series starts with that premise! Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!
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 Michael Ashford from the Niagara Military Museum, located in Niagara Falls, Ontario to discuss one hour of research into military rations.
For footnotes to this episode, please visit www.stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
On this episode of Museum Chat Live!, we consider how museum work has changed over the past year in the face of a global pandemic. As with many professions and fields, the pandemic has laid bare the challenges in museum work, but has also brought clarity to our strengths and resilience. We’re here to get into the nitty gritty and ask how museums have had to drastically shift focus, innovate to reach audiences, remain relevant in our communities, and continue our overarching purpose, as custodians of the past, to preserve and interpret history in entirely new ways.
We are thrilled to introduce our newest community-based project: STC StoryLab! This is a multi-year oral history collection project led by the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre to collect and share the oral history of the St. Catharines community. On this episode of Museum Chat Live!, we share what STC StoryLab is all about, why we want your stories, and how you can get involved.
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!
This podcast series starts with that premise! Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!
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.
First up is a deeper dive into the history of spices! We are joined by Stephanie Powell-Baswick, Director / Curator of the Port Colborne Historical and Marine Museum who joined us as we explored the interesting and exotic history of those things that add flavour to our foods!
For the footnotes to this episode, please visit our blog www.stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
On this episode of Museum Chat Live!, Sara and Adrian revisit some of the testimony of from the Howe Report featured in their Virtual Museum Lecture from the November, 2020. The lecture garnered various reactions from the audience and in revisiting the Howe Report, they further examine some of those reactions to key themes from the lecture.
To watch the full lecture, please visit our Youtube channel: St. Catharines Museum.
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!
This podcast series starts with that premise!
Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!
Welcome to Season 3 of One Hour in the Past. In season one we explored a wide range of topics from the Arts and Crafts Movement to Thanksgiving. In season two we welcomed guests to join us for a trip down the rabbit hole as we researched topics like photography, sidewalks, and telephones. We’re taking this third season of the podcast down a bit of a different path. We’ll be diving a bit deeper into Canadian history by researching Prime Ministers, Maps and mapping, the Family Compact, the Fur Trade, the FLQ Crisis, and on today’s episode: the Family Compact.
On this episode Kathleen and Adrian explore the mysterious and turbulent history of the FLQ and the October Crisis.
For footnotes to this episode, please visit www.stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
Kathleen and Adrian explore the expansive history of the Fur Trade.
As we move into November, this is month where we take time to think about Remembrance Day, poppies and the service of our veterans past and present.
On this episode of Museum Chat Live! We are thrilled to be joined by Dr. Tim Cook, who is a historian at the Canadian War Museum and author of 11 books on Canadian Military History in the 20th Century.
In this interview with Tim Cook, our Curator, Kathleen Powell talks to him about his new book The Fight for History: 75 Years of Forgetting, Remembering and Remaking Canada’s Second World War.
For more, and for Footnotes to this episode, please visit www.stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
On this special Spooky Halloween episode of Museum Chat Live!, we consider why we're so interested in the paranormal and delve into a few supernatural stories connected to historic places and events in St. Catharines history.
Visit our blog for footnotes to this episode: https://stcatharinesmuseumblog.com/2020/10/30/museum-chat-live-e605-spooky-halloween-episode-2020/
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! This podcast series starts with that premise!
Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!
Welcome to Season 3 of One Hour in the Past. In season one we explored a wide range of topics from the Arts and Crafts Movement to Thanksgiving. In season two we welcomed guests to join us for a trip down the rabbit hole as we researched topics like photography, sidewalks, and telephones. We’re taking this third season of the podcast down a bit of a different path. We’ll be diving a bit deeper into Canadian history by researching Prime Ministers, Maps and mapping, the Family Compact, the Fur Trade, the FLQ Crisis, and on today’s episode: the Family Compact. On this episode…
Kathleen and Adrian look at the macro and the expansive history of the Fur Trade.
For footnotes to this episode, please visit stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
Welcome to a special 3-part mini-series examining the Museum's exhibit Victorian Tweets and the people who inspired it: the Victorians.
Victorian Tweets juxtaposes daily Victorian life found in newspapers, diaries, letters, and ephemera against the modern Twitterverse. The archival documents found in the exhibit and included in the special podcast mini-series are interesting, quirky, mundane, snappy, rude, and pointless: just like Twitter.
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.
Victorian Tweets runs through to March, 2021 at the St. Catharines Museum & Welland Canals Centre, which is open to the public by donation.
View the virtual edition of the exhibition visit www.stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
Welcome to a special 3-part mini-series examining the Museum's exhibit Victorian Tweets and the people who inspired it: the Victorians.
Victorian Tweets juxtaposes daily Victorian life found in newspapers, diaries, letters, and ephemera against the modern Twitterverse. The archival documents found in the exhibit and included in the special podcast mini-series are interesting, quirky, mundane, snappy, rude, and pointless: just like Twitter.
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.
Enjoy the episode.
Victorian Tweets runs through to March, 2021 at the St. Catharines Museum & Welland Canals Centre, which is open to the public by donation.
View the virtual edition of the exhibition visit www.stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
Welcome to a special 3-part mini-series examining the Museum's exhibit Victorian Tweets and the people who inspired it: the Victorians.
Victorian Tweets juxtaposes daily Victorian life found in newspapers, diaries, letters, and ephemera against the modern Twitterverse. The archival documents found in the exhibit and included in the special podcast mini-series are interesting, quirky, mundane, snappy, rude, and pointless: just like Twitter.
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 first episode of the special podcast series, we'll explore what it means to be Victorian. We'll hear some of the tweets and their original sources on this podcast, read and recoded by some familiar voices of staff and volunteers.
Enjoy the episode.
Victorian Tweets runs through to March, 2021 at the St. Catharines Museum & Welland Canals Centre, which is open to the public by donation.
View the virtual edition of the exhibition visit www.stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
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! This podcast series starts with that premise!
Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!
Welcome to Season 3 of One Hour in the Past. In season one we explored a wide range of topics from the Arts and Crafts Movement to Thanksgiving. In season two we welcomed guests to join us for a trip down the rabbit hole as we researched topics like photography, sidewalks, and telephones. We’re taking this third season of the podcast down a bit of a different path. We’ll be diving a bit deeper into Canadian history by researching Prime Ministers, Maps and mapping, the Family Compact, the Fur Trade, the FLQ Crisis, and on today’s episode: the Family Compact. On this episode…
Kathleen and Adrian look at the macro and the micro history of maps and mapping.
For footnotes to this episode, please visit stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
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!
To help us explore this work a little further, we’ve invited historian Dr. Tim Compeau, who, among many accolades, teaches Digital Public History in the history graduate program at Western University.
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! This podcast series starts with that premise!
Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!
Welcome to Season 3 of One Hour in the Past. In season one we explored a wide range of topics from the Arts and Crafts Movement to Thanksgiving. In season two we welcomed guests to join us for a trip down the rabbit hole as we researched topics like photography, sidewalks, and telephones. We’re taking this third season of the podcast down a bit of a different path. We’ll be diving a bit deeper into Canadian history by researching Prime Ministers, Maps and mapping, the Family Compact, the Fur Trade, the FLQ Crisis, and on today’s episode: the Family Compact. On this episode…
Kathleen and Adrian explore the complicated histories of Canadian Prime Ministers.
On this episode of Museum Chat Live!, hear the dramatic and rarely-told story of a major strike closed shipyards across Niagara in the summer of 1861, and how the story has been turned into a play by the students at Governor Simcoe Secondary School.
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!
This podcast series starts with that premise!
Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!
On this episode…
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.
Footnotes to this episode are available at www.stcatharinesmuseumblog.com/onehourinthepast
In this episode of Museum Chat Live!, Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services chats with Bonnie Cameron, President of the Friends of the Carousel and Katherine Nelson-Riley, Communications and Public Relations Director for the Friends of the Carousel about this beloved attraction in the community. The Carousel is currently closed to the public due to Covid-19 restrictions. This podcast is a way for us to get our Carousel fix!!
The Friends of the Carousel have worked in partnership with the City of St. Catharines since 1999 to preserve and restore this amazing historic carousel and "Keep the Dream Alive" for riders of all ages!
For footnotes to this episode, please visit www.stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
Over the course of this miniseries, we have explored the history of the bridges built over the Welland Canal. We’ve taken a closer look at the canal crossings that exist today, including the tunnels and the Garden City Skyway. And we’ve also peaked into the grimmer history of bridge accidents and disasters.
We end the miniseries on a lighter note, to “lift us up” if you will, and explore a few community stories involving canal crossings in our history. We hope that these stories give you a smile, probably a head shake, and ideally a reminder that our community would not be same without these canal crossings.
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!
This podcast series starts with that premise!
Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!
On this episode…
Hot off the presses for this episode, Kathleen and Adrian turn through the pages of the history of printing, from cylinder seals to the modern media and the Press.
Footnotes to this episode are available at www.stcatharinesmuseumblog.com/onehourinthepast
On May 7th, 2020, we mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day – marking Victory in Europe during the Second World War. The fighting continued in the Asian theatre for a few more months and ended on August 14, 1945 with Victory in Japan – VJ Day.
In this episode of the podcast we are talking to Mayor Walter Sendzik who tells us about his trip to the Netherlands and Bergen op Zoom in October 2019 to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands and the contributions of local soldiers in that campaign. Kathleen Powell and Adrian Petry will also chat about St. Catharines and the home front during the Second World War and about how the city welcomed its soldiers home to the community.
During the six years that this war raged across the globe, 1,086,343 Canadian men and women enlisted. For a country with a population of 12 million, this would have been a considerable contribution.
The war had a massive financial cost to the country – estimated at $21,786,077,519 – and that price tag does not include the cost of post-war medical expenses and payments to dependants as well as pensions for veterans.
On top of the monetary cost, the human cost was staggering for a country such as Canada: 43,671 were killed, including 2343 from the Royal Canadian Navy, 22,917 from the Army, 17,101 from the Royal Canadian Air Force and 1,629 from the Merchant Marine. Additionally, more than 50,000 armed personnel were wounded with roughly 29,000 considered seriously disabled from their wounds.
St. Catharines men and women combatants began returning home in late September 1945 with the men of 10th Battery Royal Canadian Artillery. The men of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment returned about 4 months later in January 1946. When these troops returned home to the train station, there was a huge parade that took the soldiers across the Burgoyne Bridge, down St. Paul Street, in front of City Hall and then to the Armouries where they were dismissed to greet their family members.
Other men and women of the armed forces returned home individually or in smaller groups throughout the next months.
It is estimated that 4000 men and 150 women from St. Catharines enlisted in the armed forces – double the enlistment in the First World War – and 215 were killed. Their names are inscribed on two memorial tablets that can now be seen on the entrance façade at City Hall.
Footnotes to this episode can be found at www.stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
As we continue the Canal Crossings miniseries, this episodes dig into the darker history that surrounds the canal crossings – the tragic accidents involved in bridge construction and maintenance, and other bridge disasters.
We turn our attention to this grim part of Welland Canal history in honour of the National Day of Mourning for Workers Killed or Injured in the Workplace held on April 28th.
On this episode of Museum Chat Live!, your co-host Sara chats with special guest, Des Corran, about the canal crossings in-use today.
We explore not only the surviving bridges from when the Welland Canal opened in 1932, but also the construction of the underwater tunnels and the Garden City Skyway.
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!
This podcast series starts with that premise!
Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!
On this episode…
Kathleen and Adrian look at the history of stuffed animals and Teddy Bears. It's a hilarious discussion of toys, President Teddy Roosevelt, music, and Furbie. Join them as they take this deep dive into the history of our fuzzie-wuzzie friends.
For footnotes to this episode, please visit www.stcatharinesmueumblog.com
This is the first in a series of episodes that explores the bridges that cross the Welland Canal.
Most of the time, when we think of these bridges, we think of being stuck at them. The many bridges that cross the canal from Port Weller to Port Colborne are often just thought of as part of the infrastructure that gets us from Point A to Point B- with sometimes a wait in between. But, when you are stuck at a bridge, waiting for a ship to pass, have you ever really thought about what that bridge represents? We can actually tell so many stories and explore our history in new ways by talking about the crossing points on the Welland Canal.
So, we share with you the Museum Chat Live! Canal Crossings mini-series. On this episode, your co-host Sara and special guest Des Corran introduce you to The Bridges.
Visit our blog for images: https://stcatharinesmuseumblog.com/?p=6218
In early 2019, the St. Catharines Museum opened a temporary exhibition called Outbreak. The exhibit explores the 1918 Spanish Influenza pandemic and tells a larger story about public health and disease in St. Catharines and Canada. We opened this exhibit to commemorate 100 years since the influenza pandemic, but we could have never guessed just how relevant this exhibit would become in light of the global pandemic we are currently facing.
In this episode of Museum Chat Live!, your co-host Sara chats with St. Catharines Museum Curator Kathleen Powell about the Museum’s Outbreak exhibition and what we can learn from the 1918 influenza pandemic as we face COVID-19.
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!
This podcast series starts with that premise!
Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!
On this episode…
We are exploring the history of photography. Kathleen talks with special guest Phil Cristi, Director of Community, Recreation and Culture Services for the City of St.Catharines.
We discuss the history of photography and talk about the oldest images in the Museum’s collection.
Check out the footnotes to this episode on our blog: stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
On this episode of Museum Chat Live, we explore ideas for how you can use your #stayhome time to dig into your family history.
Starting a family history "isolation project" is a great opportunity for you to pass the extra time you are having at home in a meaningful, constructive way and to learn more about your family history.
On this episode of Museum Chat Live!, we share the stories of some of the trailblazing women who've made their mark on St. Catharines history. We highlight some of the "firsts" for women in St. Catharines and also talk about our favourite s-heros in our local her-story.
E204 - Telephones
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!
This podcast series starts with that premise!
Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!
On this episode…
Kathleen welcomes St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik to the podcast to discuss telephones. They have a great history-based conversation about this ever-changing technology.
Special thanks to Mayor Walter for guest appearing on the podcast.
For footnotes to this episode, please visit www.stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
On this episode of One Hour in the Past, Kathleen and Adrian look at the history of shopping. The rabbit holes and tangential side-bars abound in this hilarious discussion of shopping carts, catalogues, and shopping malls.
Catch the footnotes to this episode (including some historic photos from the Museum's collection) at the Museum's blog at www.stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
On this episode of One Hour in the Past, we welcome Manager of Programs and Cultural Services Lori Mambella to the podcast to discuss cross letters. It's a great conversation that leads down some interesting rabbit holes and Kathleen and Lori even consider the future of letter writing.
Catch the Footnotes to this episode on the Museum's blog: stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
Obituaries can be incredibly valuable sources for understanding the nuances of society at a particular moment in time.
We can find trends in causes of death and life expectancy, but we can also get a good sense of the values, beliefs, and shared circumstances of society from what families thought important enough to include in the obituary of a lost loved one. In this podcast episode, we explore St. Catharines obituaries from the 19th century and consider what we can learn from them.
Are you just as excited as us for the winter holidays?! To kick off the holiday season, the St. Catharines Museum will launch our most festively-fun Mitten Tree campaign on November 30 from 10:00am-3:00pm in support of Community Care of St. Catharines & Thorold and Start Me Up Niagara.
Help us celebrate the most magical time of year by enjoying a day of family-friendly activities that give back to the community including a very special early visit from Santa! We will also be hosting a knitting circle, crafts and more. To top it off you can enjoy all of these wonderful things with a nice warm cup of hot coco or tea. Let the holiday festivities begin!
A guide to the St. Catharines Museum's annual Guided Spirit Walks at Victoria Lawn Cemetery production. Listen to conversations with cast members and members of the creative team as we consider why a program like Guided Spirit Walks matters.
This years' tours are September 6, 7, 13 & 14 at 6pm and 7pm. Visit the Museum website for more information: https://www.stcatharines.ca/en/experiencein/Guided-Spirit-Walks.asp
Beep, beep! Get on the bus, everyone. On this episode of Museum Chat Live! we are celebrating the first anniversary of the 337 Crosstown bus route that ends here at the Museum. Stories about getting lost, preferred bus etiquette, and some interesting tales about St. Catharines' nearly-forgotten streetcars.
On this episode of Museum Chat Live, we discuss the latest venture of the St. Catharines Museum – undertaking a new Interpretive Plan. We explore what an Interpretive Plan is, what it means for the Museum, and why it matters.
We’re publishing this podcast episode during Museum Week, a global online campaign celebrating the work and impact of cultural institutions across the world. One of themes this year is hashtag ExploreMW. This theme challenges museums to explore new territory, initiative and daring. It is an invitation to share innovation, to think outside the box, and push the boundaries!
This is how we see the work of the Museum’s new Interpretive Plan.
E201 - Sidewalks
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!
This podcast series starts with that premise!
Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!
On this episode…
Kathleen and Adrian welcome Tisha and Carolyn from the St. Catharines Downtown Association for a discussion about sidewalks. Spoiler alert: there are approximately 500 kms of sidewalks in St. Catharines!
All joking aside, this podcast episode is actually more interesting than it sounds and we encourage you to join us on this journey not only through the history of sidewalks in the city, but also a history of life in the city.
Special thanks to Tisha and Carolyn for joining us. Find out more about the St. Catharines Downtown Association at their website and follow them on social media so as to not miss out on any special promotions or contests!
For footnotes to this episode, please visit: https://stcatharinesmuseumblog.com/2019/07/22/one-hour-in-the-past-e201-sidewalks/
On this episode of Museum Chat Live!, we dig into the history of the B.M.E. Church in St. Catharines and the role Salem Chapel has played in our community. The B.M.E. Church has been a vital centre for the Black community here in St. Catharines since the mid-nineteenth century and it continues to play a role today, both as a religious congregation and as a place of learning.
To help tell this story, we sit down with Rochelle Bush, an active member of the B.M.E. Church and a voice of Black History in St. Catharines. Rochelle sheds light into the complexity of Black History in our City and the role the B.M.E Church played in the Underground Railroad and beyond.
Visit our blog for more information.
This is the fifth part in a series of Museum Chat Live! podcast episodes detailing the Fallen Workers of the Welland Canal. In this episode, we share a bit about crime and unlawful behaviour as connects to the construction of the Welland Canal and its workers. By acknowledging and sharing even the less honourable stories connected to the Fallen Workers, we hope to glean further insight into the workings of St. Catharines and Canadian society at this moment in time.
This episode was produced using primary source material as well as the Fallen Workers series published by the St. Catharines Standard and Niagara Falls Review.
Our very popular WWI exhibition, Doing Our Bit: St. Catharines to the Western Front is officially closing its doors at the end of November.
This exhibition, which commemorates the 100th anniversary of the First World War, has been on display in our galleries since 2014. It is the incredible product of community collaboration, with many family members of St. Catharines men and women who served in the war efforts, either on the field or at the home front, contributing cherished objects and stories to the exhibition.
On this episode of Museum Chat Live!, we’d like to help close out our WWI exhibit by honouring the stories we share in Doing Our Bit. Kathleen Powell, curator of the St. Catharines Museum and Sara Nixon, Public Programmer, sit down to talk about the exhibit and to explore the ways in which meaning, memory, and history weave together into the stories presented in its displays.
In commemoration of Remembrance Day, this episode honours the seventeen Fallen Workers of the Welland Canal who served in the First World War. These men survived the hardships and brutality of war but sadly succumbed to the dangers of the canal’s construction. Heroes in war, and in peace. We honour the sacrifices these men, and their families, made for their country.
E106 - Daylight Savings Time
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!
This podcast series starts with that premise!
Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!
On this episode…
Adrian and Kathleen look back in time at the world of clocks, bells, the history of daylight savings, and end up down the rabbit hole in a couple of weird places. Use that extra hour we get this weekend to listen to the Season Finale of One Hour in the Past.
This is Part 3 in a Museum Chat Live! podcast mini-series detailing the Fallen Workers of the Welland Canal.
In this episode, we explore the experience of immigrants working on the canal and the particular challenges they faced. The Fallen Workers of the Welland Canal came from sixteen different countries, with many immigrating from Italy, Austria, Hungary, Poland and the Ukraine. In this episode, we share the devastating stories of two Fallen Workers, both under the age of twenty and both of immigrant families: Estafy Eliashevich and Antonio Collini.
Visit our blog for more information on the stories of the Fallen Workers of the Welland Canal: https://wp.me/p6UUaY-1hV
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!
This podcast series starts with that premise!
Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!
On this episode…
Enjoy this commercial-free episode with Kathleen and Adrian recalling their research on Canadian Thanksgiving and ending up in a bunch of different places including Raggamuffin Parades, the Order of Good Cheer (L'Ordre de Bon Temps), and the Caribou Shot. Join them on this wild ride filled with tangential sidebars and get ready for your own Thankgiving weekend. Gobble, gobble!
Check out the footnotes to this episode on our blog: stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
This is Part 2 in a series detailing the Fallen Workers of the Welland Canal. In this episode, we explore the dangerous working conditions faced by labourers during the construction of the Fourth Welland Ship Canal.
We highlight the stories of three Fallen Workers: Stana Benasho, William Burt, and John William Hawthorne.
For more information on the Fallen Workers discussed in this podcast episode, please visit our blog for links: https://wp.me/p6UUaY-1h4
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!
This podcast series starts with that premise!
Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!
On this episode…
Kathleen and Adrian jump into the world of the styles and forms of Arts & Crafts architecture, design, decor, and explore a little into the lives of the founders of the movement. They end this episode with a discussion about great examples of Arts & Crafts architecture in St. Catharines.
Check out our blog: stcatharinesmuseumblog.com for the footnotes to this episode.
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!
This podcast series starts with that premise!
Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!
On this episode...
When our exhibit focused on objects found in attics and walls, titled Lost & Found, was coming together, Kathleen became intrigued with the soda water bottle that was to be included in the exhibit, and the history surrounding it. And that's where our conversation picks up on the podcast for this episode: the history of Soda Water (and the history of Soda Water in St. Catharines).
Footnotes to this episode are available on the Museum's blog: stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
This is the first in a series of episodes that details the Fallen Workers of the Welland Canal. Over many years, a great amount of research has been conducted by many people to gather, record, and preserve the stories of the 137 who died building the Fourth Welland Canal. We hope that this series can be a platform for us to share the stories of these men and to honour their legacy in our community.
This podcast episode is the introduction to the Museum Chat Live! mini series on The Fallen Workers. We invited Des Corran, an avid researcher of the Fallen Workers and dedicated St. Catharines Museum volunteer, to the podcast to explore some of the major themes that have emerged in the vast research done on their lives and deaths. We consider the backgrounds of these men, the causes of their accidents, the impact their deaths had on their families and communities, and the commemoration of their legacy in the recently unveiled Fallen Workers Memorial.
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!
This podcast series starts with that premise!
Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!
This episode found our intrepid historians researching a familiar topic in the history of St. Catharines – rowing!
Rowing has been a popular sport in the community for more than 100 years! As host to the Royal Canadian Henley Race Course, the community has been lucky to host many world class regattas showcasing rowing’s best! Our community has also trained some of the best rowers in the world.
Take a listen to where our circuitous route took us as we explored some fun facts and the history of the great sport of rowing!
Be sure to take the time to share with us some of your rowing memories!
For footnotes to this episode please visit our blog stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
As a companion to our next Books & Brews read, Margaret Atwood's "Alias Grace", we interview Dr. Linda Mahood, history professor at the University of Guelph, about crime and criminal justice in 19th century Canada. We take a look at how the upper classes of the Victorian era used crime and criminal justice as a way to control the working class, and especially women.
We also bring this conversation into the St. Catharines context and shed light on the types of inmates found at the Lincoln County Jail in 1867.
Of course, the history of crime and social control in St. Catharines and Canada is incredibly complex and only very briefly touched upon in this podcast episode. We do hope we give further insight into "Alias Grace," and to Grace Marks herself.
Please visit our blog, stcatharinesmuseumblog.com to view the footnotes to this episode.
April is International Genocide Awareness Month and will also mark the opening of a new, temporary exhibit created by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) about Holodomor - or Ukrainian Genocide of the 1930s.
We sat down with Natalie Duduch, a child of a Holodomor survivor, and a member of the Niagara Chapter of the UCC to talk about Holodomor, the Congress' education efforts, and the exhibit that will be here at the Museum from April 4 to November 31, 2018.
For footnotes to this episode, please visit stcatharinesmuseumblog.com/podcasts
E101 – Hats
Did you ever notice 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!
This podcast starts with that premise.
Adrian Petry, Visitors Services Coordinator and Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator, both from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, have challenged each other to explore the weird and wonderful places that one hour of research on a topic will take them. Join them as they share their findings!
For their inaugural podcast, and in honour of the official opening of the Welland Canal celebrated with the Top Hat Ceremony on March 29th, they have started their One Hour in the Past with an homage to hats!
Take listen and share with us a few of the fun things you know about hats!
Check out the footnotes to this blog by visiting http://stcatharinesmuseumblog.com/2018/03/19/one-hour-in-the-past/
In honour of International Women's Day, our latest Museum Chat Live! podcast episode explores women's advocacy in St. Catharines and shares a conversation with YWCA Niagara Region President Jennifer Bonato about the important work of the YW in Niagara.
Please listen, share, and #PressforProgress.
Visit our blog: https://wp.me/p6UUaY-1dg
Footnotes
1 - You can listen to our 2017 International Women's Day podcast here. We worked with a group of female community leaders to record a reading of local activist and suffragist Lillian Phelp's 1890 essay, "Women as Wage Earners." Though written almost 120 years ago, its message is just as relevant today.
In this podcast study guide (to go along with your reading of the book) we take a look at the idea of Merritton, one of the 4 former cities that amalgamated into St. Catharines, and it's development as a 'company town' alongside the historic Welland Canals. Of course, the history of Merritton, and the history of any place, is far more complex than could possibly be analysed in a brief study-guide podcast, and so this episdoe should not be considered a complete history of the town, but rather the presentation of one idea as a just one part of explaining its rich history.
Please visit our blog, stcatharinesmuseumblog.com to view the footnotes to this episode.
The holidays are an exciting time of year but for many people in our community who find themselves in a place of need, it can be a cold, uncomfortable, and lonely time.
To help launch and promote the Museum's annual Mitten Tree campaign, in which we collect winter clothing for adults, families, and children supported through Community Care of St. Catharines and Thorold, and Out of the Cold by Start Me Up Niagara, we've put together a neat-o podcast episode detailing our efforts, and the efforts of others, to make our city and community a more caring and compassionate place.
Find out more and check out the footnotes to this episode on our blog: www.stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
We round out the autumn Books & Brews book club with a wonderful selection titled 'Volkswagen Blues' on our last Books & Brews podcast episode of 2017. The 1980s novel by Jacques Poulin (translated to English by Sheila Fischman) tackles colonialism, Quebecois national identity, and Canadian and American Indigenous-Settler history.
Our podcast episode features a nice little discussion of the themes found in the book and what they mean to us as museum professionals. It also features a discussion with Professor Dr. Danny Samson, a faculty member of the Department of History at Brock University.
We hope you enjoy this episode.
Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share this podcast with fellow history-lovers, friends, and family.
Catch the footnotes to this podcast episode on our blog: stcatharinesmuseumblog.com/museumchatlive
Happy Halloween!
It's the spookiest time of year! In the haunted spirit of Halloween, we've dedicate this episode of Museum Chat Live! to some of the creepiest and eeriest stories in St. Catharines' history. You might want to listen with the lights on...
Spoiler Alert
The St. Catharines Standard reported on each of the disturbing events we feature on the podcast. The St. Catharines Museum holds 600,000 negatives taken from St. Catharines Standard photographers since 1936.
Check out our blog: stcatharinesmuseumblog.com for a few of the photographs in the Museum's St. Catharines Standard Collection that document the horror stories. Take a look... if you dare.
Our historian team is back with another episode of Museum Chat Live! dedicated to our Books & Brews book club. This month, we're reading The Diviners.
Since Margaret Laurence's Can-Lit stalwart novel is so incredibly rich of historical themes, we had to pick just one to talk about on our podcast. The choice wasn't difficult, though, and we spent this episode talking about the historiography of Louis Riel and the Metis peoples of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Check out the footnotes for more on our blog stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
How do we deal with monuments that commemorate problematic histories and problematic historical figures? It’s a debate that has gotten quite heated in recent weeks, and as museum professionals, the Museum Chat Live! podcast team thought we’d weight in.
In this podcast episode, we ask a lot of questions about monuments, public memory, and how Canadians can reconcile difficult colonial histories. We also do not come up with firm answers, but we figure that’s OK too.
Very special thanks to Dr. Paul Litt at Carleton University for taking the time to join our conversation and add his insight.
We hope this episode leaves you with some new questions to think about. We would love to hear what you have to say. Please comment below or tweet us @stcmuseum.
For footnotes to this episode please visit: https://stcatharinesmuseumblog.com/2017/10/04/museum-chat-live-e202-the-monuments/
Welcome back to Museum Chat Live! and our first episode of our second series.
We're kicking off Museum Chat Live! with an episode dedicated to our Books & Brews Book Club with a discussion of our first book, set for September 19, of Green Grass, Running Water.
We hope you enjoy this episode.
Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this podcast with fellow history-lovers, friends, and family.
For footnotes to this episode please visit our blog, stcatharinesmuseumblog.com.
A staggering 137 men lost their lives as a result of accidents that occurred during the construction of the Welland Ship Canal. This number is shockingly high. To our knowledge, it is the largest loss of life in the history of Canadian government infrastructure projects.
We're focusing this podcast episode on the memory of these workers by featuring the stories of three of the workers: Antonio Collini, Estafy Eliashevich, and John Hawthorne.
In addition to these graphic and tragic stories, we also detail all the work and various projects working to commemorate, memorialize, and honour the Fallen Workers. Check the footnotes to the episode on our blog: stcatharinesmuseumblog.com for more information.
Happy Victoria Day, everyone! We love this May-long weekend for so many reasons – it signals the beginning of warm weather in Canada, and it is steeped with history that still impacts our lives today.
Share your favourite Victoria Day activities with us on our social media pages or in the comments of our podcast here on WordPress or in the episode comments on iTunes or Soundcloud.
Enjoy the Episode!
We just can’t believe that it’s April and that we’re on to our third book of Books & Brews! On this episode of Museum Chat Live! we talk to Brock University Associate Professor of History, Dr. Murray Wicket, about race relations, ghettos and immigration in North America and Adrian shares some letters and stories from the Museum’s collection as we prepare for our book club discussion about our third book selection: The Illegal.
We also announce our book selections for the autumn Books & Brews series, but you’ll have to listen to the podcast to find out more!
Please visit our blog: stcatharinesmuseumblog.com/museumchatlive for the footnotes to this episode.
April 9, 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. For many, Vimy is a widely-loved symbol of Canadian identity. On April 9, 1917, all four divisions of the Canadian Army came together to fight for the first time in the First World War to successfully smash through German defences and the world's expectations. As a result of the Battle (and many, many other contributions) Canada was awarded it's own seat at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, a rarity for other British Imperial dominions that were otherwise represented by Great Britain.
Episode 5 of Museum Chat Live! shares the stories of the St. Catharines soldiers who fought at Vimy Ridge from multiple perspectives. We are lucky enough to have letters and diary entries from soldiers including George Hibben, Charles Mercer, Jack House, and Jack Hardy, whose writings bring you right to the battle field. Curator Kathleen Powell also sits down Jim Hill, Superintendent of Heritage at the Niagara Parks Commission, and former Battery Commander of 10th Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery, a Battery that served at the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
While Vimy remains an important part of Canadian national identity today, many remember the memorial, a vast, massive structure that sits on a beautiful field in France. Vimy is more than the memorial, and more than a Battle in a text book or an exhibit. By listening to this podcast, you are participating in keeping the stories of our local soldiers who served at such monumental battles like Vimy Ridge, alive.
Please visit our blog: stcatharinesmuseumblog.com for the footnotes to this episdoe.
On this special episode of the Museum Chat Live! podcast we'll be focusing once again on our very cool book club: Books & Brews. As a part of the book club series, we are delivering three podcast episodes that accompany our discussion.
This podcast focuses on the March selection for Books & Brews: In the Skin of the Lion by Micheal Ondaatje. Please note that the 2017 Winter Books & Brews session is sold out - but that doesn't mean you can't participate from home. Pick up the book, listen to the podcast, and join in the discussion via Twitter.
This podcast features a special conversation with labour historian and Brock University History professor, Carmela Patrias. Take a listen to find out more about how Ondaatje's book and fictional themes relate to Niagara's own labour history, including the construction of the Welland Ship Canal (1913-1932).
Make sure you share this podcast and our other episodes with your friends!
For footnotes to this podcast, please visit www.stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
E003 - International Women's Day
Today, on March 8th, we honour International Women’s Day. It is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements and contributions of women. It is also a moment to reflect on how much work there’s still left to do in order to reach full gender parity and equality in our society.
For 2017, International Women’s Day is calling for us to #BeBoldForChange. To be leaders within our spheres of influence and take the action needed to break down barriers and lift women up.
The St. Catharines Museum has taken up the call to #BeBoldForChange by bringing attention to the gender gap that has existed throughout our history. We have gathered a number of wonderful women from the St. Catharines community to read a select essay written by turn-of-the-century activist and suffragette, Lillian Phelps.
Born in St. Catharines in 1859 and educated at the Philadelphia School of Oratory, Lillian Phelps dedicated her life to public activism. She was heavily involved in the work of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) and the Canadian Women’s Suffrage Association. Phelps served as an influential lecturer and travelled across North America spreading the messages of temperance and women’s suffrage.
In this special Museum Chat Live! International Women’s Day episode, we bring to life the words of Lillian Phelps by reading her 1890 essay, “Women as Wage Earners.” This essay, published in Woman: Her Character, Culture and Calling (edited by B. F. Austin), makes the urgent call to establish equal work opportunities, equal pay, and a voice for women. These are messages that still resonate today, in 2017.
By having women of today reading Phelps’ words, her voice can be heard again – as loudly and clearly as ever.
Please listen, share, and #BeBoldForChange! Happy International Women’s Day!
Special Thanks to Our Readers...
Alicia Floyd Brenda Schultz Valerie Chalmers Deb Bernat Ruth Unrau Jess Clark Kathleen Powell Sara Nixon
and to Julie Rorison for her help in organizing readers.
For more information and footnotes for the podcast, please visit our blog: www.stcatharinesmuseumblog.com
Museum Chat Live! is back with another neat-o episode dedicated to our special Books & Brews series, and our February book selection: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. Kathy, Adrian, and Sara chat about some of the historic and famous myths about the Underground Railroad, and the important role that St. Catharines played in the history and lives of refugee slaves.
Important Notice: Our February Books & Brews session for the Underground Railroad is sold out! Please consider joining us for the March selection: In the Skin of a Lion.
Introducing dum da da dum! Museum Chat Live! On this, our very first episode of Museum Chat Live! Adrian, Sara, and Kathy chat about their favourite history podcasts, we learn about the final series of the Museum's award-winning pop-up museum experience aMUSE and we hear from Museum Archivist Alicia about her upcoming blog series!
Check out the footnotes to this episode on the Museum's blog: stcatharinesmuseumblog.com