Meetings in the Fall 2009 – 7:30 p.m. – all held at the St. Catharines Museum at Lock 3, 1932 Welland Canal Parkway, St. Catharines, Ontario. Free admission.  Doors open at 7:00. 

September 24 – “Forts and Families in Upper Canada” by Wes Turner, past Society President.  Who lived in the forts in Upper Canada in the early 19th century and what was their life was like.

October 22 – “A Brief Introduction to the History of Passenger Travel on the Great Lakes and Upper St. Lawrence… with some sightings of the River Palace” by Walter Lewis – marine historian and co-recipient of the 2009 Save Ontario Shipwrecks Marine Heritage Award.  From the earliest days of settlement in New France to the opening of the Seaway, in a heavily illustrated, we will explore the experiences of travel through this magnificent waterway.  

November 26 – Show and Tell Christmas Social - The Programme Planning Committee would like to hear about ideas from members for the popular Show and Tell event.  If you would like to bring an item, contact the Committee to let them know how much time you will need to “Show and Tell.”  Committee members – Gail (egailb@sympatico.ca) or Elizabeth (finnies@sympatico.ca).  You can also bring something for the dessert table for the social portion of the programme.   

For further information on Society gatherings, click on “Special Events”. 

* Note: the St. Catharines Museum will generously open its traveling exhibit gallery for viewing a half hour before each meeting at no cost to the Society.

This month, the St. Catharines Museum made a collection of glass plate negatives available for viewing to the Society.

These images come from the Bertha Shickluna Collection.  The box of negatives were found in a basement when the Shickluna’s were cleaning up.  The box and photos were not in very good shape.  They were offered to the Museum with the message, “if you do not want it, throw it out.” Fortunately, the Museum immediately recognized the importance of the images and decided to keep the collection.  The photos were sent to the Canadian Conservation Institute in Ottawa.  The CCI stabilized the images, cleaned the glass and made working prints of the photos.  

The bulk of the collection features the Port Dalhousie area around the turn of the 20th century. The collection shows buildings, people and a lifestyle that truly takes you back in time.  This has become one of the more important photo collections at the St. Catharines Museum.

Sample image: A sloop and grain elevator in Port Dalhousie, Ontario.  Bertha Shickluna Collection, 1982.223.74, neg. N4848.