We’ve got new stock in our store! Come support your local history with Oshawa Community Museum swag! You’re sure to find something you’ll fall in love with, even if it’s just our famous candy sticks and rock candy! We’re always looking at new merchandise, so check our store often for new goodies each time you visit.

February 20th: 12 – 4pm Guy House
Join us on Family Day for Curio, our newest program that piques the curiosity of every member of the family through talking and interacting through specially selected artifacts from our collection.

Family Day is also National Heritage Day! Celebrate it by participating in this year’s theme of Heritage of Power Generation! Did you know that Canada is the world’s second-largest producer of hydroelectricity?

February 21st : 7pm McLaughlin Branch Auditorium
The nurse will see you now! Join us for retired nurse, Nancy McLeod and her Victorian Medicine Show as she shows us remedies and medical memorabilia from the Victorian era.

Member of the Oshawa Historical Society get in free
Non-members admission is $3

March 12-16th : 12 -4pm Guy House
Every afternoon during March Break we're doing Drop-In Crafts!

Registration isn’t required so whether you’re playing in the park and want a break indoors or can only make it to one day, it's no problem! If you're craft-crazy, come every day for a new craft!

Coming in May 2012 is our newest exhibit, Sea Shanties: Exploring Oshawa’s Relationship with Ships! Come learn about the ships of Oshawa and the men that sailed them. Bringing the kids? Let them explore Robinson House while completing a scavenger hunt for pirate treasure!

Read Phyllis Diller Stewart’s winning entry in the OHS Poem Contest, “Old Henry House”, at http://tinyurl.com/3ok3ham Phyllis’ poem will appear in If this House Could Talk, The History of Henry House due to be published in 2012.

The final phase of Breaking Down the Barriers project is scheduled for completion this fall. This includes the accessible walkway in the HH garden and the audio tour.

The collaboration with Trent University (Oshawa) resulted in a very successful archaeological investigation at Henry House. The student work now turns to the lab where analysis and identification will continue. The artifacts unearth will be returned to the museum at the completion of the course.

The Museum was awarded an Enabling Accessibility Fund grant by the Government of Canada to construct barrier free entrances to Henry and Robinson Houses. Construction should be completed by early summer 2011.

A new blog, has recently launched to feature the manuscript written by teacher Olive French in 1967 detailing the history of education in Oshawa. See www.olivefrench.wordpress.com

Trees Canada has designated the Ritson Pear trees in the garden of HH as Heritage Trees. The trees are now listed on the Heritages Trees online database as a Recognized Heritage Tree. You can visit www.heritagetrees.on.ca to view it on the map as well as other Nominated and Recognized Heritage Trees in the province.

Henry House Poetry and Photograph contests are in full swing. For full details see http://tinyurl.com/43v95yp or contact Lisa at membership@oshawamuseum.org Both contests close June 30, 2011!

NEW! Search the Collection Online. Search our extensive collections database of photos, information and artifacts. http://oshawa.pastperfect-online.com In partnership with The RMG and Oshawa Public Libraries, we now have a walking tour of downtown Oshawa based on the Thomas Bouckley collection of photographs. See www.pictorialoshawa.com

The Museum was recently awarded a Community Museum Operating Grant one time project grant to set up a digitization studio. Thanks to the Government of Ontario for these extra funds

The museum has installed an exhibit, highlighting the locally made Smith Potteries, at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The exhibit will run until September.

We are celebrating Archives Awareness Week April 5-8. For this week, the $ 5.00 usage fee is waved.   Come visit the Archives to see some of our collection gems including oversize photographs and early maps of Oshawa.  Be sure to view the newest archival acquisition, a life-sized portrait of Harriet Trevithick Cock one of Oshawa’s early female land owners and the first mother-in-law of Thomas Guy Jr.   The archivist will be available to offer advice on document conservation and conduct document repairs (a small fee will apply). All events take place April 5-8 from 9am-3pm at Guy House.

The Annual General Meeting of the Oshawa Historical Society will be held April 19 at 7pm at the McLaughlin Branch of the OPL.

The Museum is now on Twitter. Follow us @OshawaMuseum to receive interesting facts and updates on Museum programs and events.

In 2011 we will be launching new hours. Starting in January 2011 we will be closed on Mondays. Tours will be available from Tuesday – Friday 12-4pm and Sundays 12-4pm. The office will be open Tuesday – Friday from 8am-4pm. Other times including evenings are available by appointment. In May we will start Saturday openings with tours available from 12-4pm.

Mark your calendars for our next exhibit Voices of the Town: Vaudeville in Canada opening on May 2, 2011. Members of the Oshawa Historical Society will get exclusive invites to the exhibit opening as well as the Curator’s tour! More details to come!

Curator Melissa Cole and Director Laura Suchan will teach a History of Oshawa class for 10 weeks at the OSCC starting January 13. For more information or to register go to www.oscc.ca.

The Oshawa Community Museum and partners The Robert McLaughlin Gallery and the Oshawa Public Libraries are pleased to announce the launch of Pictorial Oshawa: Revisited Volume 1. Copies available at the Museum for $ 45.00.

Now Open: “Lights, Cameras, Lenses: A Journey through the History of Photography. This much anticipated exhibit showcases a variety of photographic highlights including different types of photographs and cameras that evolved to make photography as popular as it is today. The exhibit uses photographs and cameras used by local studios to show the importance and evolution of photography. Cameras from 1880 to today are included in the exhibit. They are part of the collection that belonged to the Bernie Goleski who ran Bernie’s Camera a local camera store that had been in business for over 50 years.

Melissa Cole, Curator and Laura Suchan, Executive Director, will be presenting a paper at the Canadian Historical Association Conference in Montreal May 30 - June 1. The paper, titled "Telling History One Story at a Time", will examine the use of oral history in communities.

Each Monday from April 6 – September 20th, we will upload 1 (one) photo or postcard depicting Oshawa’s past to the blog and Facebook fan page. Based on a series of clues, figure out what is located there now. Photograph the location and submit your entry to ocm.museumprograms@gmail.com. A winner will be selected each week from all correct entries. For complete rules see our blog.

Garden Bricks – Donate $50 to the Henry House Garden Regeneration Project we will have a name of your choice engraved on the brick. A great way to help restore the heritage garden at HH and honour a loved one! Call the museum for details.

Congratulations to Melanie Abrey, the 2009 Earl Hann Volunteer Award winner. Melanie contributed 231.6 hours to the Museum assisting both the Archivist and Curator. Thank you Melanie for your contribution!

Make sure to buy your tickets for the Ron Brown Kawartha Country bus tour on Tuesday June 8, 2010. Tickets are $70 per person ($65 for members) and are available on a first come first served basis. Don’t be disappointed, reserve your seat today by calling the museum at 905 436 7624.


Kiss the Kids for Dad: The Wartime Letters of George Timmins is now available. Edited by Y.A. Bennett, these letters tell the compelling story of a man who while helping his fellow Canadians make history at Vimy and Lens, used letters home to remain a presence in the lives of his family. Signed copies available at the Museum gift shop for $ 30 while supplies last!

The Oshawa Community Museum is now a registered user of the Archives of Ontario Microfilm Interlibrary Loan Service. This service allows researchers to borrow microfilmed archival records through the museum. Approximately 17 500 microfilm reels are available for loan. The loan period is 4 weeks and the microfilm must remain with the museum through the length of the loan period.

In partnership with the Oshawa Public Libraries, the Museum is offering free admission for up to 2 adults and 3 children with the Museum Card. Museum Cards are available at all branches of the Oshawa Public Libraries and can be signed out by anyone with a valid library card.

Just Opened! Be sure to visit the 50th Anniversary Drive Shed exhibit highlighting transportation in Oshawa.

The Museum in partnership with the Oshawa Public Libraries, McLaughlin Branch, will be hosting the book launch of Kiss the Kids for Dad: The Wartime Letters of George Timmins 1916-1918 edited by Y.A. Bennett on November 17 at 1pm, McLaughlin Branch.

Museum Executive Director Laura Suchan will be presenting two papers at the History on the Grand Conference on October 17 in Cambridge. The papers are titled Lakefront Memories: The Story of a Park and Immigration, Industry and the Environment in Oshawa with co-presenter Helen MacDonald.

Congratulations to the Cemetery Photo Contest winners Jason Alaksa (first place), Gale Richardson (2nd place) and Mary Ellen Cole (3rd place). Thanks to everyone for their submissions. Photos can be viewed in the photo album in the Archives section of the website.

Now Open!
Mourning After: The Victorian Celebration of Death. The museum’s newest exhibit is getting rave reviews from visitors! This exhibit explores the way in which mourning was expressed by drawing on museum and private collections of funeral announcements, mourning dress, memorial photography, tombstone motifs, hair jewelry and other mementoes of the funeral ceremony. Now “viewing” until November 27, 2009.

Drive shed Construction starts!
Construction started on the museum’s latest exhibit, the drive shed, located next to Henry House. The drive shed will house a portion of the museum’s carriage and agricultural implement collection. Look for the opening in early fall.

Research Symposium.
The Oshawa Historical Society hosts the first Research Symposium providing a forum for members of historical sites, heritage groups, museums, art galleries, archives and the general public to share research projects related to the general theme of Oshawa history. Proposals accepted until June 5, 2009. Symposium date November 17, 2009.

The Oshawa Community Museum is pleased to partner with The Oshawa Public Libraries and editor Y. A. Bennett to present the book launch for “Kiss the Kids for Dad: The Wartime Letters of George Timmins, 1916-1918” on November 17. Click on the link to read an article from the Black Country Bugle on Mr. Timmins. Special thanks to Black Country Bugle, Cradley Heath, England for permission to post.

The Oshawa Historical Society in partnership with Oshawa Public Libraries is pleased to announce as part of its Speaker Series, a lecture by Heather Pringle, one of the foremost popular writers on archaeology. Heather will be speaking on her book The Mummy Congress, an intriguing look at the World Congress of Mummy Studies and the work of its experts. See www.heatherpringle.com

Date: May 20, 2009
Location: Auditorium, Oshawa Public Libraries, McLaughlin Branch
Time: 7 pm.

Stayed tuned for our next major exhibit, Mourning After: The Victorian Celebration of Death opening in May 2009. This exhibit will take a comprehensive look at how Victorian’s celebrated death covering themes such as mourning customs, clothing, funerary practices, gravestones and jewelry. Special events planned include a members only preview, a mourning theme tea and graveyard tours.

To commemorate the 50 anniversary year of the Oshawa Historical Society in a tangible and practical way, the society has decided to expand the Oshawa Community Museum and Archives to include a timber frame drive shed that will not only add another element to the museum "village", but also provide housing for 5 major artifacts currently in storage.