FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HERITAGE WEEK IN ONTARIO

North of Toronto…………. ONTARIO, Heritage Week Starts on Ontaio’s second Family Day-February 16, 2009—Canada’s National Heritage Day—Events, festivals, lectures, movies, walks, hikes, snowshoeing.

The Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF) has designated the third Monday every February as Heritage Day in Canada. The Ontario government designated the third week in February as Ontario Heritage Week, with the federal Heritage Day and Ontario Family Day kicking off the week.

Many heritage-based organizations and municipalities have used Heritage Day and Ontario Heritage Week as vehicles to stimulate awareness of heritage resources and heritage-related issues within their communities.

Baden, Ontario

Grand River Conservation Authority/Region of Waterloo/Townships of Wilmot, Woolwich and Wellesley
400 Clyde Road, PO Box 729
Contact: Township of Wilmot
Telephone: 1-800-469-5576
E-mail: info@wilmot.ca
Website: www.wilmot.ca

Heritage Day Workshop – Rural Routes~Rural Roots
Monday, February 16, 2009 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Join us for the 12th annual Grand River Watershed Heritage Day Workshop. The theme is Rural Routes~Rural Roots: A Heritage View of the Countryside. Learn about the influence of rural settlement on the history and development of Waterloo Region, the importance of the Grand River and its tributaries in shaping the heritage landscape, and the opportunities for economic development based on heritage assets.

This event takes occurs at the Wilmot Recreation Complex, 1291 Nafziger Road in Baden, with a reception to follow at Castle Kilbride National Historic Site. Registration is free but donations will be gratefully received. To register, e-mail dpmighton@golden.net.

Blind River, Ontario

Town of Blind River's Timber Village Museum
180 Leacock Street
Contact: Chris Clark
Telephone: 705-356-7544
E-mail: museum@blindriver.com
Website: www.blindriver.com

Heritage Day Open House and Horse and Sleigh Rides
February 16 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Visitors to the museum can experience thrilling horse and sleigh rides provided by Southview Farms. Warm up to hot chocolate in the Main Gallery provided by Blind River's Best Start Hub. Author and Laurentian University professor Mark Kuhlberg offers a visual presentation – beginning at 12:30 p.m. – on the conservation history of the Spanish River Forest Initiative. On hand will also be retired forester, Gord Campbell, to field questions on tree species of the North Shore Forest. Various other demonstrations include: 3-D painting with acrylic paints and acrylic modelling paste, spinning, weaving and various traditional skills. Free admission for the day!
Youths under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. For horse and sleigh rides, visitors must pick up a token from the Gift Shop.

Goderich

Huron County Museum
110 North Street
Contact: Elizabeth French, Assistant Curator
Telephone: 519-524-2686
Website: www.huroncountyca/museum

Family and Heritage Day Open House
February 16 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Enjoy Family Day at the Huron County Museum and explore our local history and celebrate Heritage Day 2009. Learn to play crokinole, enjoy a game of checkers and try your hand at paper folding and pencil-and-paper games. Enjoy a sweet treat and some warm apple cider. Explore our new temporary exhibit (opening today) – "Trees to Treasures!" as well as our continuing special exhibit "Innovative Huron." Free admission!

Gormley, Ontario

Whitchurch-Stouffville Museum
14732 Woodbine Avenue
Contact: Katharine Quinton, Administrative Assistant
Telephone: 905-727-8954 or 1-888-290-0337
E-mail: wsmuseum@townofws.com
Website: www.townofws.com/museum

Family Day at the Museum
Monday, February 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Drop in and create some heritage crafts to take home. Tour the buildings. Visit the gift shop. A great family experience! Admission: $2 per youth!

Greater Napanee, Ontario

Lennox and Addington County Museum and Archives
97 Thomas Street East
Contact: JoAnne Himmelman, Curatorial Assistant
Telephone: 613-354-3027
E-mail: jhimmelman@lennox-addington.on.ca

"Preserving our Heritage Homes" Seminar
February 14 at 1:30 p.m.

In celebration of Heritage Week, the County Museum invites you to participate in a seminar on heritage home ownership and stewardship, presented by Michael Vidoni, Acting Easement Coordinator with the Ontario Heritage Trust. This seminar will last about an hour, followed by a short period for questions and refreshments. To reserve a seat, please call 613-354-3027.

Heritage Week Challenge

February 14-21
These trade signs are from 1920s businesses on Dundas Street in Napanee. We invite you to take a walk down Dundas Street to figure out where these signs came from. The building that once featured the Art Deco-inspired Grand Café sign still exists – the name still survives on the storefront. Offering a greater challenge to heritage sleuths is the apothecary trade sign that hung below second-storey windows on Hooper’s Drug Store. The Hooper building no longer stands but the apothecary sign was once highly visible to traffic at an intersection. What building replaced Hooper's? Complete the ballot and drop it off to the County Museum anytime during Heritage Week. All correct entries will be qualified for a draw to win a Heritage House package.

Guelph, Ontario

Guelph Museums
6 Dublin Street South
Contact: Katherine McCracken
Telephone: 519-836-1221, ext. 2773
E-mail: katherine.mccracken@guelph.ca
Website: www.guelph.ca/museum

Spotlight on Heritage
February 14 from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Guelph Museums and other local heritage groups organize displays at the Stone Road Mall to celebrate Heritage Day.
Contact: Valerie Harrison
Telephone: 519-836-1221. ext. 2773
E-mail: val.harrison@guelph.ca
Website: www.guelph.ca/museum

Family Heritage Day at Guelph Civic Museum
Februay 16 from 1 to 5 p.m.
Enjoy an afternoon with the family at the Guelph Civic Museum. Half-price admission.

Kingston, Ontario
Museum of Health Care at Kingston
32 George Street, Ann Baillie Building National Historic Site
Contact: Catherine Toews, Museum Manager
Telephone: 613-548-2419
E-mail: museum@kgh.kari.net
Website: www.museumofhealthcare.ca

Heritage Week Tour Program
February 17 at 12:15 p.m.
This unique two-part program begins with a tour of the newly opened exhibit "For Service to Humanity: Nursing Education at Kingston General Hospital," led by our curator, Paul Robertson. The program continues with an eye-opening tour of the Ann Baillie Building National Historic Site, a former residence for nursing students built in 1904, led by Kingston General Hospital Nurses' Alumnae members who once called the building home.

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Kitchener, Ontaro

Joseph Schneider Haus Museum
466 Queen Street South
Contact: Antoinette Duplessis, Curatorial Assistant
Telephone: 519-742-7752 or 519-575-4491, ext. 3249
E-mail: dantoine@region.waterloo.on.ca
Website: www.region.waterloo.on.ca/jsh

Family Day at Joseph Schneider Haus
February 16 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Activities for the whole family all day long at Kitchener's oldest Mennonite farmhouse.

Lindsay, Ontario

City of Kawartha Lakes
c/o 47 Northlin Park Road
Contact: Catherine Hennings, Heritage Week Event Coordinator
Telephone: 705-878-4013
E-mail: cath@lindsaynet.com

Heritage Week Event 2009
February 21 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Representatives from museums, historical societies and heritage groups will showcase their great work to help preserve the unique heritage of our communities. Displays will include historical photographs, a selection of artifacts, copies of archival records, brochures and items for sale. These representatives will also provide information about their programs and available volunteer opportunities. Of special interest is this year's Guest Speaker, Mr. Robert Winslow of 4th Line Theatre, who will present a slide show at 1 p.m. about the unique history of Pontypool, including information about the active Jewish Resort that attracted many visitors to this area from the 1920s to the 1950s. This is a free event (at the Royal Canadian Legion branch on York Street in Lindsay).

Midland

Wye Marsh
16160 Highway 12
Contact: Nicole Saltsman
Telephone: 705-526-7809
E-mail: marketing@wyemarsh.com
Website: www.wyemarsh.com

Family Falconry Workshop
Monday, February 16, 2009
Participants spend the day learning and handling birds of prey. Prepare to be entertained by spectacular aerial displays and enjoy the thrill of flying a bird. It’s an experience you’ll never forget. Registration required

Milton

Halton Region Museum
5181 Kelso Road (Kelso Conservation Area)
Contact: Visitor Services Assistant
Telephone: 905-875-2200, ext. 21
E-mail: museum@halton.ca
Website: www.halton.on/museum

Heritage Day
February 15 from 2 to 5 p.m.
Celebrate Heritage Day on Sunday, February 15 at the Halton Region Museum. The Museum will celebrate Heritage Day with a presentation by well-known local historian/teacher J. Mark Rowe, on Acton’s Beardmore Tannery. Following the presentation, refreshments will be served. Tour the museum’s galleries and view our new Visitor Centre Art Gallery. Admission to the event and parking are free. For further information please call the museum at 905-875-2200, ext. 21, or visit the website.

L'Orignal

Ancien Prison de L'Orignal Old Jail
1023 Queen Street
Contact: Renée Proulx Dube or Carole Lavigne
Telephone: 613-741-1273 or 613-675-4661, ext 8101
E-mails: reneeproulxdube@yahoo.ca

Prison Tours for Heritage Week
February 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Visit the old prison and see the alcove-style cells that witnessed inmates' secrets and sorrows for over 175 years. Immerse yourself in the prison life of the past centuries.

Ottawa

Bank of Canada Currency Museum
245 Sparks Street
Contact: Enrica Schwilden, Marketing and Communications Manager
Telephone: 613-782-8914
E-mail: museum-musee@bankofcanada.ca
Website: www.currencymuseum.ca

The Good, The Bad and The Fake
January 6 to July 5
The Good, The Bad, and The Fake is an interactive exhibit that will show you how to avoid getting stuck with a counterfeit note by teaching you how to tell the difference between the good and the bad. Free admission!
The Currency Museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.

Bytown Museum
PO Box 523, Station B
Contact: Steve Dezort
Telephone: 613-234-4570
E-mail: program@storm.ca
Website: www.bytownmuseum.com

Bytown on Ice
February 21 and 22 from Noon to 3 p.m.
Join characters from Bytown past on the Rideau Canal Skateway. We will be at the "Echoes of the Past" location near the Bronson Street stairs. Muse with Colonel By about the construction of the canal. Have your picture taken with Mother McGuinty ... if you can bear the scandal!
Skate or walk to our location at "Echoes of the Past" at the Bronson Stairs, not far from Dow's Lake.

City of Ottawa

300 Des Pères Blanc Avenue, 3rd floor
Contact: Cynthia Smith, Cultural Planner – Heritage Development
Telephone: 613-580-2424, ext. 30540

Heritage Day
February 17 at Noon in Andrew S. Haydon Hall, Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West
Heritage Day is a day when our unique heritage and history come to life through festivities that take place at City Hall. This year, Canadian heritage will be celebrated under the theme "Heritage and the Environment: Saving Places Built to Last," encouraging us to celebrate and preserve Ottawa's architectural past. Over 1,000 members of the community attend this event annually, visiting 55 historical tabletop displays, meeting over 60 volunteers in period costume and enjoying entertainment from Vintage Stock Theatre and Irish fiddlers. The Mayor, The City Council Heritage Development Section and the Council of Heritage Organization in Ottawa will host the event. Those present will enjoy a ceremony, a heritage fair and a lunch reception graciously sponsored by Moe Atallah of the famous Newport Restaurant.

Owen Sound

Tom Thomson Art Gallery
840 First Avenue West
Contact: Pauline MacLeod Farley
Telephone: 519-376-1932
E-mail: pauline@macfar.ca
Website: www.tomthomson.org

Where are the Children?
February 18 at 7 p.m.
Join us for a public tour of this new exhibit – Where are the Children? Healing the Legacy of the Residential Schools. Co-produced by the Legacy of Hope Foundation, the Aboriginal Healing Foundation and Library and Archives Canada, this exhibit is a step toward raising awareness on the effects of the residential school system on First Nations, Métis and Inuit children who attended these schools. "The intergenerational effects of the residential schools are still being experienced today. By understanding how the past affected the lives of Aboriginal people, we can reinforce Aboriginal healing and reconciliation with other Canadians," says Mike DeGagne, Executive Director of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation.

Renfrew

Heritage Renfrew Historical Society
770 Gibbons Road
Contact: Dean Black, President
Telephone: 613-433-3305
E-mail: director@airforce.ca

Annual Heritage Luncheon
February 16, 2009 at Noon
Members of Heritage Renfrew and community citizens gather at the United Church on Plaunt Street for lunch served by the members. This year's theme focuses on "Famous Founding Families from Renfrew to Douglas."

Richmond Hill

The Town of Richmond Hill – A.J. Clark Interpretive Centre
11099 Bathurst Street (Elgin West Community Centre)
Contact: Maggie MacKenzie, Heritage Services Coordinator
Telephone: 905-787-1441, ext. 224
E-mail: mmackenzie@richmondhill.ca
Website: www.richmondhill.ca/heritagecentre

Earthly Treasures
Saturday, February 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Join us at the A.J. Clark Interpretive Centre and celebrate Richmond Hill's unique archaeological history. The whole family is welcome to dig in the dirt and find a lost treasure, sample some native nibbles and discover something old at our archaeology petting zoo! Free admission!

Gateway to the Greenbelt Exhibit
Februray 11 to 22
Visit this informative exhibit that explores the history of the greenbelt, its working landscape and rural communities, and its environmental significance. This exhibit was created by Black Creek Pioneer Village in partnership with the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation.

The Town of Richmond Hill – Heritage Centre
19 Church Street North
Contact: Maggie MacKenzie, Heritage Services Coordinator
Telephone: 905-787-1441, ext. 224
E-mail: mmackenzie@richmondhill.ca
Website: www.richmondhill.ca/heritagecentre

Canadiana Dessert Tea
Tuesday, February 17 – sittings at 1 and 2:30 p.m.
Who can resist freshly baked maple pie? To celebrate Heritage Week, we will serve up this Canadian favourite – a little ahead of the season – along with your choice of our unique tea blends. After your tea, wander the galleries and explore the history of our unique town.
Reservations recommended. Call 905-780-3802. Tickets: $6 per person

St. Marys

St. Marys Museum
177 Church Street South
Contact: Mary Smith
Telephone: 519-284-3556
E-mail: museum@town.stmarys.on.ca
Website: www.stmarysmuseum.ca

St. Marys Heritage Fair
February 20 from 7 to 9 p.m.
Join us for the 13th annual St. Marys Heritage Fair sponsored by the St. Marys Historical Society and the Friends of the St. Marys Museum. This event is a celebration of local and area heritage and provides an opportunity for visitors to discover many of the history-related projects underway in the community.
The Heritage Fair will be held at the St. Marys Friendship Centre located at 317 James Street South in St. Marys. For more information, contact the St. Marys Museum at 519-284-3556 or e-mail museum@town.stmarys.on.ca.
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Municipal Heritage Committee and Historic Sites Board
PO Box 580
Contact: Joe Cain
Telephone: 705-759-5312
E-mail: j.cain@cityssm.on.ca
Website: www.cityssm.on.ca

Heritage Display
February 21 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Sault Ste. Marie Municipal Heritage Committee and the Historic Sites Board will jointly present a display in the Station Mall on the heritage of Sault Ste. Marie. Display panels, a PowerPoint show and presentations by committee members will occur throughout the day.

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Sharon, Ontario

Sharon Temple National Historic Site
18974 Leslie Street
Contact: Katherine Belrose, Program Coordinator
Telephone: 905-478-2389
E-mail: info@sharontemple.ca
Website: www.sharontemple.ca

Family Day at Sharon Temple
February 16 from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.
In support of its window restoration project, Sharon Temple National Historic Site invites families to drop in from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Family Day for "window" crafts, heritage games and hot chocolate in the Sharon Temperance Hall. Admission is by donation.

According to heritage glazier John Wilcox, whose job it is this winter to start restoring the Temple's windows, Sharon Temple represents "a significant Canadian collection of early glass." Thanks to a special capital grant of $25,000 from the Town of East Gwillimbury and contributions made by many individual Sharon Temple supporters, money has been raised to repair 23 of the Temple's 40 windows. The Temple's focus in 2009 will be to continue moving forward with this work.

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Thunder Bay, Ontario

Fort William Historical Park
1350 King Road
Contact: Marty Mascarin, Communications Officer
Telephone: 807-473-2326
E-mail: marty.mascarin@ontario.ca
Website: www.fwhp.ca

Voyageur Winter Carnival
February 14 to 16 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
Fort William Historical Park in Thunder Bay becomes a winter wonderland of excitement while celebrating the joys of winter during the fun-filled Voyageur Winter Carnival. Enjoy the action of the Chilly Willy Pond Hockey Tournament where teams compete for over $5,500 in cash prizes – as well as the coveted Beaver Cup. Outdoor fun includes: tubing, sleigh rides, dog sled rides and contests for snow sculpting, log sawing, the prettiest baby and stupendous dog tricks. There's also live entertainment and plenty of good food and fun. Outdoor and indoor activities for all!

Heritage Week
February 17 to 20
Fort William Historical Park celebrates Heritage Week with daily walking tours at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. where a fascinating chapter in Canadian history comes to life. Explore the vast historic site while learning about Fort William and the Canadian fur trade in 1815. As inland headquarters for the North West Company, Fort William was truly unique, featuring a working farm, an artisans' area that produced everything from birch bark canoes to 60-ton schooners, a bakery, fur stores, summer residences for fur traders and a Great Hall with portraits of Canada's greatest explorers who toiled for the North West Company.

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Westport, Ontario

Westport Public Library
3 Spring Street
Contact: Pamela Stuffles
Telephone: 613-273-3223
E-mail: library@rideau.net

Westport Heritage Celebration
February 17 to 21 during library hours
A heritage display of the village will be created using materials located in the archives housed in the library. A game for children will be prepared that encourages them to find the locations either pictured or described.
Check the Ontario Heritage Week website for updated events in your area Additional Ontario Events can be found at the Ontario Heritage Trust. Families looking to explore Ontario’s heritage can access a number of Ontario Family Getaways in communities hosting events and family day activities.