Museum exhibition focuses on Niagara on the Lake’s Villages

Much of what we know about Niagara on the Lake pertains to the “Old Town”; that is, the township of Niagara on the Lake, with its own unique history, events and people, often gets forgotten. The village communities that make up the rural township have unique stories that have shaped their development and the people who live there. What makes each village distinct, what are the challenges they face and what does the future hold for the villages of NOTL?

2010 marks The Year of the Villages of Niagara at the Niagara Historical Museum and they are celebrating with an exhibition called Village Life, which opens May 1st, 2010. The display will explore the past, present and future of NOTL’s villages, looking at why they were established and how they grew. Although the exhibition will concentrate on Queenston, St. Davids and Virgil, the villages that the Museum has the most tangible material for and the most photographic evidence of- smaller communities such as Homer, McNab and Glendale- are also examined within the context of rural life centres and old Niagara Township.

“Many people are unaware of the unique contributions from these communities, that the residents of these villages see their history as distinct from the surrounding communities”, says Managing Director of the Museum, Clark Bernat. “Each village has a unique story and its own set of challenges today, which Village Life attempts to uncover through the use of the artefacts and archives in the Museum’s collection as well as items on loan from local residents and businesses.”

The Museum will hold three separate nights, as part of their lecture series, dedicated to Virgil, Queenston and St. Davids respectively. These informal evenings invite the public and these communities to bring their stories, memories and photos to share with the group and the panel leading the discussion. Why did you move to your village? What makes your village unique and distinct from the others? What important events or people have shaped your community?

Please visit www.niagarahistorical.museum for dates.
Village Life will be on display from May 1st until September 30th, 2010. The Historical Society’s annual lecture series will also focus on Niagara on the Lake’s villages. For a complete list of lecture dates and topics or for more information on other Museum events, please visit www.niagarahistorical.museum or call 905-468-3912.

The Museum is located at 43 Castlereagh Street in Niagara on the Lake and is open daily 1pm to 5 pm from November to April, and 10am to 5pm from May through October.

Niagara Historical Society and Museum
43 Castlereagh Street, PO Box 208
Niagara on the Lake, ON L0S 1J0
amyklassen@niagarahistorical.museum
www.niagarahistorical.museum
phone 905-468-3912
fax 905-468-1728