2015 Annual Report
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Goulbourn Museum Annual Report 15 www.goulbournmuseum.ca Sharing the Story of Ottawa’s Oldest Military Settlement FROM THE CURATOR MANAGER In 2015, Goulbourn Museum strived to create a sense of belonging and pride in our community’s past and present. Our milestones were designed to do just that: we celebrated 25 years in the community, held our largest event to date and received funding for a special project. To celebrate our anniversary, we featured several relevant artefacts on our Instagram page as well as in our newsletters, we threw an old-fashioned birthday bash on Father’s Day, and we launched a new exhibition about the history behind our local street names. Attendance at the annual Old Fashioned Christmas & Outdoor Artisan Market was astounding. The event attracted nearly 650 visitors, 15 artisan vendors and even Santa himself. That equates to 52% more visitors than the 2014 event, and 82% more than in 2013. We were also thrilled to have received funding through the Government of Canada’s World War Commemorations Community Fund and begin the process of developing exhibitions and programming related to medicine during the World Wars. Our Board of Directors is committed to ensuring the Museum maintains its stable leadership while continuing to grow. A new Governance Committee was formed and has been reviewing and updating our policies on a regular basis. The Committee is also looking at our Emergency Preparedness Plan and other governance-related documents. The Board continues to be supported by the Executive Committee and the Nominating Committee. Long-term plans include addressing the Museum’s site needs and space requirements. This process commenced in October with a brainstorming session with several of our stakeholders. The Board is also committed to continuing education and participated in our second annual group training session, where we discussed opportunities to bring people closer to the Museum and our mandate. The Museum’s messages are being shared in more ways than ever before. In addition to using newsletters, social media and word-of-mouth, we updated our website to be both bilingual and responsive. That means you can use our website on your computer, tablet or mobile device in both official languages. You may have noticed that the outdoor signs were finally replaced after years of using a laminated sign to amend old information. The new signs feature our logo and slogan – Sharing the Story of Ottawa’s Oldest Military Settlement – and use reflective materials to catch the light. We were also thrilled to have been featured in the Ottawa Citizen’s Five Worth the Drive column, which highlighted our exhibitions. Over 45 volunteers put in 910 hours of their time to assist with programs, events, fundraising, digitization projects, artefact cataloguing, governance and planning efforts. The support has been tremendous and we look forward to building on this momentum in the coming year. Kathryn Jamieson 2 2015 SUCCESS STORIES TABLE OF CONTENTS The Museum formed a partnership with Minto OULBOURN USEUM Potter’s Key in 2015. G M They not only sponsored ANNUAL REPORT 2015 Back to our Routes: The Evolution of Goulbourn’s From the Curator Manager 2 Streets exhibition, but also our Father’s Day Flashback event and the Mandate / Mission 3 Old-Fashioned Christmas as well as our monthly 2015 Successes 3 Yap & Yarn and Family Craft Day programs. Outreach, Programs 4 Thanks to a joint initiative between the Ottawa Exhibits, Collections 5 Museum Network and the City of Ottawa, including the Museums Museum ArteFACTS 6 and Heritage Programs Unit and the City of The Year in Review 7 Ottawa Archives, the Museum now has artefact records Staff 8 available online. Curator Manager Kathryn Jamieson (left) spoke at Board and Management 9 the launch of the new website. Partnerships 10 During the week of March Break the Museum offered Contributors 11 three creative craft workshops for children Members 12 aged 6-11. The workshops were well received and each one was sold out. The Museum also extended its hours to be open every MANDATE/MISSION day of March Break for more playtime. The Goulbourn Museum will disseminate the material and oral Nearly 650 visitors joined us in November for the history of Goulbourn Township by 3rd annual Old-Fashioned collecting, preserving, displaying and Christmas & Outdoor interpreting local artefacts. The Artisan Market making Museum will offer a range of it the most successful event in the Museum’s educational programs to increase the history. A fundraising raffle public’s understanding and enjoyment made over $300 and of local history. A History Centre is additional donations from open for genealogical and local history refreshments and Santa photos totalled $578. research. 3 OUTREACH, PROGRAMS AND WORKSHOPS: ENGAGEMENT FOR LEARNERS OF ALL AGES FIBRE ARTS SPINNING YARNS AT DOORS OPEN Interest in the fibre arts continued to grow in 2015 with two sold-out arm knitting workshops and steady attendance at our monthly Yap & Yarn meet ups. During Doors Open, a dedicated number of volunteers from the Museum’s Yap & Yarn group spent the weekend demonstrating fibre arts techniques. Visitors of all ages were able to watch the experts and learn about everything from knitting and crocheting to spinning and weaving. GUIDES AND SCOUTS PROGRAMS GEARED TO BADGE REQUIREMENTS In 2015 the Museum designed a youth program to help Girl Guides fulfill their Folklore Badge, the purpose of which is to encourage interest in the folklore of our province and Canada. Requirements for this badge had children performing skits, learning about local legends and brushing up on their sewing skills. As we move ahead, more programs will be created to bring Guides and Scouts closer to acquiring additional badges. 4 EXHIBITS, COLLECTIONS AND RESEARCH PRESERVING OUR PAST WHAT’S NEW GOULBOURN MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS The Museum launched Back to Our Routes: The Evolution of Goulbourn’s Streets which delves into the origin of both community and street names in old Goulbourn. The exhibition also relayed “fun facts” such as when Stittsville got its first street light and the definition of a corduroy road. Artefacts from the Museum’s collection helped narrate the Right: Men working to build a story and bring the exhibit to corduroy road in the former life. Goulbourn Township. Photo courtesy of the Goulbourn Township Historical Society POTTER’S KEY STITTSVILLE TRAIN STATION INSPIRES MEDAL DESIGN In 1957, Debbie Eastop’s When designing parents bought a house the 2015 medals from a woman named for the annual Mrs. Potter. Mrs. Potter road race called held the mortgage and 9 RUN RUN, Debbie remembers walking organizers were through the field with inspired by the her mother to make the Kathryn Jamieson, left, history of Stittsville. monthly payment. After and Debbie Eastop. the mortgage was paid off, The race takes Mrs. Potter gave the family an ornate old house place through the streets of Stittsville and key appropriately labeled “Potter’s Key”. concludes in the Village Square, the location When Minto held a contest to name its new of the former Stittsville Railway Station. The development in Stittsville, Debbie’s entry medals were inspired by an image of the “Potter’s Key” won. In 2015 the Eastop family station circa 1921 created by local artist Todd generously donated the Potter’s Key to the Kowalik. Kowalik’s original artwork is part of the Goulbourn Museum collection. We are honoured Museum’s collection. The train ran through to be gifted with this piece of history. Stittsville from 1870 to 1990. 5 151 ARTEFACTS DONATED 470 RECORDS ADDED TO THE ARTEFACT DATABASE 910 VOLUNTEER HOURS 2,464 MUSEUM VISITORS 8,632 PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS MUSEUM 11,428 ARTEFACTS TOTAL MUSEUM PARTICIPANTS 48 1,436 ORKSHOPS W SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES & LECTURES 23% 270% INCREASE IN INCREASE IN FACEBOOK FANS INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS 24% 17 INCREASE IN SPECIAL EVENTS PINTEREST FOLLOWERS 52% 163% INCREASE IN ATTENDANCE INCREASE IN AT OLD-FASHIONED INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS CHRISTMAS 100 118% MENTIONS IN LOCAL PAPER INCREASE IN WORKSHOP REVENUE 10 PUBLICATIONS 13% INCREASE IN 62 VOTING MEMBERS COMMUNITY PARTNERS 6 THE YEAR IN REVIEW JANUARY • School program • Evening of Appreciation • Mansion Mayhem • Applied Museum Studies • OMAC Website Launch, event workshop presentation City of Ottawa Archives • Site needs meeting AUGUST • Arm Knitting workshop APRIL • Colonel By Day display, NOVEMBER • Top of the World – North Bytown Museum Pole flag exhibit, Community • Beavers program • Remembrance Day exhibit, Cabinet (Jan-May) • Student video shoot • Minto Potter’s Key Stittsville Library photo shoot • Annual General Meeting • Two Sparks group FEBRUARY • Older adults program, programs • Fascinator workshop, Old Forge Community • Winterlude, Ottawa International Women’s Club Resource Centre • Girl Guides group City Hall of Ottawa program • History of Hats exhibit, • Minto Potter’s Key Stittsville Library (Aug-Sept) • Old-Fashioned Christmas press conference MAY & Outdoor Artisan Market • Suncatcher workshop, • Cleaning the Capital SEPTEMBER International Women’s DECEMBER • Fascinator workshop • Richmond Fair display Club of Ottawa • Girl Guides group • Sparks program and program • Family Day event program • Older adults program, JUNE • Heritage Day outreach, Old Forge Community Ottawa City Hall • Doors Open Ottawa Resource Centre ONGOING EVENTS: • Snow Much Fun, traveling • Two school programs • Heritage forum, St. John’s • 12 Board Meetings exhibit • Father’s Day Flashback Anglican Church • Youth Arm Knitting