Canadian Museum of History Tour ~ “Reflections of the Past … Hope for our Future!”? …

Our Tour at the Canadian Museum of History and “THE INSIDE SCOOP” welcomes you to join in some “Scoop” with our Tour guide Michel.

Next was a short escalator ride to the next level. You could see the landscape outside and a clear view of The Grand Hall. We started this leg of the journey and soon found ourselves fully immerged in Canada Hall, all 17 meter high ceilings and a full football field in length. Our timing was perfect to Tour today as this Exhibition will be closing shortly while they create a new Canadian History Hall. We thought we would share our experience with you today, as this is just a taste of what is to come.

As we travelled along, we can across the period of time when wagons were introduced into our lives. Gary, being a McWilliams, has ancestors in Lakefield, Ontario who were the local carriage makers. Our guide seemed to be intently listening to Gary’s story. This is when he told us that the Museum tells “our story”, your ancestors are here, this is the story of your great grandfather, his father and so on. I felt a great connection being there.

Ontario Visited Tour
Canadian Museum of History

Ontario Visited
Canadian Museum of History Tour

We travelled through the Railway where we were told this may be the most important stop, from 1867-1923, were it is said “lets go west my son”. And travel became a possibility, a reality. The multicultural country church in the Museum is an original artifact from Alberta. A Chinese hand laundry building is displayed. Many components of the Museum reflect the plight of the people in Canada and their journey through time.

There are artifacts in the Museum from Medalta Pottery Stoneware which even today is very sought after, being from the period 1915-1924. Looking at the Museum artifacts make me reflect that I need to treasure my own pottery coffee mug, hand made in front of my eyes in St. Jacobs Old Stone Mill years ago, some day it might become an artifact. We moved along to the Points System, where immigration policies to discrimination based on ethnicity, colour, and country of origin. Finally moving to Northern ~ Yukon territories where an amazing display of artifacts, in an authentic environment make you stop and try to imagine the life we have lived in, live in and are heading towards.

As I have mentioned, the Canadian Museum of History has a great website where you can tour many, many components. They have an entire section of On-line tours; you can take your time, digest and come back for more. If you wish to visit their website, check it out at http://www.historymuseum.ca/home .

That is what we plan on doing … getting a full feast of Canadian History; we will be back for more. What an incredible journey, what an amazing Tour.

Ontario Visited Tour
Canadian Museum of History

Judi "Scoop" McWilliams
Ontario Visited Tour
Canadian Museum of History

Canadian Museum of History ~ “Food for thought” … “when you’re full, you’re full”…

Our Tour at the Canadian Museum of History and “THE INSIDE SCOOP” welcomes you to join in some “Scoop” with our Tour guide Michel. Michel was also enthusiastic to tell us about the “Information Poll Stations”. As a visitor, this is a great source for reference. If you read the Information Polls, you will learn and understand so much more, and they can assist with your tour by guiding you through logistically.

Michel goes on to tell us the exhibits we are looking at take the “rule of 3 in balance”. The longest totem poll is 16.5 meters in one piece carved and on display in this area. The Village has been recreated to embrace and present the environments that once encompassed these lands.

Canadian Museum of History
Ontario Visited~ Guided Tour

 By a large glass window pain stood a massive white sculpture created by Bill Reid, “Spirit of Haida”. This is the plaster mould that has been used twice. One sculpture stands in the Canadian Exhibit in Washington D.C. They have been pored from liquid bronze. You might recognize from our photos below, that this sculpture has been captured on the new $20.00 bill.

It seemed a good time to ask Michel how long it would take a visitor to tour the Museum. He chuckled when he told us his response … “There are 2 options. Option #1, until closing time or Option #2, until your feet or brain wears out”. He told us that touring the Museum is like “food for thought” … “when you’re full, you’re full”. I wondered today what would happen first, Michel’s enthusiasm and knowledge made me think the Museum would have to close before we were too “full”.

How long one need to tour through the Museum … Michel’s response again was fantastic and true … he would recommend about an hour per floor. If you get turned around on your journey, our guide suggests “go by the panels”, if you take the time to read them, they will guide you through an ultimately enlightening experience.

It is true when Michel suggested that visiting the Canadian Museum of History was a “Seasonal experience”, one that folks should experience during each season. We know that to be true with many Ontario outdoor adventures, visiting different communities in different seasons. I wasn’t sure what he was referring to. Then he explained that as the backdrop outside changes, so does the experience indoors. He goes back to out beginning of our Tour; he reminds us that the outside presence of the Museum is just as important as the inside.

Ontario Visited thanks Tour Guide Michel of the Canadian Museum of History for such an amazing journey through time!

Stay tuned for Canadian Museum of History Tour ~ “Can you dig it?” ~ our Tour continues. In the meantime, if you wish to visit their website, check it out at http://www.historymuseum.ca/home .