Huron County, Ontario – The Huron County Museum is launching a new community oral history initiative designed to help preserve local stories, memories, and lived experiences for future generations.
To kick off the Huron County Oral History Project, the Museum will be hosting hands-on community workshops this winter that will teach participants how to plan and conduct their own oral histories. Two virtual sessions will be held on January 22 and February 19, with an in-person session scheduled at the Museum on February 5. Register online for any one of these sessions by visiting the Museum’s website: www.HuronCountyMuseum.ca
The project will also see the launch later this winter of a free, publicly accessible Oral History Guide and Best Practices. The guide is a practical, beginner-friendly resource that will walk users through every step of recording an oral history. Participants of the workshops will gain early access to the Guide.
Community members are also invited to participate as potential interviewees, sharing their knowledge and experiences as part of the County’s historical record.
The initiative focuses on collecting memories and expertise that deepen the stories behind objects in the Museum’s collection.
The Museum is especially interested in hearing from individuals connected to historic or former local businesses, including:
- Historic bakeries
- Dairies
- Champion/Volvo
- Former manufacturing companies (clothing, organs, pens, etc.)
The project also seeks community knowledge and lived experience related to:
- Huron County sledge hockey
- Pre-1960s dental equipment
- COVID-19 experiences
- High school experiences from the 1950s-60s
- The 2011 Goderich tornado
- Prohibition and the dry years
“We know many of these stories live in the community, not just within the Museum’s walls,” said Senior Curator Elizabeth French-Gibson. “This project gives residents the opportunity to add their voices to Huron County’s shared historical record.”
To learn more about this exciting new project, visit: https://www.huroncountymuseum.ca/huron-county-oral-history-project/
This project is supported through funding from the Young Canada Works Building Careers in Heritage grant program through the Canadian Museum Association, Government of Canada.
~30~