CORNWALL, Ontario – The Council of City of Cornwall received an update from the SDG Historical Society in regards to the Cornwall Community Museum
Senior Curator, Jean-Yves Lemoine, presented to the Council the Cornwall Community Museum’s goal of becoming an economic engine, by creating tourism activities for the community, and to strengthen their partnership with the City of Cornwall.
The Museum’s first activity in 2022 is a celebration of friendship and the arrival/encampment of new settlers in 1784.
“One of our main activities is going to be a celebration of friendship, we will have reenactors around the Museum on May 20th.”, said Jean-Yves Lemoine. “Our activity is going to be inclusive of all the cultures that were present in 1784, so we’re going to have Mohawks, French-Canadians, British, Scottish, and Palatine.”
The Cornwall Community’s Museum goal with this activity is to immerse people in what it would be like to be a part of those cultures in 1784.
“We’re going to travel back in time to 1784, so that our visitors can live through it. We’re going to have a lot of activities, like a French-Canadian bateaux replica, and explain the history of it. We’re going to have a traditional Mohawk welcoming ceremony… and throughout the weekend, we’re going to have traditional Scottish, French-Canadian, British, Mohawk, songs.”
One of the new additions to the Museum is a research center where the relocation of UELAC Dominion Branch archives will be stored.
“We’re very proud that we created a research center, and also a centralized library in a multipurpose room”, said Jean-Yves Lemoine. “In our archives, we have over 10,000 files on Cornwall, businesses, people, SD&G, and just over half a million pictures that are digitized in our data bank to be able to help people in doing any research on genealogy, or any other request.”
The City of Cornwall Council was ecstatic with the presentation, and multiple Councillors voiced their excitement for these upcoming events.
“Mr. Lemoine, this was probably the most exciting presentation I’ve seen at the Council table in a very long time. I think you’re going to animate the park, and we’ve been waiting a long time for this to happen”, said Councillor Elaine MacDonald. “I think the events you planned are going to be well attended.”
For more information on the Cornwall Community Museum, and on upcoming events, visit their website, or their Facebook Page.
