Connections and Conversations

The goal of Connections and Conversations is to bring people and organizations together in support of the museum/heritage field and society at-large by promoting collaboration, professional networking and educational development.

This year Curatorial and Cultural Services are partnering together to offer quarterly virtual and in-person learning opportunities on a variety of heritage topics! These will be geared towards those working and volunteering in the heritage sector.

Coming Up:

"Heirlooms at Home: Preserving Your Treasures"

This workshop takes the iconic Indiana Jones statement, "It belongs in a museum!" and asks, "...does it?!" This workshop dives into a range of topics to give you the knowledge and skills to care and preserve your family heirlooms (Artifacts)!

Join Economic Development Officer- Curatorial Services (City Curator),
Laura Love, as we focus on:

Introduction to best practices in caring for your objects
The preservation of textiles, metal objects, ceramic/glass and wood items/ proper handling
Agents of Deterioration/ proper storage
Appropriate use of gloves
Potential hazards and resources for more information

For more information about this workshop and other Municipal Artifact Collections related questions, contact Laura Love, llove@kawarthalakes.ca

When: Tuesday, May 13, 2025, 6pm to 7:30pm
Where: Lindsay Library, 190 Kent Street, Lindsay

Register Here

"Digging into the Kawarthas: Uncovering Histories at Nassau Mills and Beyond"

We welcome Dr. James Conolly as our upcoming June speaker! Dr. James
Conolly is Professor of Archaeology at Trent University. He was educated in the UK and Canada, which degrees in anthropology, geography, and archaeology. His area of research addresses historical ecology, and he integrates fieldwork, material culture analysis and environmental science to understand human impacts on ancient environments.

This presentation will address the archaeology of the Kawartha Lakes, a focus of Conolly's archaeological work at the historical community of Nassau Mills and the logging operations at what is now the Trent University campus. During the presentation, he will review the deeper history of human presence in the Kawarthas, the role of the lakes and waterways in structuring settlement and mobility, and also present the results of some recent archaeological work that he and his students have been engaged in.

When: Tuesday, June 17, 2025, 6pm to 7:30pm
Where: Victoria Room, 26 Francis Street, Lindsay

Online Registration will begin June 1, 2025

Past 2025 Presentations:

“Building a Future with our Shared Past”

Cecil Chabot

For our first speaker of 2025, we welcome Dr. Cecil Chabot, a non-Indigenous scholar and social entrepreneur from Moose Factory. His work bridges Indigenous, Western, and other cultures, fostering dialogue on humanity’s relationship with both people and the environment. Dr. Chabot is a co-founder of the Moose River Heritage and Hospitality Association (MRHHA), where he serves as Director of Development and Acting Executive Director.

His presentation will focus on the 350th anniversary of Moose Factory, Ontario’s oldest English-speaking settlement and subarctic North America’s longest-standing Indigenous-European “middle ground.” Topics include the MRHHA’s “More than 350” initiative, commemorative events, and long-term development projects like the restoration of Old St. Thomas Church. The MRHHA's Šawelihcikewin motto will guide the discussion on reconciliation and holistic community and economic development.

Specific and Universal: Finding the connections between medical history and everything else

Thank you for joining us, and a special thanks to Rowena McGowan, Curator of the Museum of Health Care at Kingston.

The museum focuses on healthcare and medical history, a subject that may seem specialized but is universally relevant, as we all face illness or injury at some point. Rowena McGowan discussed how the Museum’s work connects to broader themes, showing that history, though specialized, is never isolated.

View the Presentation

Call Me Maud: A Kirkfield Connection to Lucy Maud Montgomery

Thank you to Dr. Emily Woster, assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Duluth, former visiting scholar at the L.M. Montgomery Institute, and expert on Lucy Maud Montgomery, for joining us virtually from the U.S. to discuss Maud’s connection to Kawartha Lakes!

Curatorial Services partnered with the Kirkfield and District Historical Society to celebrate L.M. Montgomery’s 150th anniversary. With 70 attendees, Dr. Woster shared her late mother's research linking Maud to Kirkfield, Maud's time in Ontario, and her own dedication to this Canadian literary icon.

A Technological Connection to the Past: Digitizing Your Collection

Thank you to Beverly Jeeves and Peter Oliver for sharing their exciting work with St. James Anglican Church in Fenelon Falls.

In 2015, the church’s Archival Committee began preserving its archives, uncovering the church’s deep historical ties to Fenelon Falls and its early residents. A notable discovery was the influence of pioneer artist Anne Langton. The committee secured funding to create an online exhibit preserving these important histories and showcasing the value of community heritage efforts.

View the Presentation

Curatorial Services now holds a reference library that contains numerous materials on the care and management of heritage collections (artifacts), and is available to researchers to use independently.

Please note that the reference library is not a lending library, and materials are not permitted to leave the building.

If you would like to view a book, please contact Curatorial Services. Those resources with a * indicated next to the title, please contact Archives and Records.