MANITOUWADGE-- The Grand Opening of the Manitouwadge Museum Monday night was a huge success, as a continuous stream of people, young and old alike, marvelled at the collection of relics dating back to the mid-1950s when the town was first being settled. The museum, which first opened in the Hallmark Square strip mall in 2002, moved to its present location at the former Anglican church, donated by the Diocese of Algoma, in 2006. The museum receives no funding from any level of government, but rather relies on private donations to pay the utility bills and taxes.
The Manitouwadge Archival Historical Society provides a rent-free space in the museum to the township for a Tourist Information Centre. Two students, Verite Fairbrother and Joshua Barnes, were hired by the township to run the information centre and act as museum hosts, thanks to a special grant by Superior Country, the local North of Superior region destination marketing organization (DMO), best known for their promotion of the Lake Superior Circle Tour.
The students, under the guidance of the Manitouwadge Archival and Historical Society president, John Lavoie, were on hand to educate the onlookers about the artifacts. It was amusing to see the contrast between the older folks, who reminisced about the manual typewriters and wringer washers of their youth, and the young children, who were curious about the irons that needed to be heated on the stove, or the cameras that required film. The animal display was a favourite for everyone.
The mining display is a very important part of the museum, as it is the very foundation of the town. One of the most significant items is the prospector’s hammer used by William Dawidowich (Dawd) in 1953 in the discovery of the Geco and Willroy mines in Manitouwadge. There are also mineral, logging and transportation displays from that era.
There are old everyday items on display as well; things that were commonly used around the house or could be seen in local restaurants, such as hair dryers, cash registers and typewriters. Memorabilia, including buttons, banners, and advertising line the walls along side photographs of the town.
It would take hours to go through the whole collection, and fortunately there is time to do so! The museum is open all summer, seven days a week from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Special tours are available at any time of the year and can be arranged by contacting John Lavoie at (807) 826-3549 or johnlavoie@live.ca.
While you’ve probably missed out on the delicious cupcakes provided by Melanie’s YIG for Monday’s event, you can still participate in some fun events. The scavenger hunt will send you on a journey around town, looking for the secret locations, the answers to which are hidden within the clue cards available at the museum. You can also pick up a “My favourite thing about Manitouwadge’ drawing page. Turn your answers and drawings in to the museum by Friday, July 15th to be entered into a draw for some prizes, courtesy of the Manitouwadge Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and 2 Doors Down.
There’s lots of fun and educational activities planned this summer. There will be history presentations, Monarch butterfly tagging demonstrations and releases, trips to the Angler POW camp in Marathon, and much more in the coming weeks. Learning is a life-long journey, and Joshua, Vérité and all the volunteers of the Manitouwadge Archival and Historical Society Museum look forward to being a part of that adventure.