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Closed for this season due to COVID-19

We have had a number of inquiries about whether or not we are open to visitors. Unfortunately, we will not be opening to the public this season. 

COVID-19 has affected all of us differently for sure, but our Board, after weighing all factors, made the decision to remain closed. 

During this time, we are taking the opportunity to repair, clean and refresh many of our exhibits while also installing some new exhibits.  These are things we would not normally be able to do when we have visitors. As well, we are in the process of digitizing our complete collection so that it will be accessible and searchable on our website.

Visit this website for virtual exhibits, interactive displays and fundraisers. 

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We invite you to subscribe to our newsletter to keep informed!

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Behind the Scenes by Mariah Lejambe …

This past week was my first week back to school in Ottawa and things are very different than last year. I am taking most of my classes virtually with the exception of one lab that is held in person. When I went to my lab this week it was crazy to see how empty the campus is compared to last year.

This new way of learning is definitely a huge adjustment. Some of my professors have been doing Zoom meetings with 300+ students and other professors have decided to deliver the course as an asynchronous course. This is where they pre-record their lectures and you do the course at your own pace. I have certainly been applying and improving my time management skills to be able to get all my work done.

Because I am back at school, I will finish up my season at the museum by working remotely.

I will be inputting more cards into Past Perfect , doing research and doing translations for upcoming exhibits.

I can’t believe we are already halfway through September and halfway through our Murder Mystery fundraiser. I hope you are all enjoying it. I love to read all the comments about theories you have.

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Behind the Scenes by Alex Guscott …

This week …

We completed the painting of the display cases. I think they look really good. While they are still the same cases, the fresh coats of paint on the inside and outside has made them look a little more modern. Painting the inside was most challenging. I am not a professional painter of course, so it took some trial and error. The inside of the cases was a sort of natural linen material that really soaked up the paint we applied to it. We put on many coats of paint to cover it up and sanded it to make it look smoother and then put on another coat of paint for good measure. The outside of the cases was a breeze in comparison and only needed two coats of paint.

Natural linen material inside the display cases
Before …
After …

We are in the midst of changing the lights in the cases. We are switching from fluorescent to LED lighting. For museums, LED lighting is usually the best option for objects on display. LED lighting projects almost no heat and no UV radiation which means the objects on display will be better preserved. They are also very bright and energy efficient so it is well worth the effort and money to make the switch to LED lighting.

Find out more at https://www.energyfocus.com/blog/led-tube-lighting-vs-fluorescent/

I also started taking inventory of a display case on the main level of the museum which is part of our bigger inventory project. I removed all of the items from the case to a table and then cleaned the case. Next week, I will work on photographing each item, recording their accession numbers, and returning the items to the case.

Finally, thank you for your support of our Murder Mystery! I hope those participating are enjoying the content so far.

If you have any questions about the Murder Mystery contact us through one of

Mattawa Museum 2020 FaceBook

archives2@mattawamuseum.ca

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Behind the Scenes by Mariah Lejambe …

I hope everyone is having a wonderful long weekend.

This past week was an exciting one at our museum.

Our online Murder Mystery has started!!

This week we sent out a toolkit for everyone signed up for the online game to help solve the puzzles and challenges.

I’m really excited for everyone to see what we’ve been working on and hopefully this will be a fun new challenge. I have never created or even tried playing this type of game however working on this with Mia and Alex was so much fun and has made me want to try one of these games in the future.

Also, this week we continued taking inventory of the lower level of the museum. We have gotten through all 28 cabinets and in all, I have now taken over 200 photos of accessioned items and Alex has taken many more. The next step is to match our photos with the accessioned cards and upload the photos into Past Perfect. This will give us a complete description of our items and make them easier to locate.

Summer has passed by so quickly and I can’t believe September is already here. I can’t wait to see all the leaves start changing colours.

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”
F. Scott Fitzgerald
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1 more day until our online Murder Mystery begins!

For those who have signed up we have sent an email with a toolbox to help you solve the puzzles. Make sure to check your junk and spam folders if you cannot see the email in your inbox.

If you have not been added to the ‘Murder in Mattawa‘ group remember to like Mattawa Museum 2020 FaceBook page in order to be added.

Or, you can request access to join the ‘Murder in Mattawa’ group through the Groups tab on Mattawa Museum 2020 FaceBook.

If you are having technical difficulties don’t hesitate to send us an email archives2@mattawamuseum.ca

If you have not already signed up don’t worry as you have until Monday, September 7th.

Thank you for your support.

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Murder Mystery

Thank you for all who have signed up for our murder mystery

Please ensure that you like our Mattawa Museum 2020 FaceBook so we can add you to the private Facebook group to play the game.

It’s not too late to register.

The mystery begins on September 4 but we will continue accepting new players after it starts. Don’t worry about missing content or falling behind because all of the posts and puzzles will be accessible on the private Facebook page to be completed at your leisure.

Registration will be closed on September 7.

You can also request access to join the group ‘Murder in Mattawa’ on Mattawa Museum 2020 FaceBook in the Groups tab.

Contact us through archives2@mattawamuseum.ca