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Message from your Curator

Dear Friends

This past month, COVID-19 has changed all of our lives in so many ways, it is overwhelming to even list them, even as we live them each and every day. We’ve discovered and continue to discover that there are no easy answers or quick fixes. Social distancing is the big message that we must listen to, our lives and the lives of our loved ones,  depend upon it.

In accordance with all directives, our Museum will remain closed, events and activities postponed – not cancelled, as we are hopeful that, at some point, we will be able to gather, as a community.

Last season was my first with Mattawa Museum as your new Curator.  I arrived in Mattawa for my first day of work, May 15th, smack dab in the middle of the flooding!  I had a professor who told me at graduation, as I was about to embark on this new position, to ‘get my feet wet’ a little at a time! While she was speaking figuratively, turned out, I had to do exactly that! But the community support that I witnessed was so uplifting!  Everyone pulled together and together we were #MattawaStrong.

And now, not even a year later, we find ourselves in a crisis that is unspeakably evil. We do not know when it will end.  And so, again, we look to each other for support, for reassurance, for relief, but most of all for hope.  And this while we stay home and applaud our front-line workers for their incredible devotion and bravery. 

While the museum can’t be ‘open for business’ the way we would like it to be and I can’t launch some of the wonderful programs that were planned, I feel it is important to still be engaged and create some community projects that will, eventually, be a part of the new Community Corner inside the Museum.  This will be a physical place that celebrates our Mattawa Community. 

We are creating our own history right now. Preserving that for our future generations is really what a museum is all about; letting others know who we are as a people and as a community. I invite you to contribute as we come together #stayhome #staystrong #MattawaStrong

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Where did our 2019 visitors come from?

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Mattawa Museum Celebrating 35th Anniversary Year

July 28, 2019 marked the 35th Anniversary of the Mattawa Museum. 

As we all know, this past spring, the flooding was a huge challenge for our Community, but, if anything, as I look back through some of our history files here at the Museum, this is a community that has withstood many challenges.  Many times challenges bring opportunity.  And such is the case as we look forward to sharing new exhibits, some special events and educational experiences with everyone. 

We were not able to open until June 1, 2019, but as of August 15th, we’ve had over 350 paying visitors through our Museum. They’ve come from as far away as Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Belgium and France, as well as Australia, Western Canada, NWT, Quebec and Nova Scotia.  Many are pleasantly surprised with the quality and quantity of history and artifacts. 

On Indigenous Day we had over 200 visitors and again on Canada Day, over 300!

One of the major projects we will be undertaking is creating a new Time Capsule!  Twenty years ago, next summer, Lise Moore Asselin spearheaded a Time Capsule project.  It is now time to dig that one up and explore the year 2000!  Over this coming year, we will be creating a new Time Capsule.  We will have a place, here at the Museum, to gather items.  As that gets put into place, we will let everyone know.  Exciting times are ahead!  Come and be part of the adventure!

So, as we continue to celebrate 35 years, please join our email list so you can keep up to date with our changing exhibits!  We invite you to come with your families and explore our Community History. 

Stay tuned for a sneak peak of what’s coming up very shortly …

Judy Toupin
Managing Curator
Mattawa Museum