Museum Expansion Grand Opening

The Simcoe County Museum is always a popular tourist destination in the County and now it is set to celebrate its most recent expansion. The Simcoe County Museum will celebrate its expansion Grand Opening of the new wing and the offices of the Huronia Tourism Association on Wednesday, June 28th, 2006.

A ribbon cutting ceremony will commence at 10:00 a.m. on the front lawn of the Simcoe County Museum. Daniel Bone, winner of the Simcoe County Historica Fair, will be participating in the ceremonies, followed by the unveiling of the new Donor Wall at 11:00 a.m.  Admission is free that day.

Staff of the Huronia Tourism Association will be available to showcase the area's attractions, accommodations, shopping, dining and events.

A professional trio from the Huronia Symphony has been booked to entertain during the day.  Mr. Jim Harris will perform his hammered dulcimer and the Lefaive Family will perform some of their favourite French Canadian songs. 

Because the Museum is so important for young people, local schools will be involved in the Grand Opening ceremonies.

Museum partners will conduct demonstrations throughout the day. These will include spinning, rug hooking, quilting, embroidering and operating heritage construction equipment.

The Orientation Gallery will display our newest exhibit which will tell the stories of Simcoe County's past through artefacts and interactive elements.

Another special facility, the Simcoe County Archives, is celebrating its 40^th anniversary. The Museum is proud to host a display of photos, maps and documents which have been collected over the last 40 years.

The expansion added 10,100 square feet of new space to the existing 20,000 square foot Museum building. With an increase in space came new opportunities to improve the Museum's current services and offerings which include:

New exhibits  

  + New educational tools for our children for generations to come
  + An orientation gallery to enhance visitor experiences
  + A publicly accessible dedicated area for research
  + A visually exciting Museum entrance with a gift shop
  + A new home for Huronia Tourism Association and a first-class Visitor Information Centre
  + Assistance to historic guilds and associations to keep elements of our County's history alive

Our history clarifies our past, gives meaning to today, and points the way to our future.  We are looking forward to continuing to preserve Simcoe County's history for generations to come. On behalf of Museum Curator, Gloria Taylor, and all County staff, we look forward to seeing you at the June 28^th Grand Opening.

Jane Sinclair
General Manager for Health and Cultural Services