Explore art and history through a photographic art show and lecture by Barry Hillman, a professionally trained photographer and artist with works displayed in Europe, Canada, and Hawaii.
In talking about this exhibit Barry said:
“In this exhibition, I have taken bits and pieces of flowers and combined them in a new photograph to create something different from the original subject. In the creating of new photographic images from the original, hidden images and shapes begin to appear. These images and shapes are what I refer to as flower spirits hiding in the garden.”
This free programming is made possible through Safe at Home Manitoba.
“In winter, farmers in Headingley participated in ‘balls’ given by various members of the community and a great deal of effort was taken to find the proper fiddler for the occasion and to prepare sufficient food for the guests. Taylor wrote that at one such ball, more than 110 people sat down to dinner. These social occasions lasted often until dawn and were attended at times by fights between the participants. The Headingley Agricultural Society frequently held lectures during the Winter months and in the early Spring as well.
The main political contests also took place during this time, and the local offices and vestry positions were usually hotly contested. A close reading of Taylor’s Journals indicates large turn-outs for elections, an admiration for speeches, and large crowds for political rallies and parades. Magnus Brown was involved in politics during his years in Headingley and, in 1904, William Brown Jr. was elected as Councillor.
December was also tax time and residents paid municipal taxes wherever they held land – sometimes in several parishes. The Browns paid most of their tax bill for the Parish of Headingley, but William Brown and James Brown also held lands outside Headingley which they had used to secure debts. John Taylor sued William Brown Jr., for example, for lands in Baie St. Paul which William had borrowed against in the early 1890’s.
December was the time at which the residents paid the government and, in the same spirit, it was normally the time at which they began to look for those who might be in debt to them. Lawsuits appear to increase during the last portion of the year and continue at a strong pace during the first two or three months of each new year. Many of the lawsuits involved property claims (particularly before 1880) and many of them arose from vigorous political campaigning. For example, William Brown Sr. sued Hugh Cameron in May 1848 for defamation of character. He won the suit and was awarded 5 shillings plus costs. Thomas Brown sued J. Omand over the ownership of a horse and lost the case. Magnus Brown was sued by a man who claimed that Magnus did him an injury during political campaigning. Taylor also recorded that he and the Browns appealed their tax assessments on a regular basis. It should be noted that they had mixed results.”1
John Taylor of Headingley recorded the following in his journal during the winter months:
“I was up to St. Francois Xavier and paid my taxes to the Treasurer P. Levallée $37.50. He paid me back $2.50 on former taxes.” (December 7, 1889)
“There was a ball at Brandon’s, quite a number were at it. His house caught fire while the dancing was going on but was in time to put it out.” (February 8, 1889)
“I attended the Council it is our first meeting of the new Council. All the Councillors were present. A party was got up and kept up a dance all night at McLean’s before his leaving for Ontario.” (January 14, 1890)
“This is election day in Winnipeg for a member to serve in the House of Commons. Martin and Campbell are the candidates.” (November 22, 1893)
1 B.G. Hunter-Eastwood, “Report on the William Brown Heritage House,” Prepared for the Historical Museum of St. James-Assiniboia, Winnipeg, 1988, p. 69-70.
Sources for this section include the Taylor Journals and Provincial Archives of Manitoba, District of Assiniboia General Quarterly Court Records, MG 2B4-1. Minute Books of Trials held before the Quarterly Court: 21 Nov. – 1844-Aug. 1851; 20 Nov. 1851-25 Feb. 1863; 25 Feb. 1863-20 May 1872.
Extracted from B.G. Hunter-Eastwood, “Report on the William Brown Heritage House,” Prepared for the Historical Museum of St. James-Assiniboia, Winnipeg, 1988, p. 61-62, 71.
“The author of [the Taylor Journals], the Honorable John Taylor, married one of William Brown’s daughters, Francis Jane, and he served as a Member of Parliament. He taught school, gave music lessons in his younger years, was a participant in the events of the Riel Rebellion, and was an acute observer of events which he recorded in daily Journal over a period of more than 40 years.”
“The Taylor Journals…clearly establish that the life of a farmer in Headingley had a certain rhythm: plowing, planting and harrowing in the Spring; weeding, haying, repairs, and construction in the Summer; harvesting in the Fall; threshing and sale/storage of crops in late Fall; politicking and partying in Winter; cutting ice, storing fish, and tending to new-born livestock in late Winter. These activities could be briefly interrupted for addition to the human family, by deaths and funerals, by disease, or be severe forms of weather, but the underlying pattern was strong, and the interruptions appear brief if only in retrospect.
The general pattern was also interrupted and supplemented by the introduction of new technology. John Taylor recorded the use of several technological developments during the time period under review and it is useful to keep these in mind as we proceed. The use of steam power for milling and, later on, for threshing was established in 1880; a self-binder was available and in use in harvesting by 1878. The disk harrow appears to have been in use by the late 1880’s and Taylor purchased a ‘horse-power’ in 1895, paying $65.00 for a 4 horse-power motor. The rail-road ran to Headingley by late 1881 and electric lights were lit up to Headingley in December 1911. Taylor also records that he installed a furnace and electric lights in the new house which his son Rupert constructed for him in the same year.
The general image that Taylor provides is one of reasonably rapid adaptation to new technology. Each new device for which Taylor record an appearance was also accompanied by visits from the neighbours who wanted to see how the equipment worked. Taylor also shows that mechanical skills were accessible and often led to the use of a home-made part which functioned better than that produced in a factory. This was particularly the case with respect to novel machinery such as the self-binder, and with respect to break-down during harvest.
William Brown Sr. and his family were very much part of this pattern. They purchased a self-binder before Taylor did; they had a mill in the early years; they ran a blacksmith shop for a short time, and they often helped to run the steam threshing machines during the Fall. William Brown’s sons helped to build the ferry which crossed the river near Headingley, as well. In the early 1900’s, the Browns also ran a Hotel and canvassed for support for a licence to serve alcohol.”
If these walls could talk, what stories would they tell? – It’s a question that often runs through our minds as we work in the Museum’s historic buildings. The 1856 Red River Frame House hosted meetings of Orangemen during the Red River Resistance, it witnessed the seasonal rhythms of farm life in Headingley and provided a home for descendants of the Brown family for 80 years. The 1911 Municipal Hall served as the civic hub of the expansive and booming Rural Municipality of Assiniboia. Over the years, the building was used by the municipal council and police of Assiniboia and St. James, community groups such as the St. James Art Club, and students from Sturgeon Creek School.
Follow along with this blog for stories about the people and events witnessed by these heritage buildings that now house the Historical Museum of St. James-Assiniboia.
Join Charlotte Taylor for a visit through her grandparent’s (William Brown and Charlotte Omand) 1856 Red River Frame House.
Charlotte Taylor, the daughter of John Taylor and granddaughter of William Brown and Charlotte Omand, lives in Headingly in the year 1890, where she attends school and visits her grandparents to help them around the farm. Charlotte loves company and has many stories to share about her grandparents and life on the farm.
Stay safe at home this winter with the Historical Museum of St. James-Assiniboia.
We are pleased to announce our new Multi-Media Event Series made possible through Safe at Home Manitoba. This exciting new series will explore the intersections between history, art, and music through a series of unique, interactive events.
All events (except “What it means to know Winter”) will be premiered on our Facebook and available to watch afterwards on our website (see below for links to events). Please stay tuned for more details as each event approaches.
Educational programming based on the Manitoba Social Studies curriculum to students at home featuring a theatrical tour of the Museum’s 1856 Red River Frame House (originally owned by Scottish immigrant William Brown and Métis Charlotte Omand).
In addition to our theatrical tour, join us throughout March for Facebook Lives where we will present interactive, engaging activities for children and provide a look into museum education and pioneer life.
Schedule:
March 5th at 2pm: Pioneer Life Scavenger Hunt (for younger children)
March 19th at 2pm: What is an Artifact? (for older children)
March 29th at 11:30am: Cameras in History (for all ages)
“Flower Photo Inkblots” and “Deconstruction Mandalas”
Explore art and history through a photographic art show and lecture by professionally trained photographer and artist with works displayed in Europe, Canada, and Hawaii.
Romantic guitar concert for Valentine’s dinner. Take a romantic tour of historical music through the classical guitar, a great dinner companion on this most romantic day of the year. Featuring a former Dalhousie University professor of music who has performed across Canada.
Features Indigenous teachings presented by Museum Elders Clarence and Barbara Nepinak who have delivered educational programs to Indigenous based schools including workshops, performances, and teachings throughout the world.
“What it means to know Winter” will be a live event. To pre-register for Part I or Part II, please email st.jamesassiniboiamuseum@gmail.com with your name and the number of spots you would like to reserve.
It’s been said that the way we live history is not the way historians tell history.
This is your opportunity to take your place in history and show us your personal life experiences and observations during the year 2020.
The Historical Museum of St. James-Assiniboia is creating a photographic show and we are looking for anyone that would like to be a participant in this collaborative venture.
When submitting your photograph, think about what makes your image reflect the year 2020. Show us photographs that capture your daily life, a specific event, a certain special individual, family or friends, a business, a place, sports, pets, school life, work environment, or virtually anything you can capture to tell the story of the year 2020.
We will collect your photograph(s) over the month of December 2020 and up till January 25, 2021. (Submissions from all ages welcome.)
Please limit your submission to 6 photographs per individual and include name, and age of person taking photograph.
Please include a caption with each photograph submitted giving date the photograph was taken, where it was taken, and names of any individuals (optional), people, places, events, and any information that helps define the context of the photograph.
By participating, you agree to the following when submitting your photograph(s):
You have the permission of any and all individuals featured in the photograph to submit the photograph to the Museum.
You relinquish all rights of the photograph(s) to The Historical Museum of St. James-Assiniboia Inc. to use the photograph(s) in a public show, on-line presentation, publication or for other Museum related purposes.
Although The Historical Museum of St. James-Assiniboia will do its best to feature all submitted photographs in a public showing, events or activities, we cannot guarantee that all photographs will be included.
We thank all participants in advance.
Stay safe and be well.
(*Please stay tuned to the Museum’s Website, Facebook and Instagram towards the end of January 2021 for announcements of how and where your photographs will be shown.)
For the past 50 years the Historical Museum of St. James-Assiniboia has been operating in our community and beyond to preserve history and bring it to life for all community members.
Today, November 22, 2020, marks the 50th Anniversary of the Historical Museum of St. James-Assiniboia and we would like to take this opportunity to look back over the past 50 years.
FUNDRAISERS OVER THE YEARS:
Silent Auction
Signature Antique Show and Sale at Shopping Malls
Raffles
Silent Auctions
Barbecues
Book Sales
Friends of Museum Garage Sales
INCLUSIVE IN-HOUSE AND OUTREACH PROGRAMMING OVER THE YEARS:
MULTICULTURAL CENTRES: Newcomers to Winnipeg and Manitoba, Needs Centres, Folklorama groups,
YOUTH/CHILDREN: Fringe, LGBQT+ groups, residential youth homes, schools, daycares, community
Senior Centre Program
SPECIALIZED: D.A.S.C.H., St. Norbert Rehabilitation Centre, S.M.D., Alzheimer Society, Autism Society Manitoba, St. Amant Centre, Churches, Learning Disabilities Association of Mantioba, Inclusion Winnipeg, Abilities Manitoba
OFF-SITE SPECIAL EVENTS OVER THE YEARS:
D.A.S.C.H. at Museum Program
John Taylor 50th Anniversary – Exhibits and Displays Weeklong
Bannatyne School 100th Anniversary – Exhibits and Displays Weeklong
Heritage Fairs – St. James-Assiniboia School Division – Displays and Informational Tables Weeklong
Polo Park Heritage Fair
John Taylor Anniversary
St. James-Assiniboia and Weswood Library Exhibits And Displays In Celebration Of Louis Riel Days, Aboriginal Days and Multicultural Days, Other
Bruce Park Historic Walking Tours
Louis Riel School Divisional Schools – Exhibits and Displays
St. James-Assiniboia School Division Schools – Exhibits and Displays
OFF-SITE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING OVER THE YEARS:
Bannatyne School Anniversary
St. James-Assiniboia Divisional Schools
Louis Riel School Divisional Schools
River East School Divisional Schools
Seven Oaks School Divisional Schools
Pembina Trails School Divisional Schools
Parochial, Private, Home Schools
Rural Municipality Schools
WORKSHOPS/CONSULTING OFF-SITE OVER THE YEARS:
St. James-Assiniboia Library Display
MLA, librarians and technicians exhibit workshops
SAG, teachers exhibit workshops
University of Manitoba guest lecturers
WCAM guest lecturers
MAS guest lecturers
Westwood Library Display
AMM conference workshop organizer
Seniors Centres of Winnipeg and Rurally
S.N.A.C. Community Play writer
M.C.C.A. workshop consultant
MART workshop consultant
City of Winnipeg Museum Review Board
Select Community Museums/Archives of Winnipeg and Manitoba
MENTORSHIPS OVER THE YEARS:
Off-Site Program
Canadian Mennonite University – 14 students
University of Manitoba – 5 students
St. James-Assiniboia School Divisional Schools – 4 students
EVENTS ON SITE & OFF-SITE OVER THE YEARS:
C.S.I. Off-Site Program
“Flames of War” Canadian Heritage Outdoor Celebration, and Red River Collective Performances, tours of Museum Buildings
“St. James-Assiniboia Mini Museum & Celebration of 150th Anniversary of Canada – Museum Summer Event May-June at St. Vital Shopping Centre centre court, weekend entertainment, children activities
St. Vital Shopping Centre photo shoot at Museum for their Spring advertising campaign.
Flames of War
Movie shoots at Museum for the Super Channel
Paranormal Investigations
Historical lectures and community facilitation/sharing circles
ANNUAL EVENTS ON-SITE OVER THE YEARS:
Student Staff presenting program
Pioneer Heritage Days
Heritage Winnipeg Door’s Open Winnipeg
Indigenous Peoples Day
Multicultural Day
Culture Days
Manitoba Day
Pride Month
AWARDS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
MLA, Scott Fielding, Manitoba Legislature letter and standing ovation
Canada 150 at St. Vital
MLA, Sharon Blady, Manitoba Legislature letter and standing ovation
St. James-Assiniboia School Division Letter of outstanding contribution
St. James-Assiniboia School Division, Winnipeg One, Pembina Trails, Louis Riel, Seven Oaks, River East/Transcona Private schools letters, responses to questionnaires reporting “excellent” programming delivered.
St. Vital Photo Shoot at Museum
Heritage Winnipeg Door’s Open three times award winner out of 91 locations and the only Museum to win an award for best overall experience and hidden gem.
Community groups, clubs, organizations, daycares, senior centres, special interest groups letters of appreciation.
Elders of our Community and Elder on Board received Order of Manitoba
The Museum’s signature “Antique Show and Sale Fundraiser” ran from 1991 until 2016, successfully raising 33% of our annual budget. In the early days, we hosted five back to back weeklong, and sometimes two week long, antique shows on a revolving basis. Starting with Unicity, setting up displays and vendor tables on a Sunday evening and taking down the following Sunday evening, then moving the whole show to five other malls including: Garden City, Grant Park, St. Vital, Polo Park and North Gate.
From 1999 to 2016 the Polo Park, St. Vital, Grant Park and Garden City Shopping Centres became a huge draw with shoppers from every corner of the city and rurally. We set up between 100 – 125 tables, plus large-scale historic displays, information booths on preserving family archival treasurers and memorabilia, and gave free hand-outs and crafts for children. We ran the Antique Show and Sale Fundraisers all day and evening for 6 – 7 days each week. Definitely a labour of love given the long hours, arduous set-ups of vendor locations within the entire common area of the various malls, and the incredible work involved in planning and creating new large scale museum exhibits and displays each time we did a show.
The Museum’s vendors came from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and even Nova Scotia. Eventually, the out of town vendors became older and sadly could not support the Museum due to an inability to travel such long distances. We were known throughout the industry for providing the highest quality shows with items that appealed to a large audience of shoppers and collectors, with the latter shows showcasing pop culture and vintage wares as well.
We can say without a doubt that this signature fundraiser put the St. James-Assiniboia Museum on the map as the only Winnipeg Museum to attempt such a complex undertaking. One that resulted in an uniquely innovative and self-generated venue for raising funds. It was especially lucrative for our vendors with many becoming like family, travelling with us from location to location. All in all, we produced close to 100 Antique Show and Sale Fundraisers throughout the City of Winnipeg with the support of 250 vendors. However, as with most things, all good things must come to an end, and due to the Shopping Centres’ substantial increase in rental costs it was no longer a tenable fundraiser strategy.
Today, we celebrate our virtual 50th Anniversary. We had planned our Anniversary Celebration to be open to the public with special activities including new guided interpretive tours, entertainment, crafts for children and complementary treats, but of course that is not possible right now. In place of that event, we have prepared an online event that you can view through our social media. Keep watch on our Facebook and Instagram throughout the day for a look over the past 50 years and special videos of our three museum buildings: our 1856 Red River Frame House, 1911 Municipal Hall, and 1890s Interpretive Centre. Please also take a moment to scroll back through our social media to view posts from this past week commemorating the last 50 years.
This unprecedented time in history is so difficult for everyone. My family, like yours, is feeling the enormous tug and pull of everyday living, working, worrying about our children, grandparents, parents, extended family, friends and co-workers. “We are all in this together” is what we have heard time and time again from governments and noticed on commercial advertisements. I believe these words to be true – together we can make a difference in preventing the spread of COVID-19 by following recommended guidelines and health orders.
I want to say a heart-felt thank you to our front-line medical professionals and ALL essential workers. They are truly the brave and courageous. My heart goes out to those who have suffered enormous losses and those who are recovering. To everyone, please stay safe and be well!
I would also like to take a moment to honour the memory of Doreen Luhtala who passed away suddenly in October of this year. Doreen was a long-time member of the museum who served on the board in various positions including President of the Board and Past President. She is greatly missed in our community.
