2 days ago
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
From flints to NHL players — permanent museum exhibit shows the evolution of Grimsby
Flint tools and projectiles dating back to 900 BCE, a cannon ball from the War of 1812 and an NHL jersey worn by a Grimsby native are among about a hundred artifacts that make up a new exhibit at
Grimsby Museum
.
Sofia Beraldo, the museum's exhibition and design co-ordinator, said the 'Grimsby: Our Story' display is the first permanent exhibit at the facility that opened in 1984.
She said through surveys it became evident the community wanted a permanent place for its 'diverse history.'
Beraldo did much of the research for the exhibit that opened at the Murray Street museum on May 29.
There are four sections: Ancestral Lands and Peoples, Forming Grimsby, Transforming Grimsby, Made in Grimsby.
Ancestral Lands and Peoples focuses on the area's first inhabitants.
Beraldo said with input from Indigenous experts to ensure accuracy, it 'shines a light on the Neutral Nation grave excavation which happened here in Grimsby around 1976 to '77.'
Forming Grimsby looks at some of the first European settlers .
'After The American Revolution in around 1787, there was an influx of American loyalists (who supported the British Crown),' Beraldo said.
The section includes displays about settler women, enslaved people and freedom seekers, and Grimsby Beach.
'The different phases that Grimsby Beach has gone through,' Beraldo said, '(there was) cottaging, then it was an amusement park and it's still a really vibrant part of Grimsby's history.'
Transforming Grimsby focuses on the 19th and 20th centuries.
'We have a (War of 1812) cannon ball there that was discovered on one of the Nelles (family) properties,' Beraldo said.
There are also displays about historical sites and buildings and the Farmerettes who played an important role during the First and Second World Wars.
'Young girls and women could actually skip their final exams in high school and work on farms when the men were overseas fighting and contribute to the war effort through feeding people locally and the troops,' Beraldo said.
Made in Grimsby includes displays about fruit farming, businesses and Grimsby Peach Kings Hockey Club, and includes some notable Grimsby folk including former NHLer
Kevin Bieksa
and musician
Kevin Hearn
of Barenaked Ladies.
Beraldo said the exhibit features an interactive component whereby people can ask questions about Grimsby's history using a posted QR code.
'I'm hoping (visitors) take away that Grimsby's history is a lot more diverse and unique, I think, than a lot of people realize,' said Beraldo.
She said some of the artifacts will be switched out annually with some of the thousands of other materials the museum has in storage.
She said the exhibit is also supported by artifacts from
Sustainable Archaeology McMaster
(University),
Royal Ontario Museum
and
Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center
in Niagara Falls, N.Y.
'This has been in the works since 2022,' said museum manger and curator Janet Oakes, adding the exhibit is supported by $135,000 over three years from
Town of Grimsby
and $88,000 from the federal government.
Oakes said the town,
Nelles Manor Museum
and
Grimsby Historical Society
also contributed to the exhibit.
'We wouldn't have been able to accomplish this without the support of the community,' Oakes said.
See
(click on the Parks, Recreation and Culture link to get to the museum) for more information.
Meanwhile, the museum is hosting Coffee with the Curator on Thursday, June 19, 5:30-7 p.m. On this special evening Beraldo will take visitors on a guided tour of 'Grimsby: Our Story' and answer questions about the exhibit.
This is an admission by donation event and requires a ticket. Go to
for ticket information.
