Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre Director Cathy McGirr explains the details of the enhanced First Nations Gallery to Saugeen First Nation Band Councillor Cheree Urscheler, OPG’s Bruce County Manager of Corporate Relations and Communications Fred Kuntz and former Saugeen First Nation Chief Vernon Roote, April 26.

Hub Staff

With help from community partners Bruce Power, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and the Federal Government, Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre’s permanent First Nations Gallery will receive an upgrade. Funds provided through the Government of Canada’s Canada Cultural Spaces Fund (CCSF) total $51,600, with Bruce Power and OPG contributing $60,000 each for extensive redesign work to be completed with an expected opening in early 2018.

This planned exhibit redesign, tentatively titled “Past, Present, and Future of Saugeen Ojibway Nation,” will present First Nations' culture in a broad environmental and cultural context; as well as educate and entertain a projected quarter of a million visitors from near and far over the next decade. The newly designed space will display interactive themed pods depicting the environmental changes that have impacted the land that many now call Bruce County, along with cultural perspectives, artifacts and digitally supportive videos by the Bruce County Visual Heritage Project. The layout is designed to encourage interaction at each station and the use of multi-sensory components in each pod will engage all audiences.

“I’m excited about all of it, but i'm excited about the current day section as well,” said Museum Director Cathy McGirr, April 26. “That’s where the real involvement from both communities is coming; and of course we’ve been working with Bruce Power for going into our sixth year now for our demonstrator’s program so that’s a really great opportunity for visitors to engage and talk one on one with demonstrators, their cultures, tradition and everything.”

The flow of the exhibit will lead to the current day exhibit and programming area where community members from both Saugeen First Nation and Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation will be involved in the development with former Chief of Saugeen First Nation, Vernon Roote, translating for the exhibit. Knowledge keepers from the community will be able to pass along life experiences, traditions and cultural practices for visitors to gain a deeper and memorable understanding of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation.

“We know how important infrastructure is to arts and cultural organizations across the country,” said the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage in a media release. “That is why we are proud to invest in initiatives like the redesign of the First Nations Gallery. This project will allow visitors to experience and learn first-hand about the rich heritage of the region’s Indigenous peoples—and help ensure the preservation of culture and traditions.”

Over $170,000 has been donated to the Museum for their First Nations Gallery, including a $60,000 donation from Bruce Power. From left: Former Saugeen First Nation Chief Vernon Roote, Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre Director Cathy McGirr, Bruce Power Communication Specialist Christine John and Saugeen First Nation Band Councillor Cheree Urscheler.

Community partners and contributors inside the current exhibit, from left, Fred Kuntz and Lynda Cain of Ontario Power Generation, Museum Director Cathy McGirr, Band Councillor Cheree Urscheler, former Chief Vernon Roote and Christine John of Bruce Power.

The enhanced First Nation Gallery is expected to open early 2018 and will include interactive pods depicting environmental changes, cultural perspectives, artifacts and videos.