History Runs Deep in Glengarry
By: Deanna Fraser
WILLIAMSTOWN, ONT.
Wednesday – Monday
10 A.M. – 5 P.M.
Admission by Donation
(613)-347-3547
GLENGARRYNORWESTERSANDLOYALISTMUSEUM.CA
After majoring in history at Concordia University, Keleigh Goodfellow-Theoret never imagined she would come back to work in a museum right in her hometown of Williamstown Ont.
For the past 2 years Goodfellow-Theoret has been the curator administrator for the Glengarry, Nor’Westers and Loyalist Museum.
“By definition curator really means caretaker. I take care of the artifacts. People say the position is obsolete,” Goodfellow-Theoret said.
From a young age the museum curator was fascinated with history.
“I always kind of knew I would study history. It was never really an epiphany moment. I grew up reading historical fiction,” she said.
Goodfellow-Theoret will be attending Algonquin for museum studies in the fall so that she can work for the museum long-term.
“I want to be here forever, keep the history going and continue to make improvements,” she said. “I love that you can experience history right in this small community.”
Goodfellow-Theoret says the one thing that makes the museum stand out to her is the authenticity of the objects.
“We are one of the few museums in the country that talk a lot about the fur trade with original artifacts,” she said. “Whereas a lot of museums just have an interpretive centre.”
The museum also specializes in the history of the area with the Loyalists.
“A lot of families have a connection with some of the pieces found in the museum, so local families can find parts of their past here,” she said.
The museum has also just recently expanded with the Glengarry addition.
“Now we can talk about any chapter in Glengarry’s history. We’ve got a great collection of war artifacts from World War 2 that came from a family in Martintown,” she said.
f you are interested in exploring the rich heritage first-hand it is open Wednesday-Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is by donation.