What's On

Feature Exhibitions

Leaving Home, Finding Home in Oshawa:

Displaced Persons and Stories of Immigration

Opening Summer 2021

The aftermath of World War II saw a world faced with mass movement of human beings on a scale never before seen. Initially the idea was to “repatriate” people back to the countries from where they had been displaced, and there were over 1.1 million people left who were determined "non repatriable." The job of finding homes for these individuals was handed over to the newly created International Refugee Organization (IRO).

In 1947 the Canadian government agreed to open the borders for 5000 displaced persons to come to Canada and begin life anew.

Since 2016, the Oshawa Museum has been undertaking a very important oral history project. The focus of this project was to collect the memories of those who arrived in Oshawa as displaced persons and post-war immigrants, many hundreds of whom resettled in Oshawa due to economic and social factors, positively contributed to the city as both an industrial hub and as the proud beneficiary of a rich cultural landscape.

The information collected is becoming a part of the archival record and will be the basis of the Oshawa Museum’s spring 2021 exhibition, Leaving Home and Finding Home in Oshawa: Displaced Persons and Stories of Immigration. The exhibition was planned for 2020 but was postponed due to the Pandemic.

Coming Soon...

From Ship to Shore: Looking at Oshawa's Relationship with Lake Ontario

Opening September 2021

Feature Events

Due to COVID-19, all in person Feature Events at the Oshawa Museum are on hold indefinitely. In lieu of in person events, we are holding many favourite events, like Sunday FUNday, Speaker Series, and Tea & Talks virtually!

Jan

January 3 – Sunday FUNday LIVE – Festival of Sleep Day

1pm, via OM Facebook Page: facebook.com/OshawaMuseum

January 19 – Speaker Series – Ron Romano, The Billboard Monuments of New England

7pm, via Zoom, registration in advance required

Watch the recording via YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xGXOGo3jI0

January 31 – Tea & Talk from Home – The Lake Effect: Exploring Winter in Oshawa

1pm, via Zoom, registration in advance required

Feb

February 7 – Sunday FUNday LIVE – Silver Care with Curator Melissa

1pm, via OM Facebook Page: facebook.com/OshawaMuseum

February 16 – Speaker Series – Jennifer Weymark, OM: Slavery in Canada

7pm, via Zoom, registration in advance required

Watch the recording via YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCh-LAEyN0A

February 28 – Tea & Talk from Home – Black History in Oshawa

1pm, via Zoom, registration in advance required

Mar

March 7 – Sunday FUNday LIVE – CHURN IT UP: Buttermaking

1pm, via OM Facebook Page

March 16 – Speaker Series – Fred Robbins, York Pioneers: A History of York Pioneers and Scadding Cabin

7pm, via Zoom, registration in advance required

March 28 – Tea & Talk from Home – The Girls of Demill

1pm, via Zoom, registration in advance required

Fridays at 12pm, starting March 12 – Culture Chats at Lunch

A different Culture Organization presents every week! See the RMG website for more info: http://rmg.on.ca/events/culture-chats-at-lunch/

Apr

April 6 – Outreach with Lennox & Addington County Museum & Archives: What Gravestones Can Tell You About Your Ancestors

7pm – for more info on registration and how to join, see Lennox & Addington County Museum Website: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_M_QpoMCqTiKbYvHI4jltwA?fbclid=IwAR0nTek4-um3tSQB7eYu1eCk58iSKmdaKy4jYa4U70hUhl7n4-ISdR31Or8

April 11 – Sunday FUNday LIVE – Spring Cleaning: Victorian Edition

1pm, via OM Facebook Page: facebook.com/OshawaMuseum

April 15 – Outreach with Canadian Automotive Museum: 1937 GM Strike

7pm – for more info on registration and how to join, see CAM Website: https://www.canadianautomotivemuseum.com/events/gmstrike

April 20 – Speaker Series – Zoé Delguste-Cincotta, Curator, Toronto's First Post Office: A Visit to Toronto’s First Post Office in 1834

7pm, via Zoom, registration in advance required

April 25 – Tea & Talk from Home – Oshawa’s Theatrical History

Fridays at 12pm – Culture Chats at Lunch

A different Culture Organization presents every week! See the RMG website for more info: http://rmg.on.ca/events/culture-chats-at-lunch/

May

May 2 – Sunday FUNday LIVE – Family Games

1pm, via OM Facebook Page: facebook.com/OshawaMuseum

May 8, 1pm - Virtual Jane's Walk: Union Cemetery - Oshawa in the 1860s
Watch the recording via YouTube: https://youtu.be/Prhh7FgT404

May 18 – ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING & Speaker Series – Melissa Cole & Mia Vujcic, OM: Leaving Home, Finding Home in Oshawa

Watch the Speaker Series recording via YouTube: https://youtu.be/6g05JUH0mfg

May 30 – Tea & Talk from Home – Thomas Henry’s Grandkids

1pm, via Zoom

Fridays at 12pm – Culture Chats at Lunch

A different Culture Organization presents every week! See the RMG website for more info: http://rmg.on.ca/events/culture-chats-at-lunch/

Watch the May 7 recording via YouTube: https://youtu.be/K85bo3XrSGY

Jun

June 6 – Sunday FUNday LIVE – Gardening Exercise Day

1pm, via OM Facebook Page: facebook.com/OshawaMuseum

June 27 – Tea & Talk from Home – A Curator Tour of A Carrying Place: Oshawa's Indigenous Story

1pm, via Zoom, registration in advance required: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/tea-talk-from-home-oshawas-indigenous-story-tickets-157506434987

Jul

July 3 – Virtual Union Cemetery Tour

1pm, Register in advance: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/virtual-union-cemetery-tour-tickets-159677711333

July 4 – Sunday FUNday LIVE – Let's Go On A Picnic!

1pm, via OM Facebook Page: facebook.com/OshawaMuseum

There is no Tea & Talk from Home in July

Aug

August 1 – Sunday FUNday LIVE – Carried Away with Carriages

1pm, via OM Facebook Page: facebook.com/OshawaMuseum

Walking Wednesdays: Historic Lakeview Park Walking Tours

Every Wednesday, beginning August 4 through to September 1, starting at 10am

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/historic-lakeview-park-walking-tours-tickets-162811324053

Yoga in the Gardens, with Durham Yogi Community

Every Friday, beginning August 6 through to September 3, starting at 9am

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/yoga-in-the-garden-tickets-163183958613

There is no Tea & Talk from Home in August

Sep

September 5 – Sunday FUNday LIVE – Topic TBD

1pm, via OM Facebook Page: facebook.com/OshawaMuseum

September 21 – Speaker Series – Nicole Adams, OPL: A History of Guiding in Oshawa

7pm, via Zoom, registration in advance required

September 26 – Tea & Talk from Home – Back to School

1pm, via Zoom, registration in advance required

Oct

October 3 – Sunday FUNday LIVE – Setting a Table for Tea

1pm, via OM Facebook Page: facebook.com/OshawaMuseum

October 19 – Speaker Series – Laura Suchan & Melissa Cole: The Farewell Cemetery

7pm, via Zoom, registration in advance required

October 31 – Tea & Talk from Home – Victorian Mourning and Museum Ghost Stories

1pm, via Zoom, registration in advance required

Nov

November 7 – Sunday FUNday LIVE – Topic TBD

1pm, via OM Facebook Page: facebook.com/OshawaMuseum

November 16 – Speaker Series – Topic TBD

7pm, via Zoom, registration in advance required

November 28 – Tea & Talk from Home – The Life & Times of Adelaide McLaughlin, with Samantha George, Curator, Parkwood National Historic Site

1pm, via Zoom, registration in advance required

Dec

December 5 – Sunday FUNday LIVE – Ghost Stories at Christmas

1pm, via OM Facebook Page: facebook.com/OshawaMuseum

December 19 – Tea & Talk from Home – Stories from Oshawa’s Jewish Community

1pm, via Zoom, registration in advance required

Stay up to date with the latest happenings at the Oshawa Museum - join our email list: http://eepurl.com/BEtlf

Plan Your Visit

The Oshawa Museum is open year round for tours - learn more about how you can experience the Home to Oshawa's History!

Please note: There HAS been changes to tour procedures due to COVID-19 - please read the information on the 'Plan Your Visit' page carefully.

Plan Your VisitPlan Your Visit

Programming at the OM

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Teachers

Current Pandemic procedures have allowed the Museum to switch all programs offered to online formats.

We offer a number of workshops suitable for elementary and secondary classes on the Google platform. These include Critical Thinking Using Objects, Working with Primary Sources and a World War I Timeline. Teachers facilitate these workshops at their own schools, but an accompanying virtual visit from the Museum’s Archivist or Visitor Experience Coordinator is possible. The OM is working to create more virtual programming on an ongoing basis.

Curriculum based local history presentations are also available. The themes of most presentations are adaptable to any grade level, from JK to Grade 12.

Email to learn more about how you can incorporate local history into your classroom.

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Leaders

The Oshawa Museum’s virtual resources are the perfect start to any personal achievement badges throughout any level of Guiding or Scouting. If you’re looking for something more personal, have our Visitor Experience Coordinator facilitate a presentation or Q & A session with your group.

The cost per session is $40, and your group hosts our facilitator on your platform of choice - just send us the link! Sessions last about 60 minutes and can be held on the date and time that your group meets.

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Lectures

The Oshawa Museum has developed over fifty lectures that pertain to various aspects of Oshawa's immense cultural history. Lectures are $50 each, plus mileage if your facility is located outside of Oshawa. Lectures are approximately one hour long and are often accompanied by associated artefacts. An experienced staff member of the Oshawa Museum delivers each lecture.

OM Presentation List.pdf

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