Publications
History of the Orillia Kiltie Band
Written & researched by Trish Crowe-Grande, History Committee Chair and Cliff Whitfield, Guest ContributorFollowing the success of the Orillia Citizens Band in 1923, winning second place in Class B at the CNE Band Competition, the Kiltie Band brought honour back...
History of the ORILLIA CITIZENS BAND
Written & researched by Trish Crowe-Grande, History Committee Chair and Cliff Whitfield, Guest ContributorIn the late 1800s, it was common to gather at Orillia’s Civic Park (now Couchiching Beach Park) and listen to the Orillia Citizens Band, where hundreds of...
OMAH Celebrates Black History Month – A Tribute to Ron and Ann Harrison
By Mary Ann Grant, OMAH History CommitteeEvery year in February, which is Black History Month, the History Committee at the Orillia Museum of Art & History (OMAH) takes time to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions made by Black Canadians, and to learn about...
Solving the Peter Street Cemetery Mystery
Who owned the Peter Street South cemetery? Your first thoughts might be that this was the St. James’ Church Cemetery, but that cemetery was about two blocks further north on the southeast corner of Peter Street and Coldwater Road. On June 19, 1873, the following...
Another Waterfront Transformation
By David Town, Historian, Author of ‘A Waterfront for Everyone’ Orillia Museum of Art & History Guest ContributorWhat a transformation our waterfront is undergoing! There’s a new road going in with better access to the downtown, massive new sewers lie sprawled...
2023 Year-end Message from the OMAH History Committee
As 2023 ends, the OMAH History Committee is very appreciative of the continuous, wide-reaching support for our popular History Speaker Series where local history is celebrated. A full calendar of topics was presented, with our annual kick-off in January featuring Dave...
Harriett Todd – Orillia’s Forgotten Hero
By David Town, Historian and Guest ContributorHarriett Todd, image provided by David TownFew people have had a greater influence on Orillia than Harriett Todd. Most of us only recognize her name because a school has been named after her in Orillia, but 100 years ago...
Great Grandparents Immigration to Canada
By Janet Houston, OMAH History CommitteeAlfred and Jane HuckerWhat could tempt a middle-aged couple to emigrate from England to a distant part of the Empire in 1912? Fifty years of age is not now considered old as it was thought then. Nonetheless, this adventurous...
The Hallen Family’s Arrival in Orillia
By Fred Blair, OMAH Family researcher and guest contributerEleanora’s Diary, November 4, 1833 “In the morning, before we went out of the steam vessel, George put his fish [line] in as he saw a good number of fish. He caught nine very soon, but he had not time to...
All About the O’Brien Family, Founders of Shanty Bay
By Trish Crowe-Grande, OMAH History Committee ChairLucius Richard O’Brien portrait undated M.O. Hammond Collection: National Gallery of Canada ArchivesEdward and Mary O’Brien At the age of fourteen, Edward George O’Brien entered the naval service as a mid-shipman, but...
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TUESDAY: 11 AM - 4 PM
WEDNESDAY: 11 AM - 4 PM
THURSDAY: 11 AM - 4 PM
FRIDAY: 11 AM - 4 PM
SATURDAY: 11 AM - 4 PM
SUNDAY: CLOSED
MONDAY: CLOSED
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Land Acknowledgement
The Orillia Museum of Art & History is located on the traditional territory of the Anishnaabeg. The Anishinaabeg include the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Pottawatomi nations, collectively known as the Three Fires Confederacy. We respect and observe the long and enduring presence of Indigenous Peoples – First Nations, Metis and Inuit – on this land. Their teachings and stewardship, culture and way of life have shaped our City’s unique identity.
In acknowledging that we occupy colonized Indigenous territories, and out of respect for the rights of Indigenous people, we accept our collective responsibility to recognize our colonial histories as well as their present-day manifestations in order to honour, protect, and sustain this land.