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...
Titus Ware’s Impressions of Orillia in 1844
Mona Cottage, the Residence of James Scott, Esq. 1844 - Orillia Township, OntarioBy Fred Blair, OMAH Family researcher and guest contributerIn July of 1844, Titus Hibbert Ware, originally from the City of Worcester, England, left England at the age of 33 to assess...
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...
Address
Address
Open Hours
Tuesday - Saturday, 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm