It has been an action-packed summer at Muskoka Lakes Museum, welcoming visitors with new exhibits, activities and events. “We updated and added new displays, improved our programming, and have enjoyed having a full season this summer. There have been a lot of changes and enhancements to the Museum over last year.” Says Courtney Provan, Director Curator of the Muskoka Lakes Museum. The planning and preparation of these improvements was supported by an operating grant from Community Building Fund, a stream of the Ontario Trillium Foundation managed by the provincial government.
As a result of receiving the grant, the Museum was able to plan events and activities to attract visitors and secure funding for four student positions this summer. “Having a full complement of staff means that there are many areas we are able to focus on to improve the visitor experience and update the stories that we tell. We want to make sure that every time you come to the Museum, you see or learn something new.” Says Provan. Programs offered included a series of drop-in activities on Fridays and Saturdays that have been very popular with visitors, like watercolour painting and toy sailboat races.
The highlight of the changes visitors will notice is a new exhibit called Winds of Change, focused on the development of sailing on the lakes of Muskoka. Working over the winter with a design team from Toronto to develop the look and content of this exhibit, the new style is being used to update other exhibits in the museum.
The Operating Fund is a stream of the Community Building Fund, a grant offered by the provincial government to support non-profits and Indigenous communities in arts and culture sectors that operate facilities and/or deliver experiences or programs for the public. This funding helped to improve the museum and what it offers the community, implementing recommendations from a previous study the museum Board undertook in 2021.
The Muskoka Lakes Museum is committed to collecting, documenting, and preserving the collection and ensuring that it remains accessible for as many visitors as possible. If you wish to enquire about supporting the Museum, please visit the website at: www.mlmuseum.com
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. OTF awarded $105 million to 644 projects last year to build healthy and vibrant communities in Ontario.
