Arnprior & District Museum
35 Madawaska Street K7S 1R6 Arnprior, ON, Canada

Artifact on Display - This week's trivia answer! Our trivia artifact this week is a Rolls Razor. The metal kit has an articulated razor handle, an attachable razor and also provides a strop to hone the blade. It also comes complete with illustrated instructions! Made in England by Rolls Razor Ltd. Imperial No. 2 Patented 1923, 1925, 1926. Gift 2004.19.05-.06... Thank you for your interest! #arnprior #ArnpriorMuseum #artifacts #canada #collections #museum #Ontario #ottawa #ottawavalley #vault #WFH

Archive on Display! These images are from a brochure documenting the Arnprior High School in 1946. It highlights the beauty of the town, the importance of education and recreational activities, and announces the completion of the new wing to the school housing the Shop and Home Economic Departments. #arnprior #ArnpriorMuseum #canada #museum #MuseumFromHome #ontario #ottawa #ottawavalley #renfrewcounty #teachers #vault #WFH #arnpriordhs #ArnpriorDHS #ADHS

"Artifact on Display" The museum would like to take the opportunity to honor one of the Canadian veterans highlighted in our exhibition "Arnprior on the World Stage". Hugh Henry Parnell McGonigal 1886-1956 Regimental number: 788227... Hugh Henry Ponnie Parnell McGonigal was born to a prominent Irish-Catholic family in Arnprior on February 22, 1886. Before enlisting, he was a butcher by trade. He signed up at the age of 29 on August 26, 1915. The medical officer J. Murphy in Arnprior, considered him fit for the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force on November 11, 1915 and on December 14, 1915 he joined the 130th Overseas Battalion. He embarked at Halifax on September 23, 1916 and arrived at Liverpool on October 6th, 1916. He trained at West Sandling Camp in Kent with the 12th Battalion, where soldiers practiced their combat skills and learned to dig trenches. Upon transferring to the 38th Battalion on November 14th, 1916, Private McGonigal would have fought in major battles, including Vimy, Ypres and Passchendaele. He was granted a good conduct badge on April 27, 1918. His medical records show that he was injured by a gas shell on August 5th, 1918, which seemed to lead to a diagnosis of nephritis, or an inflammation of the kidneys, which was not uncommon for soldiers exposed to the horrible conditions of the trenches. It was determined by a medical board that would he sail back to Canada on December 7, 1918 and he was taken on strength at Sub Depot #3 in Ottawa on January 1st, 1919, with his date of discharge finally coming on January 22nd, 1919. He returned to Arnprior, married Rosella Mary Lavallee from Carleton Place in 1920 and then moved to the United States. Of special note, Private McGonigal spent part of his time in theatre as a stretcher-bearer and as such would have entered no-mans-land to rescue fallen soldiers from the mud and chaos of the battlefield. Here is an illuminated poem written in thanks by H.E. Wright that highlights the profound relationships forged between soldiers during the war. Gift of Charles J. Murphy Pinehurst, North Carolina. 2011.68.01 Sources and further reading - Library and Archives Canada (bac-lac.gc.ca) Military Heritage, First World War, Personnel Records of the First World War. https://www.worldwars.com/stretcher-bearers-world-war-1/. Ottawa Valley Irish www.FamilyTree.ottawavalleyirish.com The medical response to trench nephritis in World War One (kidney-international.org) www.kidney-international.org "What is this Artifact?" This object is a copper printing plate manufactured for Kenwood Mills in Arnprior, Ontario. It showcases the production lines of their beautiful wool blankets. Thank you for your interest! We hope you have a very Happy (and safe) New Year! #Arnprior #ArnpriorMuseum #canada #CanadaRemembers #CEF #collection #museum #ontario #ottawa #ottawavalley #vault #veterans #vimy #WFH #WWI

"What is this Artifact?" Can you tell what this artifact is from our collections? Leave your guess in the comments and we will reveal the answer on Thursday with our weekly "Artifact on Display! #arnprior #ArnpriorMuseum #artifacts #canada #collection #museum #museumondisplay #ontario #ottawa #ottawavalley #Trivia #WFH #vault

"What is this Artifact?" Can you guess what this object is from our collection? Leave your answer in the comments and we will reveal its purpose on Thursday with our "Artifact on Display". #arnprior #ArnpriorMuseum #artifacts #canada #collection #Museum #ontario #ottawa #ottawavalley #Trivia #vault #WFH

Summer students - rev up your resumes! For details, visit https://arnprior.ca/grow/employment/. Interested students are invited to submit a cover letter and resume to [email protected]. Please indicate which positions you are applying for. Deadline for applications is 3 p.m. on February 12, 2021.

Artifact on Display We wish to thank you for all the support you have given through this year of uncertainty and have been honored to showcase our unique coll...ections online. On behalf of all of us at the museum we wish you all the best for this holiday season! Many in this extraordinary year have used Canada Post to send packages, cards, and letters, perhaps even receiving some correspondence from the North Pole! In acknowledgement of the contributions the post office has had on our lives in the past, present and into the future, we have featured a Canada Post mail bag from our collection currently on display in our Postal exhibit. The museum also has a historical link to the postal world, as the D.A. Gillies building housing the Arnprior and District Museum was originally built by Dominion Architect, Thomas Fuller in 1896 to serve as the Post Office and Customs House including a clock tower and accommodations for the postmaster and his family. What is this Artifact? This week’s trivia answer is a boxed set of steel numerical dies for cancelling stamps. On receiving the daily mail, the postmaster would sort the envelopes and packages and begin the process of cancelling each stamp. This was to make sure that no stamp could be reused. He would set up his cancellation stamp with the dies that would reflect the current date, and then begin cancelling each stamp individually. The dies were organized and kept together in a wooden box for ease of use and were designed to fit into the head of a stamper or hammer by using delicate dividers or tweezers. #arnprior #ArnpriorMuseum #CANADA #canadapost #collection #museum #ottawa #ottawavalley #vault #WFH

"What is this Artifact?" #Arnprior #ArnpriorMuseum #collectionondisplay #memorabilia #ottawa #ottawavalley #Trivia #WFH #vault Can you guess what this artifact is from our collection? Please leave your answer in the comments and we will reveal the object's name on Thursday with our weekly "Artifact on Display". Enjoy!

"Artifact on Display!" #Arnprior #ArnpriorMuseum #collectionondisplay #ottawavalley #Trivia #vault This image is a part of our Postcard collection showing the Sorting Table at the McLachlin Bros. No. 3 Mill in Arnprior, Ontario. Daniel McLachlin was a successful businessman in the timber trade. He built his sawmills on the banks of the Madawaska River, initiated improvements to the community and was the representative for South Renfrew in the first Dominion Parliament from ...1867-1869. 2013.17.16 "What is this Artifact?" This object is an early plastic pencil sharpener popular in the 1930's. It can be found in our "Arnprior on the World Stage" exhibition with Squadron Leader Nick Smith, 158 Squadron, RAF, D.F.C. Thank you to all!

Mittens, mittens, who's got the mittens? Get your pair of #Kenwoodblanket mittens at #ArnpriorMuseum! Hand-crafted by #LilypadProducts, cozy and unique - give your loved one a piece of Arnprior history this season. Your purchase benefits both your local Museum and #OttawaValleyCommunityConnections.

#Arnprior #ArnpriorMuseum #braeside #CAMC #canada #CanadaRemembers #CEF #collectionondisplay #FirstWorldWar #Nursing #ottawa #ottawavalley #WFH #WWI Nursing Sister Mary Belle McKinnon of the Canadian Expeditionary Force was taken on strength in the early months of 1917 at No# 1 General Hospital in Étaples, France. She was born in Braeside, Ontario in 1891, and had trained as a nurse at St. Luke’s Hospital in Ottawa in 1915. She joined the Canadian Army Medical Corps and was... posted to Petawawa. In 1916, she volunteered and was accepted for duty overseas as she met the Army’s strict requirements. She was 25, unmarried and professionally trained as a nurse. On December 31st, 1916 she embarked on the H.M.T. Metagama bound for a winter voyage across the Atlantic to England. During her years overseas she also served with the Ontario Military Hospital, Orpington, Kitchener Military Hospital in Brighton, and aboard the H.M.H.S. Araguaya. According to the family history, after demobilization in 1919, she worked at the Christie Street Hospital in Toronto where she met her husband, Dr. J.D. Mills. They were married in 1922 and in later life retired to Braeside. (Pictured here, front row left, name on apron) 2012.17.16 b Source https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca//personnel-rec/Pages/search.aspx Thank you for your service.

"Artifacts on Display!" #arnprior #ArnpriorMuseum #boyscouts #CEF #museum #nationalcapitalregion #nursing #ontario #ottawavalley #redcross #remembranceday #Trivia #workingfromhome #vault #wfh The museum would like to take the opportunity to honor the Canadians highlighted in our exhibition, "Arnprior on the World Stage", in recognition of their service to our country. ... Mrs. Florence Box was a teacher and a Red Cross volunteer during World War I. She married Howard Box, a captain with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps in 1918, and together they emigrated to Shanghai to pursue life in the health care field. She returned to work at the Red Cross for three years while her husband worked as a Public Health Care officer. In 1921, they moved back to Canada and settled in Arnprior to help in the founding of the Arnprior and District Hospital. "What is this Artifact?" This week's artifact is a Boy Scouts of America camporee badge from 1948. A big "Thank You" to all for your interest! Gift Carson Collection 2015.27.02 a

#ArnpriorMuseum is open Tuesday, Saturday & Sunday 11-3 pm. Book your appointment at 613-623-4902 #unmaskinginfluenza

"What is this Artifact?" #arnprior #ArnpriorMuseum #collection #museum #MuseumFromHome #nationalcapitalregion #ontario #ottawa #ottawavalley #trivia #vault Do you know what this artifact is from our collections? Leave your answer in the comments and we will reveal the object's name in our Thursday post "Artifact on Display!". Enjoy your week!

"On Display" #arnprior #ArnpriorMuseum #baking #CEF #collection #fall #MuseumFromHome #ottawavalley #Trivia #veterans #workingfromhome Beginning today the museum would like to take the opportunity to honor one of the Canadian veterans highlighted in our exhibition, Arnprior on the World Stage, in recognition for their commitment to fighting tyranny and fascism during World War II.... McGregor Scobie (1925-2016) McGregor Scobie was just 16 when he fibbed about his age and presented himself to the Recruitment Office on the second floor of the former post office building in Arnprior (today the current Arnprior and District Museum). McGregor Scobie served his country as a platoon runner in the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders, 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. Upon the Normandy landings on Juno Beach at Bernières-sur-Mer, Private Scobie was ordered to proceed inland on his green folding bicycle, the one he had carried through the surf and under fire, to radio back enemy positions. It was a dangerous mission and two weeks after D-Day, he was wounded in the leg and credited the doctor and his youth for saving the limb from the infection that had set in. On asked what was his most poignant memory of the war he thoughtfully spoke of England before they were shipped to France. The Canadian soldiers were tasked to protect the neighbourhood children from the bomb blitz. He remembers a young girl, six or seven, that had become separated from her family during a bombing, and he kept her safe until emergency crews could get things organized and families reunited. The little girl gave Private Scobie a souvenir when her father came to fetch her. It was a short chain with two small round medal tags, now worn and any lettering long rubbed away, intertwined with a brass ring that was Private Scobie’s addition. All these years later he still has this chain within reach. In 2013, Arnprior named a street after him, McGregor Scobie Crescent. This street was just around the corner where he and his family lived for 45 years. "What is this Artifact?" The answer to this week's trivia artifact is a nut meat chopper. A big thank you to all! Gift 1981.06.02

Greetings Arnprior and the Ottawa Valley! We wish to invite you to play a valuable role in the outcome of our new exhibition! As social media and online projects are becoming more and more popular, we are answering the call and preparing our collections for a new virtual exhibition on a beloved jewel of our town - Kenwood Mills. Do you have cherished memories to share? Or perhaps a textile made from Kenwood wool? Please let us know, we would be happy to hear from you! ... We are also looking for specific items to be included in this exhibition such as military blankets from WWI and WWII, ladies’ coats made from Kenwood wool, house coats and sitting-out rugs. We would be sure to proceed in compliance with the Town of Arnprior and the Province of Ontario’s guidelines to record your stories and to safely store and photograph your objects. Please contact the museum at (613) 623-4902 for more details. We are looking forward to hearing from you!

From all of us at the Arnprior and District Museum, we hope you have a safe and happy Thanksgiving! #arnprior #ArnpriorMuseum #archives #collections #museum #ottawa #ottawavalley #vintagestyle #workingfromhome Postcard dated 1908 from our Archives Collection. 1987.77.01 d

"What is this Artifact?" #arnprior #ArnpriorMuseum #collections #museum #ontario #ottawavalley #Thanksgiving #Trivia #vault #workingfromhome Can you guess what this object is from our collection? Leave your best guess in the comments and the answer will be revealed on Thursday with our "Artifact on Display". We hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Artifact on Display! #arnprior #ArnpriorMuseum #butter #Collection #dancingboots #museum #ontario #ottawa #ottawavalley #vault These colorful dancing boots were purchased in 1972 on a trip to Northern Alberta, at a trading post near Lloydminster by Sean Issacs. Gift from Neil Carleton... 2020.16.01 a-b The answer to this week's "What is this Artifact?" is a butter stamp. These kitchen tools were usually made from a food-safe wood, like maple, were carved in various patterns and were used to decorate the surface of butter blocks. Thanks to all for participating! Gift 1984.07.03

#UnmaskingInfluenza is held over at #ArnpriorMuseum! Compare the 1918-1919 Spanish flu epidemic and its treatments with the novel Coronavirus epidemic of 2020. Call us for an appointment today at 613-623-4902.

What is this Artifact? #arnprior #ArnpriorMuseum #canada #collection #museum #ontario #ottawavalley #Trivia #workfromhome #vault Can you guess what this artifact is from our collections? Leave your best guess in the comments and the answer will be revealed on Thursday with our "Artifact on Display". Enjoy!

A quick browse through the "store" and more at #ArnpriorMuseum