Final Weeks- Dundas 175 Exhibition

As the summer draws to a close, so too does our Feature Exhibition Dundas175: What Dundas Means to Me. Don’t miss your chance to read reflections from current Dundas residents paired with artifacts, images and stories from 175 years of life in the Valley Town!

A call went out through social media, posters, and directly to organizations to request submissions based on the 1984 book What Dundas Means to Me by Phyllis Kramer and Anges Tassie, which features a collection of images and quotes by Dundas residents.

“It’s a precious time capsule of the year it was published, and my hope is that the submissions for this exhibit will serve as a similar record of Dundas in its 175th year…We’ve had so many responses, and they are all so genuine, witty, and meaningful that it is impossible to pick a favourite! …To me, Dundas is a magical sort of place, where the sense of community is so strong and the shared memories so vivid that the past can come to life in a fullness of detail that is exceptionally rare in the practice of local history.” – Exhibitions Coordinator Austin Strutt.

Experience this unique exhibition for yourself- it’s on display until September 10th, 2022!

Extended CactusFest Hours!

CactusFest finally makes its full return this year, starting with the parade Thursday, August 18th, beginning at 7 pm.

The Dundas Museum and Archives will be open for extended hours this weekend to give lots of opportunities to incorporate a visit into your CactusFest festivities. The Museum will be open Saturday, August 20th and Sunday, August 21st, from 10 am-4 pm. Why not stop in to see our Dundas175: What Dundas Means to Me feature exhibition?

The DMA will also have a table set up outside the Dundas Fire Hall, where you can visit and climb aboard antique firetrucks (courtesy of the Hamilton District Fire Museum), including our own 1961 Thibault Pumper! We’ll have $5 Firetruck Family Fun kits, including a plastic hat and badge, a historical colouring book, and crayons! We’ll also have information about the origin of CactusFest and a “Guess the Spines” cactus contest. Visit our table to learn more!

Our staff and volunteers will be at Memorial Square Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm, and Sunday from 11 am-4 pm. Stop by to say “hello”!

Backyard Talk at the Dundas Museum

On Tuesday, August 16th at 7 pm, join us in the Dundas Museum and Archives’ backyard for a talk by professor Natasha Henry-Dixon, titled “I Will Use My Freedom Well”: Emancipation Day and the Practice of Black Freedom in Canada.

We’re thrilled to have one of the foremost scholars of Ontario Black history at the Museum to share her knowledge, and hope to see you there!

Click here to reserve your seat!

Natasha Henry-Dixon is an assistant professor of African Canadian History at York University. The 2018 Vanier Scholar is researching the enslavement of African people in early Ontario. Publications include Emancipation Day: Celebrating Freedom in Canada (2010), Talking about Freedom: Celebrating Freedom in Canada (2012), several youth-focused titles, and entries for the Canadian Encyclopedia on African Canadian history. Through her various professional, academic, and community roles, Natasha’s work is grounded in her commitment to research, collect, preserve, and disseminate the histories of Black Canadians.

Her dissertation work was summarized in the website One Too Many: Enslaved Africans in Early Ontario 1760-1834. Natasha can be found on Twitter @NHenryFundi and shares resources for teaching Black history on her website, Teaching African Canadian History.

Funding for this event is provided by the Hamilton Community Foundation Dougher Fund.