Indigenous History Month: History in Photos
To celebrate Indigenous History Month we are sharing some of our favourite photographs from the Lake of the Woods Museum’s extensive collection.
Happy Camera Day!
June 29th is Camera Day! To celebrate we thought we would give you a virtual peak into our photography case at the Lake of the Woods Museum.
The First Argyle
The Argyle was a ferry boat that provided ferry service between Keewatin, Norman, Coney Island and Rat Portage/Kenora from 1900 to 1936.
Thistles Presented with Loving Cups
After the Kenora Thistles hockey team won the Stanley Cup, there was celebration in Kenora and the team was presented with Loving Cups.
The Community Centre
Learn the history of the building of the Kenora Community Centre, now called the Kenora Recreation Centre.
The New Thistle Rink
One of the major touchstone events that helped bring Kenora into a new era after all the death and destruction of the 1910s was the construction of the new Thistle Rink.
Shop the Muse: Indigenous History Month Reads
We’re featuring a selection books from Shop the Muse that can help you to learn more about Indigenous history, art, culture, and language.
Father’s Day: Major Sydney Charles Wilcox, Family Always in his Thoughts
This is the story of one father, Major Sydney Charles Wilcox, and his loving letter to his daughter while he was away overseas.
Watch Our Virtual Tour of Colour with a “U”
Get lost in the exquisite details of over 30 vibrant textile artworks in our virtual tour of the exhibition, Colour with a “U” – ONLY AVAILABLE UNTIL JUNE 27.
Shop the Muse: Hand Carved Fishing Lures
Does your Dad love to fish? If so, these beautiful, hand craved fishing lures by Pete Horley are sure to be a hit for Father’s Day!
Shop the Muse: Books for Dad
If your dad is a history-buff or an avid-reader, here are a couple books from Shop the Muse that he’s sure to enjoy!
The Hilliard House
In 1883, local hotelier Louis Hilliard opened the Hilliard House on the northeast corner of Main and Second Streets in Rat Portage (now Kenora). The following is the story of Hilliard’s fine establishment as recounted in newspapers of the day at three significant times in the building’s history.
The Hudson’s Bay Company in Rat Portage
The Hudson’s Bay Company established a location in Rat Portage (now Kenora) in 1837 and maintained a presence for nearly two hundred years.
Celebrating Nature Photography Day
Every year on June 15th, the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) celebrates Nature Photography Day.
Happy Canadian Rivers Day!
Canadian Rivers Day is held annually on the second Sunday in June to promote public awareness of the importance of preserving the heritage and health of Canada’s rivers.
First Plane Makes Trans-Canada Flight
On October 10, 1920, a crowd of hundreds gathered at the Kenora docks to witness a plane attempting the first Trans-Canada flight.
Building the Road to Save the Town
One hundred years ago this month, in March 1919, there was a vote in Kenora that fundamentally changed the look and feel of life in town. In the third week of March, the taxpayers of Kenora voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking on a massive public debt to build roads and sidewalks in town.
Central School Reminiscences
Look back at some memories of one of Kenora’s most memorable schools, Central School, through this collection of stories.
Voices: A Survival Guide for Wimmin
The Muse is looking for information on a nationally recognized feminist newsletter published in Kenora between 1978-1984 called Voices: A Survival Manual for Wimmin.
Blood on the Snow in Rat Portage
This is a true story of life and death in Rat Portage taken from contemporary accounts of a tragic event at the beginning of 1883.
Let Bisons be Bisons
On a cold winter day in 1979, an excavation crew began working on a project close to what is now the Kenora airport. Unbeknownst to them, they were about to unearth an archaeological discovery unlike anything this region had ever seen.
Summer at the Drive-In
The Drive-In Theatre — few places evoke such strong memories of summer evenings spent with family and friends. The Rabbit Lake Drive-In opened 65 years ago, at the height of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
The Bachelors’ Ball
A bachelors’ ball was a dance for single people to meet up and have a good time. In the spring and summer of 1909, 110 year ago this month, Kenora hosted not one but two bachelors’ balls.
A Day at the Lake
This is the story of when 5,000 people, over 10% of the population of Winnipeg at the time, made Rat Portage their destination for a day at the lake.