Stories of Northern Life

The Sault Museum just recently gained possession of a small trunk of books. And yes we do get a lot of boxes and books in our possession at the museum, but this one is pretty special.  

Learn about these books, their story and the original owner Joseph Wilson.

The Bandetts are an all-girls Drum and Bugle Corps Group founded 60 years ago by Mary Wilson.

One of the most recognizable aspects of the Bandettes is their traditional uniform, which features a highland bonnet, mid-waist jacket, and plaid kilt.

Listen to hear more about their accomplishments and 60th anniversary plans 

Join Mairi as she chats with Tova Arbus, the Head of Marketing and Communications, and some of the Fringe Community during Fringe Fest 2023.

Understand what Fringe is all about and how you can get involved with Fringe North.

https://www.saultfringe.com/

Learn about two of the earliest people of note who settled in Sault Ste. Marie

They played a large role in the postal service in this area. That is why they are a favourite topic here at the Sault Museum, the Old Post Office building (though our building was built after their time in charge).

Next time you are driving along Pim Street you'll think about these two and their story!

Eric Wild was born in Sault Ste Maire Ontario on February 11th, 1910. He had a successful career as a conductor from the late 1920s till the 1970s.

We worked on some big incredible projects and traveled around the world with his music throughout the years.

Listen to what we found on his story....

In this interview, Kalle Mattson, a Juno and Polaris Music Prize nominated singer/ songwriter dives into his musical journey.

Starting as a young boy born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie to the successful artist he is today, releasing his latest project summersets with fellow Saut native Andrew Sowka and teaching his craft at Carlton University.

It's an inside scoop on the music industry and how a young Northern Ontario artist caught many successes to be where he is today.

You are going to want to listen to this....
______________________________________________ Find Kalle and Listen to his music here: https://www.kallemattson.com/ Listen to more episodes of the Stories of Northern Life Podcast here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/saultmuseum

Today Ric Datson our assistant curator at the museum is joining me on this episode.  

This rockstar has been crushing the drums for the community of Sault Ste Marie and beyond for 43 years!  

Ever wondered what that tall tower on the Sault Michigan horizon is?

Well, Paul is going to tell you everything you need to know....

We met Paul Sabourin a Canadian who fell in love with an American, so now resides in Soo Michigan. He shares with us the History of Valley Camp and the museum they created aboard the ship!

We start just after the 1837 rebellion of Upper Canada, where John Prince ordered 5 Fenian prisoners executed by firing squad without any legal trial.  

Because of his actions and the threats of another rebellion Sir, John A Macdonald sent him off to Sault Ste. Maire to become the first Judge of the Algoma District.

Listen to this episode to learn more about his life in Algoma!

John Prince sure is a fascinating character in Sault Ste Marie History, but this episode talks about his early life and what lead him to relocate here!

Listen to learn more about a Sault Ste Marie historic figure, John Prince

Sault Ste. Marie's City Hall recently had a name change: as of 2020 it is now known as the Ronald A. Irwin Civic Centre. Obviously, if someone has earned having their name on the building they must have done some impressive things, but who exactly was Ronald A. Irwin beyond simply being a former mayor? Let's find out.

Listen to Nicole Curry the Collections Assitant at the Sault Museum & Coordinator at the Centre de Francophone as she shares the history of the French holiday St. Jean Baptiste Day, & our French Oral History Project, which collects French stories in Sault Ste Marie.

We sit down with the author and Illustrator of a locally produced children's book, called Baiely the Bushplane. Richard Jones and Amy Williams are talented creatives that collaborated to publish a book they are proud to read to their children.

The book, Bailey the Bushplane, is $12 and can be purchased at the Clock Tower Gift Shop here at the Sault Museum (690 Queen St. E). We are open 10 am - 12 pm Tuesday - Saturday! Come say hi!

The Batchewana Moose Hunt of 1906 is, well, more or less what it sounds: a group of friends from around Canada and North America travelling to Sault Ste. Marie in order to hunt Moose and other game.

See pictures and original writing here: http://www.saultmuseum.ca/museum-musings/the-batchewana-moose-hunt-of-1906

No, it's not just a day designated by someone who likes to eat donuts, it has a historical story, which I will share with you today!!! 

Stick around and learn about the Salvation Army Lassies, and how they made donuts on the front lines for the soldiers during WWI.

Come to the Sault Museum on June 2nd at 9:30 am till supplies last for a coffee and a donut for just $3. Proceeds will go to preserving military history in Sault Ste Marie.

It's true, the very first Italian club in all of Canada started in Sault Ste. Maire in 1914! Learn more about the club's origin and its long history here in the Sault

I assume most of us have been to the Canal District here in the Sault?  

Right in front of the Algoma Conservatory or the Loft, there is a bit of sunken ground. Where you will find a hidden piece of history. It is still fairly inconspicuous to this day until you walk over and look down at it. But it was actually covered up for years until Clergue did some research, and some investigation.  

This is a reading directly from an article, that was published in the Soo Star on July 7th, 1922. It directly quotes Mr. Clergues letters.

Catherine Macleod is the Owner and Director of the Macleod Highland Dance Studio, and she just so happens to be Mairi’s mom.  

They dive deep into the origins of the Macleod Highland Dance studio which was established here in Canada in 1953 by Hellen Macleod and how it's evolved over the years.

In honour of Mother's Day, we encourage you to sit down with your motherly figures and ask them about their story and the women before them.  

Adam Francis Proulx is a Canadian puppeteer and theatre creator. He explored puppetry while working at the Walt Disney World parks but truly began when he was cast in the first Canadian company of Avenue Q. Nearly a decade later, through his company, The Pucking Fuppet Co., Adam creates original theatre, builds custom puppets, and provides education and puppetry direction. Adam will be in town performing his latest show... FERRY TALE! A special fundraising event for Fringe North Festival WHEN: May 12 and 13 TIME: Doors open at 7 p.m. (music, food, beverages); Show starts at 8 p.m. (run time is approximately 30 mins) VENUE: Sault Ste. Marie Museum (690 Queen St. E) (fully accessible space) TICKETS: $35. Purchase your ticket or make a donation at www.ferrytaleshow.com QUESTIONS? Call/text 705-975-0761 or email saultfringe@gmail.com

Have you ever wondered who first defined points of the land we call Sault Ste Marie and even named a few of our first streets?  

Well, I'm going to tell you...  

I would like to begin by acknowledging that we are in Robinson-Huron Treaty territory and that the land on which we are gathered is the traditional territory of the Anishnaabeg, specifically the Garden River and Batchewana First Nations, as well as Métis People. 

Throughout this story, I tried my best to find resources to fill in the gaps of the story in regard to the indigenous people who inhabited this land before us. I spoke with the people at the Algoma University Library and Collections, to see what they had on the matter and I will share some of the knowledge gained from their resources. I still feel unclear on the story from the indigenous point of view as all my resources are written from settlers' points of view. But I will share what I have found and maybe we can work together to fill in the gaps in this story dating back 177 years ago  

I also turned this episode into a blog post, so you can follow along with some visuals of the maps! Go to saultmuseum.ca under discover and fin our Museum Musings page filled with short blog-style posts of influential people events and places.  

The Clock on the Old Dominion Building at 690 Queen Street E. is ticking for the season!

Since we get a million questions about the Iconic Clock Tower every year we thought we'd share a little bit of the History of the Clock Tower and the clock itself. Rick Datson, the current caretaker of the clock, comes on the episode and shares the process of starting the clock!

If you have any questions or want to share some history please email me at mairi@saultmuseum.ca!

We are going to read to you an article written by the Sault Daily Star and add our thoughts and additional research.

It's an interesting cultural heritage tradition that was practiced here within our local Italian community.

You are going to want to listen to this short episode!

On, April 9th, 2006 at 2 pm in the Sault Ste. Marie Memeorial Gardens the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 25 held a special decommissioning service for the Sault Memeorial Gardens.  

They gathered to say a grand farewell to the 57-year-old memorial gardens.

We share the program for the Decommissioning Service and read a few speeches spoken to the large audience that day in the Memorial Gardens.

March 31st marks the date the Old Dominion Building where the museum is now opened its doors in 1906.  So, let's talk about the building and design of this iconic building the Sault Museum gets to call home! 

It took 2 years for planning then another 2 years for construction but,  it was well worth the wait. For the early traveller to the Sault, the clock tower of the Post Office was one of the first signs of the approaching city, and it was a gathering place for the people who lived here.

We talk about the construction, design, architectural features, and who was originally in the building.

This episode is a historical recording of the Sault Ste Marie & 49th Field Regiment Historical Society meeting in the 1970s. You will be presented with the History of St. Joes Island, with a few ending questions and the atmospheric sound of the meeting group.

I hope you learn a little something new about St. Joes Island today!

Keep in mind that this was recorded in the 1970s. We recognize that some of the languages is not modern and is not acceptable. Our intention in sharing this recording and others like this is to highlight our local history as well as examples of the way Indigenous groups and nations were acknowledged instilling how we can still do better in today's world.

All things Maple Syrup! Join in on this conversation with Erica Hogan the award-winning business women, mother of 2, and CFO and co-owner of Hogans Homestead. She and her husband started making maple syrup as a hobby. That hobby quickly turned into a 30,000-tapped tree operation in under 3 years! Not only that, but they are the youngest maple product producers in Canada! 

Erica shares her story and her love for maple syrup. Listen and learn about maple production and what it's like being a tree-loving business owner in Northern Ontario! 

Bryant McBride grew up here in Sault Ste. Marie, played hockey, gained incredible education studying at west Pint Military Acadamy, and Harvard to name a few, was the Vice President of Business Development for the NHL for 7 years, and was the highest-ranking African American executive there, built seven start-ups all at the intersection of sports and technology, and is the co-founder and Ceo of a leading User-generated content engagement platform, called Burst, is the producer of a film called willie, and another called 6 Days in November is coming soon. 

This is such a great episode, and we hope you enjoy it! 

It is February which is also Black History month, and we don’t have anything in the collection here at the Sault Museum on black history. We recently discovered an African-American, Haitian, and Chippewa (Ojibwa) artist, whose famous work has a connection to Sault Ste Marie. And her name is Edmonia Lewis.

So today we are sharing her story and her work! 

Listen for an inspiring story of a woman who didn't let anything get in her way of reaching her dream

We currently have a special pop-up traveling exhibit on display in our Military Gallery. The exhibit is called Dear Sadie: Love, Lives, and Remembrance from Ontario's First World War, and was made by the Archives of Ontario.

I am going to focus on the Love part, in light of Valentine's day coming up. I am going to share the story of Harry Mason and his love Sadie Arbuckle, then relate these war stories to the Women's overseas army unit in WW2 who wrote letters to soldiers they had never met before, and how their letters sparked so much love in a time full of hate.

Bon Soo, the winter carnival that holds a special place in the hearts of all of us who grew up in or near Sault Ste. Marie

For this one special week, you enjoy the magic of what people can create with snow and ice, and the cold long winter doesn’t seem so bad.

This year we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Bon Soo Winter Carnival

...so let’s learn a little more about its 60-year history!

In this episode, we give you a very brief history of the Historical Society, when they first found a space to build its collection, and the hunt to find a new space soon after. Though we all know where they chose to start the city museum, this year is the 40th anniversary of the Sault Ste Marie Museum when we first came together and opened the space here at 690 Queen Street E. (previously known as the Dominion building or Old Post Office). We want to share the history of how we got here and all that goes into keeping it up. 

Over the years we lost a lot of great historic buildings, monuments, and what would be artifacts today due to terrible fires, catching a spark by surprise. Since 1889 the Sault Ste. Maire Fire Department has been there to fight those fires for us.

There are so many significant fires that occurred, some with heartbreaking stories but some with little damage due to the Sault fire department.

Listen and learn more about how they started and how the Sault Ste. Marie Fire Department progressed over the years! 

This episode is an Interview with Ray Fox a Northern Ontario-based Anishinaabe Visual Artist and our current artist-in-residence. He’s been with us since April 2022 and is now at the end of his residency closing it off with an exhibition. 

This is an awesome episode where you get to hear Ray's voice as he talks about his artistic journey, his time at the museum, what to look forward to for his upcoming show and much more!

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EXHIBITION OPENING!

Join the Sault Ste Marie Museum and Ray for his Exhibition Opening, this Saturday, January 14th from 6-9! The Exhibition is Titled “Baawitigong”, and is an exploration on Anishinaabe history and personal identity. See you Saturday!

We all know The Marconi Cultural Event Centre, as a place where we gather for events and eat penne and meatballs, but this building has housed much more than events and gatherings. Today we are not talking about the Marconi itself but a Marconi Society that’s just celebrated its 90th anniversary and is now in its 91st year running strong.

The Elettra Marconi society is an all-ladies club that promotes the Italian heritage, while actively supporting our youth and community. Your host shares insight into who these ladies are, and what they have done and continue to do for the community! 

As we wrap up the last few days of 2022, we reflect on the year.

We are going to talk about Historic moments globally, nationally, and locally. As well as what we accomplished here at the Sault Museum.

2022 was undoubtedly a difficult year for many, but it was also a time of growth and change. We showed our resilience and strength in the face of adversity and proved that we can work together to build a better future.

Let's celebrate this year and welcome the new one ahead!

Today I thought I would pick up this small red book from the collection, with a few crayon scribbles on the pages, a loose spine, and illustrated pictures featuring 5 short Christmas stories.

Listen to your host share a short story in the spirit of the season of love, and giving! 

Happy Holidays from the Sault Ste. Marie Museum!!! 

Today we are going to get into some of the Traditions and Customs of the Regiments specifically over the holiday season, as that is just around the corner.

We learn about an annual custom for Canadian forces to have a Christmas dinner, but with a twist, and another tradition that dates back many centuries called New Years Levee.

Gladys H McNeice was a post-secondary educator but was known by many for her work as a regional historian and author. 

At time stamp 4:45 the episode turns into an audio recording from a Historical Society Meeting where Gladys talks about her research of the Ermatinger Family and the Ermatinger Old Stone House. 

So you can end the episode in just under 5 minutes or continue to listen as Gladys herself shares her new findings from her travels to southern Ontario to gather more information on The Eramtings and also comes across some new findings on John Prince. 

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Most of the research for the episode was completed by Justen Brett the Sault Museum's Research Assistant. 

In 2009, The City of Sault Ste. Marie, in collaboration with the Sault Ste. Marie and Area Local Immigration Partnership established a flag gallery on Foster Drive in front of City Hall.

Your host Mairi talks about her, and her mom's experience raising a flag in 2009 and chats about the flags that were added to the flag gallery ever since.

Today’s artist in subject came to our town in the earliest years and his work became so famous it's not in the Smithsonian. And that person is George Catlin.

George Catlin was an American adventurer, traveler, lawyer, author, and painter.

His collection of works is the largest pre-photographic material of North Americans. All though he wasn’t the first to document Indigenous groups in Canada and the States he was the first to paint them as they were in their land.

He painted a handful of paintings in and around the Sault that we used now to visually understand the placement of important buildings and establishments, as well as the culture and individuals of the indigenous community.

Please note that I directly quote Letters and Notes, vol. 2, no. 54, by Catlin in 1841, and the language used is not conteporary.

Who is Paul Kane?

He was one of Canada's most traveled painters. He traveled by horseback, canoe, and on foot to paint buffalo herds, fur traders, and Indigenous encampments. Kane made 68 known sketches of this area from 1845-1848

Canada was still very underdeveloped at the time, and he helped paint a portrait of what the country looked like. And Paul Kane immersed himself in the land and the people that inhabited it. He was able to capture what he saw and learned through graphite, watercolors, and oil on paper. He produced over seven hundred pictures accompanying journal descriptions of the lives of indigenous people.

We have him to thank for the images of the past. And for his attempts to share awareness of his concerns for the future development and overpower of the Europeans to this vast wilderness and the first people who lived here

🎼That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early 🎶

The S.S Edmund Fitzgerald was a Great Lakes bulk cargo vessel, the largest ore carrier on the Great lakes for 13 years until 1971. It was 729 feet long, 75 feet wide, 39 feet high, and 13632 tons empty.

It set seasonal haul records 6 times, often surpassing its own records in its short 17-year lifespan until November 10th, 1975.

This episode goes through the timeline of the frightful day sprinkled with additional facts and history

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https://www.shipwreckmuseum.com/

https://open.spotify.com/track/536L9C0N7vhYdibCJx3cI2?autoplay=true

Nicole Curry our Collections Assistant reads to you an article written in 1996 about a murder mystery that happened in Sault Ste Marie Michigan.

Now this case is 176 years old and still unsolved with not enough evidence to truly convict a murderer. Your host, Mairi adds more points of research to the characters and case to help you make your own verdict!

There are many artists that came to the Sault to capture the “Stories of Northern Life” and in the 1800s that looked a lot different than today.

If it weren't for these artists writing, painting or illustrating in some way. We would have very few resources in understanding the way of life.

In the upcoming episodes, I will be going through a number of artists that stopped or stayed awhile in Sault Ste. Marie captured moments in time for us to admire and learn from for years to come.

Our first artist is the British-born Anna Jameson. She visited Sault Ste. Marie in 1837 at 43 years old where she wrote, illustrated, shot the rapids and made meaningful connections.

She was a writer, feminist and art historian that used her words to express an appreciation of the natural resources in Canada and put our name on the map.